Glandular fever is one of the common health conditions

January 5th, 2011, Posted by admin / Leave a comment

Glandular fever is amongst the common health condition, which is also scientifically referred to as IM or Infectious Mononucleosis or also as Pfeiffer’s disease. Glandular fever can be categorized under fevers which are caused due to viral infection; hence it is also a viral fever. This viral infection may also cause sore throat, tiredness, swelling glands etc.  It is recorded that most cases of glandular fever are diagnosed to be resulted out of EBV or Epstein Barr Virus. It is amongst the most common causes of glandular fever with the statistics indicating 90% of adult individuals getting infected with EBV. EBV virus influences in childhood; once a person is affected by the virus it remains in the body for life time. It remains dormant in throat cells and blood cells.

Is glandular fever contagious?

Yes it can be said that glandular fever is contagious. It can spread through saliva of the affected individual. If a normal man comes in contact to saliva of an infected individual there are high chances of developing glandular fever. This indicates that this type of fever can be spread through kissing the infected partner, getting exposed to cough or sneeze of the infected individuals, sharing meals, sharing crockery etc. The infection of EBV persists for at least two months; however, in some cases EBV infection may remain in the body for approximately 18 months.

No hope?

Though it is believed that there is no cure for glandular fever, it is essential for the affected individuals to seek medical attention. It is widely observed that most symptoms ebb away with time without the need of any treatment. However, tiredness may sometimes be prolonged. It is believed that most people experience relief from fatigue only after 3 month; however, there are 9% to 22% cases recorded in which fatigues persisted for 6 months. Though this disease is not considered dangerous, it should be understood that it can become serious to high extent; hence, it is essential to consult a doctor as soon as possible.