Mononucleosis is an acute infectious disease, which affects mainly children aged three years. It occurs also at an earlier age, but much less often. This cunning disease is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which belongs to the group of herpes viruses, and is very common in childhood.
Diagnosis of infectious mononucleosis in children is carried out on the basis of a blood test, in which the parameters of leukocytes and monocytes are increased. Also an analysis is made for cytomegalovirus. Often, when parents do not seek medical help, the disease can go into a chronic form, hard to treat. After all, the symptoms of mononucleosis in children are similar to the usual SARS.
There are acute (3 months), prolonged (up to 6 months) and chronic stages of mononucleosis in children. If the treatment was not done correctly or if the child was not treated at all, it is a virus carrier, and the disease can go on into a chronic form.
Symptoms and signs of mononucleosis in children:
- increase in temperature, which lasts up to two weeks;
- an increase in cervical lymph nodes;
- stuffy nose;
- inflammation of the tonsils and adenoids;
- increase in the size of the spleen and liver;
- rash on different parts of the body.
Causes of mononucleosis in children
Disease mononucleosis usually occurs with close contact. When adult virus carriers kiss a child, saliva can get on the mucous membrane. After all, because mononucleosis in children is also called a disease of children who are ill.
In pre-school establishments, especially in younger groups, children easily infect each other, through toys that, in turn, are pulled into the mouth
.Although infectious mononucleosis is not a particularly contagious disease, it was encountered by 90% of the world's population. Someone got sick, someone became a virus carrier. For infection with mononucleosis, contact with the patient's saliva is necessary. The incubation period is two weeks or slightly longer.
Specific prevention of mononucleosis in children does not exist, because the infection is infectious. Just do not allow strangers to kiss your child, observe simple rules of hygiene.
Consequences of the transferred mononucleosis in children can become complications from the liver (jaundice, hepatitis), kidney failure. In isolated cases, rupture of the spleen, inflammation of the membranes of the brain, problems with the respiratory system. If staphylococcus or streptococcus joins the infection, purulent angina may occur, less often bronchitis and pneumonia.
The most frequent consequence is the weakening of immunity.
How to treat mononucleosis in children?
The doctor will tell you how to cure mononucleosis in your child. There is no single drug for the treatment of mononucleosis, the treatment is symptomatic therapy. This means that with a nasal congestion the doctor will write your baby drops in the nose.
Antiviral drugs are prescribed only in severe cases, as well as hormones - corticosteroids. For several weeks, rest should be observed without any physical exertion, because the probability of rupture of the enlarged spleen increases.
After the end of treatment, you need to take every month for six months all the necessary blood tests, and in case the indicators are increased, you need to seek advice from the hematologist.
For rehabilitation after the disease, vitamin preparations, enzymes, homeopathy are also prescribed.