Infectious Mononucleosis - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Infectious mononucleosis

General characteristics of the disease

Infectious mononucleosis is an acute viral disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which is relatively stable in the external environment.

This disease is characterized by fever, damage to the lymph nodes, pharynx, spleen, liver, as well as peculiar changes in the composition of the blood.

Infectious mononucleosis is sometimes called "kissing disease", which is associated with its transmission by airborne droplets, in particular through kissing, when using a shared bed, linen, dishes. Favorable for the spread of the virus are places with a large overcrowding of healthy and sick people - kindergartens, camps, boarding schools, hostels.

As a rule, the clinical picture of infectious mononucleosis develops in young people: the peak incidence in girls is observed at 14-16 years old, and the maximum infection among boys is observed at 16-18 years old. In most people, by the age of 25-35, antibodies to this virus are detected in the blood.

Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis

The incubation period can vary from 5 to 45 days, but most often it lasts 7-10 days. The duration of the disease, as a rule, does not exceed two months. Infectious mononucleosis, symptoms can manifest selectively or in complex, begins with a sharp rise in body temperature, swelling of the cervical lymph nodes, difficulty in nasal breathing and tonsillitis. These signs of the disease in full usually develop by the end of the first week. At the initial stage, most patients develop symptoms of infectious mononucleosis, such as the presence of peculiar lymphocytes (atypical mononuclear cells) in the blood, as well as an enlarged liver and spleen.

The disease can begin gradually: general malaise, little or no temperature, mild inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. In some patients, the body temperature rises significantly only at the height of the disease, however, cases when the temperature is absent throughout the entire period of infectious mononucleosis are very rare.

An important, very often the first symptom of infectious mononucleosis is swollen lymph nodes, especially cervical. They can be seen or felt - the size can vary from the size of a pea to a chicken egg. This disease is not characterized by suppuration of the lymph nodes.

The defeat of the oropharynx is a constant symptom of infectious mononucleosis. Patients have swelling and enlargement of the palatine tonsils, damage to the nasopharyngeal tonsil, which, in turn, causes difficulty in nasal breathing, severe nasal congestion, tightness of the voice, "snoring" mouth breathing. Posterior rhinitis is characteristic of infectious mononucleosis, therefore nasal discharge is usually not observed during the period of exacerbation of the disease, they appear only after the restoration of nasal breathing. Patients have swelling of the posterior pharyngeal wall, which is usually covered with thick mucus. During the illness, there is a moderate hyperemia of the pharynx and a slight sore throat.

Infectious mononucleosis in children in 85% of cases is accompanied by a plaque on the nasopharyngeal and palatine tonsils. As a rule, the appearance of this symptom (at the very beginning or on the 3-4th day of illness) causes an even greater increase in temperature and a deterioration in the general condition.

Enlargement of the liver and spleen is observed in 97-98% of patients. Changes in the size of the liver sometimes provoke the appearance of yellowness of the skin, which subsequently disappears along with other manifestations of the disease. Having begun to increase from the first days of the disease and having reached its maximum size by 4-10 days, the liver returns to its normal size only by the end of the first - the beginning of the second month of the disease.

Often, symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are eyelid swelling, puffiness of the face, skin rashes, petechiae and exanthema in the mouth.

The disease can also manifest itself in the form of disorders of the cardiovascular system such as tachycardia, systolic murmur, muffled heart sounds.

Infectious mononucleosis in children is not characterized by a chronic course and relapses. Complications in patients are most often due to the activation of the microbial flora, as well as the stratification of acute respiratory viral infections, otitis media, pneumonia, bronchitis. Pancreatitis, orchitis and mumps are considered rare complications of the disease. In 80% of cases, infectious mononucleosis is completely cured in 2-3 weeks, only in some cases changes in the blood (presence of atypical mononuclear cells, moderate leukocytosis) can persist for up to six months. The lethal outcome of the disease is possible only in isolated cases - from rupture of the spleen, severe damage to the nervous system, with genetic insufficiency of the lymphatic system.

Treatment of infectious mononucleosis

At the moment, a specific treatment for infectious mononucleosis has not been developed.

The patient is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, bed rest, a diet that excludes fried and fatty foods, hot seasonings. Symptomatic treatment of infectious mononucleosis includes taking vitamins, using hyposensitizing agents (reduce sensitivity to the allergen), nasal drops, rinsing the pharynx and throat with iodinol, furacilin solution, tincture of calendula, sage, chamomile, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution or other antiseptic agents.

In the treatment of infectious mononucleosis, it is advisable to instill interferon into the nose for 2-3 days or use Viferon rectal suppositories for 5-10 days. As an alternative, it is possible to use natural stimulants of interferon production - tincture of lemongrass, ginseng, zamanihi, arapia, sterculia.

For

infectious mononucleosis, it is recommended to use neovir, which is an antibacterial, antiviral and immunomodulatory agent. Sulfanilamide drugs are not prescribed for this disease. Antibiotics can be recommended only if secondary microflora is attached. In the treatment of severe disease in short courses, corticosteroids are used, in particular prednisone, Infectious mononucleosis in children does not require specific treatment. After recovery, the physical activity of athletes and adolescents should be limited for at least six months in order to reduce the risk of injury to the spleen.

Prevention of infectious mononucleosis

The patient must either be isolated at home for 2-3 weeks, or hospitalized for clinical indications. Disinfection is not required, it is enough to ventilate the room and regularly do wet cleaning. The patient should be given separate utensils and necessary care items.

Since a vaccine against infectious mononucleosis has not been developed, active immunization against this disease is not carried out.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!