Glandular fever is a disease caused by a viral infection that more often affects teenagers. Symptoms of glandular fever are similar to those of the flu, including a sore throat, fever, and chills.
Glandular fever is harmless and goes away on its own in a few weeks. After recovering, a person who has had glandular fever will be immune to this disease. Glandular fever in the medical world is known as mononucleosis. This disease is also known as kissing disease because the transmission often occurs through kissing.
Symptoms of Glandular Fever
Symptoms of glandular fever usually appear 4-6 weeks after a person is infected with the virus that causes this disease. In some patients, the symptoms tend to be mild, even there are no symptoms at all.
The initial symptoms of glandular fever resemble flu symptoms, namely:
- Headache
- Sore throat
- Fever and chills
- Weak
- Muscle ache
After 1-2 days, other symptoms appear in the form of:
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice).
- A red rash like measles appears on the face or other parts of the body.
- Red spots appear on the roof of the mouth.
- Abdominal discomfort due to enlarged spleen.
When to go to the doctor
Glandular fever is a disease that can heal itself in a few weeks. However, consult a doctor if you experience the above symptoms for more than 10 days or have an unbearable sore throat for more than 2 days. It is also necessary to see a doctor if you experience the following symptoms:
- The headache is intense and is accompanied by stiffness in the neck.
- Swollen lymph nodes occur in many parts of the body.
- Stomach pain is very severe.
Causes of Glandular Fever
Glandular fever is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). A person can be infected with this virus when exposed to the patient's saliva, for example through kissing and sharing the use of glasses or eating utensils. Transmission can also occur when someone accidentally inhales splashes of the patient's saliva, for example when the patient sneezes or coughs.
In addition to saliva, the EBV virus is also found in the blood and sperm of patients with glandular fever. Therefore, this disease can be transmitted through blood transfusions, organ donation, and sexual intercourse.
The Epstein-Barr virus has an incubation period of 4-7 weeks before symptoms appear. Therefore, a person may not realize that he has glandular fever and can pass the virus on to other people. Some studies say that glandular fever can be transmitted to other people for up to 18 months after the patient recovers.
Glandular fever can happen to anyone, but this disease tends to attack teenagers in their early 20s.
Diagnosis of Glandular Fever (Glandular Fever)
For starters, the doctor will ask about the patient's symptoms and medical history. Next, a physical examination will be done to see if there are abnormalities, such as swollen lymph nodes and an enlarged spleen.
To determine if the patient has glandular fever, the doctor will perform a blood test. Through the patient's blood sample, the presence of Epstein-Barr virus antibodies can be detected. Blood tests are also used to see if there are abnormalities or increased levels of white blood cells.
Treatment of Glandular Fever (Glandular Fever)
Glandular fever usually resolves on its own within a few weeks. During this time, patients are advised to do self-care at home to relieve symptoms. Treatments performed include:
- Enough rest.
- Gargle with salt water.
- Drink a lot of water.
- Eat a balanced nutritious diet.
- Taking pain relievers, such as paracetamol.
Adequate rest will speed up the recovery process. Do not rush to do strenuous activities, so that glandular fever does not recur. Consult with your doctor about the right time to return to activities. Usually, the patient takes up to 3 months to recover completely.
Please note, glandular fever can interfere with liver function. Therefore, avoid consuming alcoholic beverages as long as you have not recovered from this disease, because alcohol consumption will further interfere with liver function.
Complications of Glandular Fever
Glandular fever is generally not serious. However, some people with glandular fever may develop a secondary infection in the tonsils (tonsillitis) or sinuses (sinusitis). In rare cases, glandular fever can also cause the following complications:
- The spleen enlarges to the point of tearing.
- Inflammation of the heart muscle or myocarditis.
- Hepatitis.
- Decrease in the number of blood cells so that they become less bloody and bleed more easily.
- Blockage of the respiratory tract due to enlarged tonsils.
- Nervous system disorders, eg meningitis, encephalitis and Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Prevention of Glandular Fever (Glandular Fever)
As explained above, glandular fever is transmitted through saliva. Therefore, prevention is to avoid contact with the patient's saliva. Ways that can be done are:
- Do not kiss people who show symptoms of glandular fever.
- Do not share the use of glasses, cutlery, and toothbrushes with others.
- Always maintain personal hygiene, including diligently washing hands.