This includes using over-the-counter OTC medicines to reduce fever and techniques to calm a sore throat, such as gargling salt water. Find out more about home remedies for mono. Mono is typically not serious. In some cases, people who have mono get secondary infections such as strep throat , sinus infections , or tonsillitis. In rare cases, some people may develop the following complications:. You should wait at least 1 month before doing any vigorous activities, lifting heavy objects, or playing contact sports to avoid rupturing your spleen, which may be swollen from the infection.
A ruptured spleen in people who have mono is rare, but it is a life-threatening emergency. Call your doctor immediately if you have mono and experience a sharp, sudden pain in the upper left part of your abdomen. Hepatitis liver inflammation or jaundice yellowing of the skin and eyes may occasionally occur in people who have mono.
Mono symptoms like fatigue, fever, and a sore throat usually last for a few weeks. In rare cases, the symptoms can flare up months or even years later. EBV, which usually is what causes a mono infection, remains in your body for the rest of your life. It occurs less commonly in adults over the age of Older adults with mono will usually have a fever but may not have other symptoms such as a sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, or an enlarged spleen.
Children can become infected with mono by sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses, or by being near an infected person who coughs or sneezes. Because children may only have mild symptoms, such as a sore throat, a mono infection may go undiagnosed. Children who are diagnosed with mono can usually continue to attend school or day care. They may need to avoid some physical activities while they recover.
Children with mono should wash their hands frequently, especially after sneezing or coughing. Learn more about the mono symptoms in children.
Most people are infected with EBV early in life. As with older children, toddlers can become infected with mono by sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses.
They can also become infected by putting toys in their mouths that have been in the mouths of other children with mono.
Toddlers with mono rarely have any symptoms. If they do have a fever and sore throat, it may be mistaken for a cold or the flu. If your doctor suspects your toddler has mono, they will probably recommend that you make sure your child gets rest and plenty of fluids. Get a better understanding of the risk of mono relapse. Most people have mono only once. In rare cases, the symptoms can recur due to a reactivation of EBV. This is a serious condition in which the mono symptoms persist longer than 6 months.
Mono is almost impossible to prevent. This is because healthy people who have been infected with EBV in the past can carry and spread the infection periodically for the rest of their lives. Its most common symptoms are sometimes mistaken for strep throat or the flu. These include:. Mono is contagious. It spreads from person to person through contact with saliva spit. It's nicknamed "the kissing disease" because it can spread through kissing. It also spreads through coughing and sneezing, or when people share something with spit on it like a straw, drinking glass, eating utensil, or toothbrush.
Mono can also spread through sexual intercourse and blood transfusions , but this is much less common. People who've been infected carry the virus for life, even after symptoms stop and even if they had no symptoms.
The virus is then "dormant," or inactive. Sometimes the dormant virus "wakes up" and finds its way into a person's saliva. This means that they can be contagious from time to time over the course of their life, even when they have no symptoms. To diagnose mono, doctors do an exam to check for things like swollen tonsils and an enlarged liver or spleen, common signs of the infection.
Make sure you drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration and to help relieve a fever and sore throat. Doctors recommend drinking at least 12 to 16 cups of fluids which should include water as well as broth, soup, herbal tea, and other soothing liquids , says Ramilo. Recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences say the same. And be sure to avoid caffeine, which can worsen dehydration. Over-the-counter OTC pain relievers, like acetaminophen Tylenol or ibuprofen Advil or Motrin , can help with pain or fever you experience because of mono.
Remember to avoid giving children and teens aspirin , which has been linked to Reye's syndrome, a rare but dangerous condition that can cause liver and brain damage. Mono symptoms will likely clear up in a month or less. Getting the right support can help you cope as you heal. Ask your doctor for a note explaining that you have to recover from an illness that is temporarily debilitating. As for when to go back into the office, if someone feels up to going back to work, they should do so if they feel well enough.
Emailing might be a good way to stay in contact for some, Johannsen says. But the situation differs for everyone depending on how you feel and what type of work you do and the practicality of doing it remotely or not full-time. Doctors typically caution mono patients not to engage in any contact sports for up to four weeks after symptoms go away to reduce their risk of rupture of the spleen, but for a non-contact sport like running someone can typically return to training after taking it easy for about three weeks, Johannsen says.
If you suspect you have mononucleosis, see your family doctor. Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment and know what to expect from your doctor. Preparing a list of questions will help you make the most of your time with your doctor. For mononucleosis, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis Physical exam Your doctor may suspect mononucleosis based on your signs and symptoms, how long they've lasted, and a physical exam. Blood tests Antibody tests. If there's a need for additional confirmation, a monospot test may be done to check your blood for antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus.
This screening test gives results within a day. But it may not detect the infection during the first week of the illness. A different antibody test requires a longer result time, but can detect the disease even within the first week of symptoms.
White blood cell count. Your doctor may use other blood tests to look for an elevated number of white blood cells lymphocytes or abnormal-looking lymphocytes. These blood tests won't confirm mononucleosis, but they may suggest it as a possibility.
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