March 17, 2011

How Long Is Mono Kissing Disease Contagious

Posted in Category : Common Ailments

Many people are keen on knowing what is mononucleosis; a condition also known as the kissing disease. The mono kissing disease is basically a viral caused medical condition which is transmitted from one person to another through saliva, coughing, sneezing and even by sharing utensil or toothbrushes of those suffering from this medical condition. It has been observed that the mono kissing disease symptoms are frequently found in individuals who are between the age of 15 to 17 years. Some of the kissing disease symptoms are swollen glands at the back of one’s neck, nausea, abdominal pain, severe case of sore throat along with tonsils that may appear to be enlarged, red and even covered in pus, extreme fatigue and very high fever.

Some of the other mono kissing disease symptoms also include jaundice, developing a rash and even hepatitis. The treatments for mononucleosis usually begin after the disease is diagnosed by testing of the suspected symptoms through a complete blood count, monospot and other such diagnostic tests. In most cases since mononucleosis is caused by a virus, antibiotics alone are not suitable to treat this medical condition. Hence the treatment for mononucleosis is usually supportive and includes fever control, intake of fluids so as to avoid dehydration, plenty of bed rest and even administering pain killers to gain relief from the sore throat. Many people are also keen to find out how long is mono contagious after symptoms are gone , however in order to know how long is mono contagious in children as well as in adults one needs to bear in mind that children who suffer from mono kissing disease may continue to remain contagious even months or weeks after they recover. However, the child may be allowed to return to school after they recover from the fever or if they feel energized enough as fatigue is one of the primary symptoms of mono kissing disease.

In order to know how long is mono contagious the person would need to understand that once infected by the mono virus the person will have the virus in their body for life. But that however does not mean that the person will always be prone to the condition. As time passes, the virus will gradually become less contagious and thereby reduce the likelihood of the virus being transmitted to anyone else. A person infected with mono kissing disease may actually be contagious immediately after they have been affected by this viral disease. However in most cases the individual is not even aware that they are suffering from mono kissing disease as it takes around 3 to up to 7 weeks for the symptoms of mono kissing disease to show up once the person is affected and this period is referred to as the incubation period.

One of the ideal treatments for mono kissing disease is to take good care of oneself and allow the symptoms to go away as usually they are observed to last for up to four weeks however the person may appear to feel tired and suffer from general malaise for a long time after the symptoms have subsided as well. The doctor will conduct a mono disease blood test that is known as the Monospot test to confirm whether the person is still suffering from the disease. One of the ideal treatments for mono kissing disease is to ensure that the person drinks plenty of fluids in the form of soup or broth or even plenty of drinking water along with a healthy and well balanced diet. The EBV or the Epstein-Barr Virus that causes this disease may remain in the body for a almost six months after the symptoms have subsided.