Mononucleosis Signs and Symptoms

A soreness in the throat. This isn’t the simple soreness that one associate with the common cold – that caused by infectious mononucleosis is extremely intense. Ingesting anything can become difficult, or all-but-impossible, including the swallowing of one’s own spittle. The defining factor that sets soreness of the throat that is caused by mononucleosis apart from that caused by a cold, is that the other common symptoms of a cold will be absent. You will not sneeze, or have a cough, or experience a running nose.

Exhaustion. Exhaustion is a symptom of mononucleosis, just as it is of a great many ailments. You may feel as you do when you have the flu. You will want to stay in bed for as long as the illness persists. If you feel persistent exhaustion, you should know that this is generally a symptom of illness, and you should dig deeper to seek the cause.

Running a temperature. If you have been running a temperature, there is a good chance that you are suffering from some sort of serious infection. While a great many infections, besides mononucleosis (also called the kissing disease), can cause a rise in temperature, any fever that persists over a 10-day period may be considered serious.

Dermatitis. There are a considerable number of ailments that give rise to dermatitis. Often enough, a bite from some insect, or an allergic reaction to the same, is at the root of the problem. That is to say, the rash is caused by a simple autoimmune response. Mononucleosis causes a persistent skin rash where the infection has spread into the person’s skin. While this rash is quite unpleasant to the eye, it does represent your body’s attempt to combat the disease.

Enlarged Lymph Glands. The lymph glands are a crucial component of the lymphatic system that is spread through the body, and which houses the immune cells that provide the body’s first defense against invading bacteria. When the body is fighting an infection, large numbers of these immune cells or white blood cells are created – this causes the lymph glands to become enlarged. There are lymph glands present not only in the neck but also in the armpits and in the groin, and all of these can become infected in a mononucleosis attack.

Regular headaches. As you can see, a person suffering from mononucleosis suffers from a great many symptoms that are also common to other ailments, from the common cold to simple dehydration. A headache could also be a symptom of an allergy. Nevertheless, a headache is significant in that there is a health issue present that must be dealt with. If you are feeling exhausted, and also suffer from a persistent headache, then this is a symptom that your doctor will definitely want to hear about when diagnosing you.

Enlarged tonsils. One of the distinctive symptoms of mononucleosis is a considerable swelling of the tonsils. This swelling can become so extensive that you may have trouble breathing, and certainly have extreme issues in ingesting food or drink. The enlarged tonsils may also be a source of considerable pain, and medical care is definitely advised at the earliest.

A rapid pulse. You may be intrigued to know that when you suffer from mononucleosis your heart rate is accelerated, much the same as it is when you exercise. The accelerated heart rate is a response to stress – in the case of exercise, it is physical stress, while in the case of mononucleosis it is the stress of the infection. A rapid heart rate at rest is a symptom that demands closer examining. In mononucleosis, your heart should put out ten extra beats every minute when at rest.

Muscular pains. Mononucleosis causes severe pains in the muscular tissues. When combined with exhaustion and fever, this can be considered an important symptom of the disease. Ibuprofen is generally prescribed to assist with this issue, as is a heightened fluid intake… and plenty of rest.

Breathlessness. Mononucleosis seems to put a considerable amount of stress on the system, and you may find that your breathing is heightened, that is to say, you are breathing at faster than your normal rate, or else that you are feeling breathless. This is because the infection is placing considerable amounts of stress on the body, and also because the tonsils are enlarged, constricting the air passageways. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult your health specialist and check if they are caused by mononucleosis. As your body heals from the infection, these symptoms – including the breathlessness – will pass.