What You Don’t Know About Mono

The main reason it’s called the ‘kissing disease’ is that the virus that causes it only is found in saliva. Aside from the sassy nickname, there’s probably a lot you don’t know about mono. It comes from the Epstein - Barr virus, by adulthood most of us have been exposed. “Eighty percent of adults are immune to it because they’ve had it,” says Dr. Joseph Babey, who is a pediatrician with Lee Memorial Health System. As soon as you get over mono, your symptoms will go away for good, but you’ll always carry the virus. It may become active from time to time without causing symptoms, but it can be spread. Another interesting fact: some people get mono and never know it. “Because you can be exposed to it and have an extremely mild case where you don’t have the severe sore throat and all of that,” says Dr. Babey. An antibody test can tell if you have or have ever had the virus. Common symptoms of Mononucleosis are: fever, tiredness, muscle aches, headache and sore throat. “The first thing that you realize that you have it is a sore throat. And some pain in your neck and this is the acute phase. And the glands swell up. Now the glands that swell up are not only the glands in the neck but the glands over the whole body,” says Dr. Babey. It can pack quite a punch and carry a lot of downtime. “Mono can go on for up to 6 weeks, there are several treatments, rest and bed rest. Staying relatively inactive until your body is able to overcome it,” says Dr. Babey. Teens can be cleared for school once their fever is gone. So while the nickname may give you a chuckle, mono should always be taken seriously. View More Health Matters video segments at leememorial.org/healthmatters/ Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries. Visit leememorial.org