Causes and Possible Complications

Mono is nicknamed "The Kissing Disease."

Causes   

     The cause of mononucleosis is the Epstein-Barr virus.  Mononucleosis is most commonly seen in adolescents and young adults.  Mono can be spread through direct contact with saliva, mucus from the throat and nose, and sometimes even tears.  It has earned the nickname "the kissing disease" because it can be spread by kissing.  If you do have mono, you should avoid spreading the disease to others, which means not kissing anyone and not sharing things such as toothbrushes, glasses, or eating utensils.  Even though when you overcome mono your symptoms will go away, you will still continue to carry the virus that caused mono.  This means that the virus may become active from time to time and not cause you any symptoms, but this does mean that you can pass it to others when it is active without you even knowing it. 

Complications

    There are several complications that can occur as a result of mono.  First, there can be an enlargement of the spleen.  In extreme cases, your spleen may actually rupture, which causes sharp and sudden pain in the left side of your upper belly area.  If you feel this pain, you need to seek emergency medical care and you may need surgery.

     A second complication involves the liver.  You may experience jaundice, which is a yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes.  This typically happens to people who are over the age of 35 with mono.  Hepatitis is a mild liver inflammation that can also be a complication of mono. 

     There are also some less common complications.  The first is anemia, which is a decrease in the amount of red blood cells you have and in hemoglobin, which is an iron rich protein that is needed in red blood cells.  Another less common complication is an inflammation of the heart.  Meningitis, encephalitis, and Guillain-Barre syndrome are complications that involve the nervous system that can occur.  Swollen tonsils which lead to obstructed breathing can occur on rare occasions, and so can thrombocytopenia, which is a low count of platelets, which are blood cells that are needed for clotting.  If you have an impaired immune system, such as HIV/AIDS, or if you are taking drugs to suppress immunity after an organ transplant, you are at increased risk of complications.