Mononucleosis: infection and treatment

Mononucleosis, also known as “kissing disease,” is a viral infection that most commonly affects preschool and elementary school children and young adults aged 15 to 19.

Trigger for glandular fever

The cause of glandular fever is the so-called Epstein-Barr virus, EBV for short. This belongs to the group of herpes viruses. Once it has penetrated the human organism, the Epstein-Barr virus primarily affects the lymphatic tissue, which includes the lymph nodes, tonsils and spleen, for example. It causes B lymphocytes, which are white blood cells, to divide and multiply. The B-lymphocytes are distributed via the lymphatic and bloodstream and reach internal organs such as the spleen or liver, which cause them to swell.

The period between infection and the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease, i.e. the incubation period, can vary greatly. It can be as little as a few days or as long as six weeks.

After infection, the Epstein-Barr virus remains in the body in an inactive form for life. So anyone who has ever had glandular fever is usually immune for life. However, there are exceptions. In people with an immune deficiency as a result of a primary underlying disease, such as diabetes, the virus can become active again, so that glandular fever can break out again.

Infection with glandular fever

Mononucleosis is mainly transmitted via saliva, i.e. via droplet infection, hence the name “kissing disease”. Droplets containing the virus get into the air when you speak, sneeze or cough and then into the airways, where they attach themselves to the mucous membranes.

Symptoms of glandular fever

Mononucleosis is associated with numerous symptoms. The most common of these are:

• Fatigue, possibly for weeks or months
• loss of appetite
• malaise, nausea
• dizziness
• Fever
• chills
• Sore throat
• dry cough
• Whitish-yellow coatings on the tonsils
• Swollen lymph tissue (lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen)
• Slight rash possible
• depressions
• abdominal, muscle or headaches

Course of Pfeiffer’s glandular fever

The disease begins with general malaise, tiredness, exhaustion and often with a slight fever. Then there is a sore throat and yellowish-whitish coatings form on the tonsils. The fever rises and the feeling of illness increases. The lymph nodes swell, especially in the neck region, but also in the armpits and groin. They are very painful when touched. Sometimes a transient rash appears. In some children, glandular fever is also accompanied by abdominal pain. This pain is caused by the enlargement of the spleen and liver that can occur with the condition.

Duration of glandular fever

The symptoms of glandular fever usually subside within ten to fourteen days. Often, however, the children still feel tired and exhausted for weeks or months afterwards. A late consequence of infection with the Epstein-Barr virus is severe exhaustion. It can take a long time before your child regains his strength. Therefore, the disease often requires a lot of patience from everyone involved.

Mononucleosis can vary in severity. Sometimes there is only a slight fever, in some cases there are even no symptoms despite infection. On the other hand, glandular fever can also lead to additional bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. In rare cases meningitis is possible.

How is glandular fever diagnosed?

If your child has swollen lymph nodes with or without a fever or sore throat, you should definitely take them to the doctor. This will determine the number of white blood cells for diagnosis. In an actual disease, their number is many times higher than usual. The doctor cannot make a diagnosis based on the symptoms alone, since the symptoms of glandular fever are very similar to those of other diseases.

Treat glandular fever

It is not possible to treat glandular fever because there is sometimes no medication available to treat it. In the case of a high fever, the doctor can prescribe fever suppositories, and in the case of a secondary bacterial infection, which can be associated with glandular fever, he will probably prescribe an antibiotic.

As a rule, the symptoms of glandular fever subside after a few weeks. However, keep in mind that this does not mean that the disease is over. The Epstein-Barr virus can still be detected in the saliva weeks after the illness, which means that affected people can still be contagious.

What you should pay attention to during the illness

Always make sure that your child rests enough and stays in bed. Rest promotes the recovery process, while stress only prevents it. Excessive raving during the illness should therefore be avoided. This is especially true if your child’s spleen has become severely swollen in the course of glandular fever. Then the spleen protrudes further than usual from the chest, which means that it is less protected and can tear.

Home remedies for glandular fever

The treatment of glandular fever is primarily about relieving the symptoms. You can easily alleviate common complaints, such as fever or swollen lymph nodes, with simple home remedies.

Reduce fever in glandular fever

• Drink a lot: Since fever is a typical symptom of glandular fever, it is important that your child drinks a lot. Due to the fever and the associated sweating, there is a loss of fluid, which must be compensated for by an appropriate supply. This is especially important for babies and children, as their fluid balance is unstable compared to that of adults. Water, unsweetened teas, juices and chicken broth are well suited for children with glandular fever to compensate.
• Calf wraps: If your child has a fever, it is important to bring it down. This works particularly well with a heat-dissipating method such as the calf wrap. With this application, you wrap your child in wet, cool towels around their lower legs. The heat produced by the fever is dissipated in this way. Calf wraps therefore have a refreshing effect. Find detailed instructions for a calf wrap here .
• Vinegar socks , also known as vinegar slippers, are basically just another form of wrap. They also have a heat-dissipating and cooling effect. Before use, first provide a pad to protect the lying surface. Then mix five tablespoons of vinegar essence with one liter of water. Soak a pair of cotton socks in it, wring them out and put them on your child. Then slip another dry pair of socks over them. The application continues until the vinegar socks are dry again.

You can find detailed tips on how to reduce fever with home remedies in this article .

Treat swollen lymph nodes in glandular fever

• Neck wrap: A quark neck wrap can help your child with swollen lymph nodes. Such a wrap has a cooling effect and can ensure that the swelling caused by glandular fever decreases. To use a quark wrap, you need a gauze bandage on which you spread a one centimeter thick layer of room-temperature quark. Fold the gauze bandage over and put it around your child’s neck. Then fix the wrap with a towel or alternatively with a scarf and let it work overnight.
• Gargling: Gargling has a disinfecting effect, is beneficial for the throat area and reduces swelling in the lymph nodes. A saline solution is required for gargling. You can get these at a pharmacy or simply make them yourself. To do this, dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a cup of warm water. Have your child take a sip of the store-bought or homemade solution and gargle a little, then spit it out. The application can be repeated up to three times a day.
• Chicken soup: Chicken soup has many healthy ingredients like zinc or iron that can help your child with swollen lymph nodes. It has a disinfecting, anti-inflammatory effect and can thus reduce swelling. Find a recipe for chicken soup here and learn how to prepare it step by step.

Can you prevent mononucleosis?

There is currently no vaccine against glandular fever. Unfortunately, even a well-developed immune system cannot reliably protect you and your child from this disease. However, since glandular fever is usually transmitted through too close physical contact, it is important to avoid physical contact with the people who are ill. And that for a long time. Because even if the symptoms of the disease have already subsided, this does not mean that the glandular fever is over. The Epstein-Barr virus can still be detected in the saliva several weeks later and can therefore also be transmitted to other people via droplet infection.