Treatment of mononucleosis can be started after a proper diagnosis is made, and this is not easy at all. Fortunately, there are tests for mononucleosis that make the diagnosis easier for the doctor. This is important because the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis can be confusing, so it is often misdiagnosed and treated incorrectly.

Treatment of mononucleosisis not easy at all, because it has non-specific symptoms, which can sometimes resemble flu, sometimes angina, and sometimes even indicate lymphoma.

Infectious mononucleosis is also known as kissing disease because it is transmitted through saliva.

Besides, mononucleosis has a slightly different course depending on the age at which it attacks. In children, it is often mistaken for angina. In adults, yellowing of the skin and irritation of the liver and spleen may occur, sometimes leading to jaundice. If jaundice occurs, the person must be hospitalized.

No wonder that doctors sometimes make mistakes in the diagnosis, and thus in the treatment of mononucleosis. Sometimes they cause additional complications - for example, giving a patient with mononucleosis an antibiotic (ampicillin, amoxycycline) causes a characteristic rash - macular rash.

Tests helpful in the diagnosis of mononucleosis

Laboratory tests that help your doctor make a diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis include:

  • blood count - the test results show an increase in the amount of WBC or leukocytes (white blood cells); blood count with a smear shows an increased percentage of lymphocytes among white blood cells and the presence of lymphomonocytes; there may also be a reduction in the number of platelets
  • liver enzymes (transaminases - AST and ALT) are often elevated in mononylosis
  • antibodies against EBV - are the immune system's response to the invasion of the virus - after about 2-3 weeks, IgM antibodies against the EBV virus appear in the blood, indicating a fresh infection; the presence of IgG antibodies against the EBV virus indicates that the infection took place in the past
  • detection of EBV by PCR - the qualitative method allows you to determine whether the virus is present in the blood, the quantitative method allows you to assess the number of virus particles in a givenblood volume
Worth knowing

If the test for the amount of IgM antibodies to the EBV virus is performed too early (i.e. within two to three weeks after infection) the result may be false negative - antibodies have not yet been produced, although the virus is in the body .

Mononucleosis treatment

Antipyretics are mainly used in children and adults. Paracetamol and ibuprofen for children, ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol or naproxen for adults.

In addition to taking antipyretic preparations, it is good to gargle with disinfectants.

There is no drug to fight Ebstein-Barr virus (EBV). The body has to overcome it on its own. You have to stay in bed, because mononucleosis is a very debilitating disease, drink a lot and follow an easily digestible diet. Nasal drops are not recommended for rhinitis because they do not work in this case. However, it is worth ventilating the rooms and humidifying the air with water with the addition of essential oils, e.g. eucalyptus.

How long does mononucleosis last?

The disease usually lasts for about two weeks. After this time, the symptoms disappear, but the patient is very weak.

The patient becomes infected both during the disease and after its termination - sometimes even for 18 months.

Children need a month of recovery before resuming their normal lifestyle. Likewise, adults should take time to recover. It is important not to go straight to work, because the immune system is slightly impaired for 2-4 months after infection and it is better not to expose yourself to severe threats. You are also not allowed to have any vaccinations during this time - this applies to both adults and children.

Category:

Infectious diseases