There are a huge number of diseases in the world. Both bacteria and viruses can provoke their development. For successful treatment, it is important not only to know the causative agent of the disease, but also in what ways you can deal with it. We will introduce you to one of these diseases further and analyze what infectious mononucleosis is (symptoms, treatment) and how it develops in adults and children.
What is infectious mononucleosis
The disease with this name has been known since 1885, when it was described by N. F. Filatov. The second name for this disease is idiopathic lymphadenitis, and it is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus.
Infectious mononucleosis, the symptoms of which we will discuss below, leads to an increase in the spleen and liver, and also significantly changes the composition of the blood.
By the way, the named virus can be attributed to the family of herpes viruses, but it has one distinctive feature - in the process of its development it does not lead to the death of the host cell, but, on the contrary, stimulates its growth.
After the virus enters the human body, itbegins to affect the epithelial tissue in the oral cavity and nasopharynx. It is quite difficult to defeat it, and it remains in the body for almost a lifetime. And during periods of weakened immunity, the virus, unfortunately, will make itself felt.
Next, we will consider in detail which combination of symptoms is characteristic of infectious mononucleosis.
Causes of the disease in adults
Before considering infectious mononucleosis in adults - the symptoms of this disease - it is necessary to find out how infection can occur. As a rule, its source is a sick person or a carrier of the virus.
The latter enters the body through air or personal hygiene items and dishes, on which droplets of saliva remain. In saliva, the virus is able to persist throughout almost the entire duration of the disease - during the incubation period, during the height of the disease, and even after recovery.
There is a version that infection can occur during intercourse, but it has not been proven at the moment.
Interestingly, the mononucleosis virus most often affects young people and children, and after 40 years this disease is very rare.
Causes of the development of the disease in children
Unfortunately, children under the age of 10 are the most common targets for the virus. A child at this age is usually in a children's team, whether it is a kindergarten or school, which means that he has the opportunity to catch the infection by airborne droplets.
The virus is not particularly resistant, therefore, in the external environmentdies fairly quickly. Infection can only occur through close contact, so it cannot be classified as overly contagious.
Epstein-Barr virus thrives best in the salivary glands, so it is transmitted most often:
- when sneezing or coughing;
- when kissing;
- if you use the same utensils, toothbrushes or toys that children often put in their mouths.
By the way, infection is also possible during a blood transfusion if it is infected with a virus.
Since the infection is transmitted through the air with droplets of saliva, the risk of infection increases during the outbreak of colds, when everyone around is coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis in a child will not appear immediately, as the disease has its own incubation period. It lasts from 5 to 15 days, in some cases it can last up to a month or a little more.
Manifestation of disease in adults
Infectious mononucleosis in adults begins to show its symptoms after the virus from the nasal cavity or gastrointestinal tract enters the bloodstream and invades lymphocytes, where it becomes practically a permanent resident. With the onset of favorable conditions for him, the disease will not make you wait long for its manifestation.
The most common symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are:
- general weakness;
- muscle pain;
- headache;
- possible nausea;
- chill;
- downgradeappetite.
A few days (and sometimes weeks) after the first signs appear, the patient shows the most basic symptoms of mononucleosis:
- Rise in temperature. In almost 85-90% of cases, its indicators are quite high, only in some they do not exceed 38 degrees. During a fever, there is usually no severe chills or sweating.
- Swollen lymph nodes. First of all, the nodes on the neck are involved, and then those located in the armpits and in the groin. Lymph nodes can range in size from a pea to a walnut, they feel painful when pressed, and under the skin they move freely relative to the tissues.
- Sore throat and heavy plaque on the tonsils.
In addition to the above, the most characteristic symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are other signs that may appear at the same time, or may replace each other:
- During the development of the disease, the virus causes an enlargement of the liver and spleen. These organs reach their maximum size at 6-10 days. This process may be accompanied by yellowness of the skin or sclera of the eyes. The danger of this period is that even minor injuries can lead to rupture of the organ, especially the spleen.
- In addition, a rash appears on the skin (although this is not the main symptom of infectious mononucleosis). It may resemble the rash of scarlet fever. The symptom mentioned can appear at any time.diseases and just as suddenly disappear.
Now you know the symptoms that accompany infectious mononucleosis.
A blood test, the indicators of which must be taken into account, as a rule, demonstrates the appearance in the blood of special leukocytes, which are called atypical mononuclear cells. Their content in the blood reaches 10%.
The whole illness usually lasts for two weeks, but sometimes it can drag on for a couple of months. After that, either recovery occurs, or complications begin to appear. Throughout the treatment, with the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, symptoms, blood tests, indicators of the norm of the general condition of the patient's body should be monitored by a specialist.
Manifestation of disease in children
Currently, catching any viral disease is as easy as shelling pears if you are constantly surrounded by people. If the baby has been in contact with a patient with mononucleosis, then in the next 2-3 months the disease may manifest itself. Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis in a child may not appear if his immunity is strong enough.
If the parents notice that the temperature has appeared, the child is lethargic and constantly wants to sit or lie down, then you should consult a doctor. According to Komarovsky, describing infectious mononucleosis (symptoms in children), it can manifest itself in different ways, but the lymph nodes are sure to increase. Therefore, the baby first of all needs to feel them on the neck and in the groin.
Quite often, infectious mononucleosis begins with general catarrhal phenomena that parentsattributed to the common cold. But gradually the child's condition worsens:
- body temperature rises;
- stubborn nose;
- appears sore throat and sore throat.
By the way, with the diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis, the symptoms (you can see a photo of their manifestations in the article) most often affect the enlargement of the tonsils and their redness.
In some babies, the disease develops rapidly. It manifests:
- prolonged high fever;
- chill;
- general weakness;
- drowsy;
- heavy sweating.
A symptom of infectious mononucleosis, which can be called the culmination of the disease, is a grain on the back of the throat, called follicular hyperplasia.
In addition, in children, as in adults, internal organs increase - the spleen and liver. And so much so that, for example, the spleen can not stand it, and it ruptures. Lymph nodes also enlarge and a rash appears on the body. Most often, it is quite strong and can be localized not only on the arms and legs, but also on the back, stomach, face. Usually, rashes do not cause concern, are not accompanied by itching, so no measures to combat them should be taken. If the rash begins to itch after taking antibiotics, then this means an allergic reaction to the medicine.
Almost all infectious disease specialists believe that an important symptom of infectious mononucleosis is polyadenitis, which develops inthe result of hyperplasia of the lymphoid tissue. On the tonsils, the palate forms a gray or whitish-yellow coating, which has a loose texture.
Parents need to pay special attention to the lymph nodes. The cervical ones increase most strongly - this can be seen clearly when the child turns his head. If there is an increase in the lymph nodes in the abdominal cavity, then this can lead to severe pain, which can provoke an incorrect diagnosis, which is fraught with unnecessary surgery.
As a rule, infectious mononucleosis practically does not show symptoms in children under one year old, because such babies usually do not get this disease, as they receive ready-made antibodies from their mother.
Adult diagnosis
It is not always possible to recognize a disease by its clinical manifestations, especially if it is mild. The most reliable way to recognize infectious mononucleosis is a blood test that will detect atypical mononuclear cells.
In order to check the symptoms of infectious mononucleosis, different blood tests are done, for example:
- Conducting a serological test for antibodies to the Epstein-Barr virus. If the disease is present, then an increased level of class M immunoglobulins is noted.
- In the laboratory, the antigens of the virus are determined in the blood.
- Carry out a PCR study of the patient's blood, and also analyzescraping from the mucous membrane of the oral cavity. If mononucleosis develops, then virus DNA is sure to be detected.
In addition to the blood test, an ultrasound examination of the internal organs is performed, but it shows more the severity of the disease.
Diagnosis of disease in children
To recognize mononucleosis and distinguish it from a cold, the specialist prescribes a series of tests for the child:
- carry out a blood test for the presence of antibodies IgM, IgG to the Epstein-Barr virus;
- make a general and biochemical blood test;
- carry out ultrasound of internal organs.
It is rather difficult to make an accurate diagnosis for a child, because there is a risk of confusing the disease, especially at the initial stage, with a common sore throat. Hematological changes are an important symptom of infectious mononucleosis, so serological testing is mandatory.
A blood test in a child, if there is mononucleosis, will show:
- Increased ESR.
- Increase in the content of atypical mononuclear cells up to 10%. But it is worth considering that these cells do not appear in the blood at the very beginning of the development of the disease, but only after a couple of weeks.
Children may have other ailments that have similar symptoms to mononucleosis, so it is very important for a doctor to distinguish this disease from tonsillitis, to exclude Botkin's disease, acute leukemia, diphtheria and some others. In the arsenal of physicians, there are many new diagnostic methods and methods that allow you to quicklyrecognize the disease, for example, PCR.
If infection with infectious mononucleosis occurs, then repeated serological tests are carried out for several months to determine HIV infection, since it can also provoke the appearance of mononuclear cells.
Mononucleosis Therapy
Adults are much less likely to get sick with this disease than children, but if the infection has occurred and the diagnosis has been confirmed, then therapy can be carried out at home. Whether or not bed rest is needed at the same time depends on the severity of intoxication of the body. If the disease is accompanied by the manifestation of hepatitis, then a special diet is recommended.
There is no specific treatment for infectious mononucleosis, but the following types of therapy are commonly used:
- Perform detoxification of the body.
- Desensitizing treatment.
- Fortifying therapy.
- Combat symptoms, which may include gargling, taking antibiotics if the situation warrants.
- If the throat is very swollen and there is a risk of developing asphyxia, then Prednisolone is prescribed for several days.
If there are no complications, then in two weeks the disease recedes and recovery begins.
Treatment of mononucleosis in children
Currently, doctors do not have a single plan for the treatment of this disease in children. There is no such antiviral drug that could quickly deal with the Epstein-Barr virus. Most often, therapy is carried out at home, hospitalization is recommended for the followingsymptoms:
- temperature stays above 39 degrees for a long time;
- there are pronounced signs of intoxication of the body;
- the development of complications of the disease is evident;
- there is a threat of asphyxia.
Infectious mononucleosis in children, the symptoms and treatment are almost the same as in adults, but there are some subtleties:
- Treatment is underway to reduce symptoms of the disease.
- Use antipyretics for high fever, such as Ibuprofen, Paracetamol.
- And antiseptic drugs, such as Imudon, Irs 19, are effective to eliminate the symptoms of sore throat.
Fortifying therapy is being carried out, special attention is paid to the intake of vitamins of groups B, C and P. If ultrasound shows an enlarged liver, then a special diet is required, as well as taking choleretic drugs and hepatoprotectors.
The combined use of immunomodulators and antiviral drugs gives a good effect in the treatment.
Antibiotics are justified if a secondary bacterial infection joins and complications begin, but penicillin drugs are usually not prescribed, as they provoke the development of allergic reactions in a large number of cases.
To help the intestines, along with antibiotics, you need to take probiotics, for example, Acipol, Narine.
In severe cases, with severe laryngeal edema, transfer to artificial lung ventilation is indicated.
If you follow all the recommendations of doctors, then, as a rule, the disease quickly recedes, and the child feels better and better.
Possible complications of the disease
If the therapy is prescribed incorrectly, or the recommendations of doctors are not followed, then infectious mononucleosis can cause serious complications:
- From the side of the nervous system, it can be meningitis, encephalitis, spinal cord injury, the development of Guillain-Barré syndrome, hallucinations, increased nervous excitation can be observed.
- Blood test can show a decrease in platelets, a decrease in the number of white blood cells, as well as autoimmune anemia.
- There have been cases of retinal hemorrhage.
- Spontaneous rupture of the spleen if there is an excessive enlargement of the spleen.
- Hepatitis.
- Due to severe swelling of the tonsils, respiratory failure may develop.
- The inflammatory process can affect the kidneys.
- Glandular tissue damage leads to mumps, pancreatitis and thyroid problems.
- Due to the fact that the virus strongly suppresses the immune system, purulent infections are possible.
The well-known doctor Komarovsky recommends that all parents, if a child falls ill with infectious mononucleosis, do not panic, but endure the peak of the disease and follow all the doctor's recommendations. When taking many medicines, it is necessary to carefully monitor their tolerance by the baby's body so as not to aggravate the appearance of complications even against this background.
How to recover faster after an illness
The longest recovery takes place in the children's body. At a high temperature, you should not force the baby to eat, let him drink more compotes and fruit drinks, as well as tea with lemon. After the disease begins to recede, the appetite for the child will return. But after recovery for about 6 months, you will need to follow a diet so that the liver recovers.
Children who have had this disease get tired quickly at first, feel weak, so do not overload them with physical and mental work.
It is desirable that the recovery process is monitored by a doctor who at any time could give valuable recommendations and advice. Hepatologist consultations may be required, and biochemical and serological blood tests are also periodically necessary.
To prevent complications after recovery, children are advised to:
- to undergo a dispensary examination;
- at physical education lessons to engage in a special group;
- don't go hiking, especially long distances;
- not allowed to participate in sports competitions;
- it is advisable not to allow overheating or hypothermia of the body;
- Vaccinations are prohibited until full recovery.
After illness, walks in the fresh air, proper and he althy nutrition and more rest are useful.
There is still no vaccine against infectious mononucleosis, it is only at the development stage, therefore it is importantprevention, which consists in observing the rules of personal hygiene. It is necessary to explain to the child that you should not communicate closely with sick children and adults. The described disease, as a rule, is not massive, but manifests itself in isolated cases, therefore, observing all precautions, you can be almost sure that the mononucleosis virus will not overtake you.
