Glandular Fever Symptoms and Treatment
Glandular fever is most commonly referred to as infectious mononucleosis. The virus that causes glandular fever is quite prevalent. Most people have been or will be exposed to it sometime or another during their lives. The disease was named mononucleosis due to the high number of large, irregular lymphocyte cell nuclei caused by the virus. Initial research mistakenly identified the lymphocytes as monocytes. Therefore, mononucleosis is not a very accurate name. Glandular fever is also called “the kissing disease” due to the method of transmission. The disease is unpleasant, although it is mostly benign and will resolve itself with time.
Causes
Glandular fever can be caused by a few conditions, but the most likely cause is the Epstein-Barr virus. Those people who have not been exposed to the virus and have not developed an immunity to Epstein-Barr virus can become infected upon exposure to an infected person’s saliva. This occurs most often while kissing.
Once the exposure has occurred, the throat is the first area to develop glandular fever symptoms. The local white blood cells, or B lymphocytes, transport the virus throughout the body. That brings about the more classic symptoms of glandular fever.
Glandular fever can also be caused by Cytomegalovirus or German measles. Patients with toxoplasmosis may also present with symptoms that are very similar to glandular fever symptoms. Glandular fever caused by viruses other than Epstein-Barr virus can be harmful to fetal development.
Diagnosing
Glandular fever symptoms and signs are obvious. That makes the disease easy for a professional to diagnose accurately. Your physician will notice if you have swollen lymph nodes and tonsils during a physical exam. Your spleen and liver might also be swollen and noticeable during the doctor’s palpation. In addition to a physical examination, there are a few tests to help positively identify the condition.
• An antibody test will readily detect the Epstein-Barr virus antibodies.
• A white blood cell test will reveal the problem. Elevated levels of white blood cells are evidence of a chronic infection.
• If you’re pregnant, you’ll need to have tests for rubella and toxoplasmosis. Glandular fever caused by Epstein-Barr virus will not harm the fetus, but glandular fever caused by rubella and toxoplasmosis can.
Symptoms and Signs
Symptoms and signs are not the same, although they are related. Symptoms are reported by the patient to the doctor and are subjective. A physician would not normally be aware of a symptom. A sign is a condition that can be seen or measured by the physician. For example, hives on 90 percent of the body is a sign and a splitting headache is a symptom. Incubation time for a disease is measured from the time of the patient’s infection to the time it takes the symptoms to develop. It generally requires one to two months for glandular fever symptoms to appear after the patient has been infected. Children tend to present symptoms and signs sooner than adults develop symptoms. Younger patients tend to get well quicker. On occasion, glandular fever symptoms can be very slight or non-existent. Some patients don’t have a clue that they’ve been infected with the Epstein-Barr virus.
Here is a list of the most common glandular fever symptoms and signs. They are very similar to the symptoms of the flu. The severity of the symptoms is not much worse than those of the flu. They just last longer.
• A decrease in the appetite that lasts from three to four days, usually accompanied by nausea.
• A fever in the 102 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit range.
• Body chills.
• Muscle weakness and a lack of energy.
• A sore, swollen, reddened throat, like mild tonsillitis.
• A swollen spleen.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit and beneath the neck.
• One out of five patients experience a swelling of the eye area called periorbital swelling. This symptom will abate with time.
• A reddish skin rash that is neither painful nor itchy.
• Night sweats.
• If the liver is affected, the patient may have a yellow discoloration of both the skin and the whites of the eyes. This is most common in patients who are over 30 years of age.
The swollen spleen and enlarged lymph nodes should naturally subside within six weeks. Otherwise, it is important to immediately notify your physician.
Treatment
Since viruses cannot be controlled with antibiotics, the best treatment for glandular fever is plenty of rest, relaxation and lots of fluids. Treat the glandular fever symptoms to make the patient as comfortable as possible during the course of illness.
• Gargling eight ounces of water with one half teaspoon of salt will reduce sore throat pain.
• Drinking plenty of water and fruit juices will hydrate the body.
• Taking over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen will help relieve body aches, lower the fever and lessen the severity of headaches.
• Adequate rest throughout the first month of the outbreak will shorten the length of the condition.
• Exercise lightly to regain muscle strength and to prevent atrophy.
• Don’t take antibiotics unless you have a secondary infection in addition to the glandular fever. They don’t work because glandular fever is caused by a virus, not a bacteria.
• If your tonsils are seriously inflamed, steroids may be taken for a brief time.
While glandular fever is not any fun, it’s not terminal. It may interrupt your lifestyle for a couple of months, but glandular fever tends to flare up and burn itself out. With some tender, loving care and adequate rest, you’ll bounce back in six to eight weeks. While Epstein-Barr virus never leaves your system, it most likely will not cause a recurrence of glandular fever. Subsequent bouts are caused by a new exposure to the virus.