Glandular fever treatment
Glandular fever, otherwise known as infectious mononucleosis or “mono”, is an illness caused by an infection by the Epstein-Barr (EB) virus - a member of the herpesvirus family.
Treatment overview
Glandular fever is spread by person-to-person contact through saliva hence its informal name of the ‘kissing disease’.
It can also be transmitted by coughing, sneezing & sharing food utensils etc, especially whilst the patient is unwell. There is no vaccine against EB virus.
Most people are infected by the virus when they are young and develop a lifelong immunity.
Infection usually occurs in the teenage group who often have no or only mild flu like symptoms. Some, however, develop glandular fever.
The first symptoms of glandular fever are loss of appetite, chills, tiredness and muscle ache.
Why choose The London Clinic
Excellence in one place
We operate as teams of experts with world-class resources dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of medical care. You are surrounded by the latest treatments and advice with everything you need to get back to your best health.
Personal care, every time
Exceptional patient care is a way of life for us. Our nurses, clinicians and support teams are dedicated to the care of a very small number of patients, so have more time for you. They’ll be with you every step of the way, tailoring your care around you and giving the peace-of-mind that comes with knowing you’re in the best hands.
Effortlessly simple
We work together as one to guide you through each step of your experience, with complexities unravelled and answers readily to hand. Your personal treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
What's included in your package?
Choosing The London Clinic means your treatment plan will be laid out for you, with all the details taken care of so you can focus on you.
Your treatment package will include:
- Enhanced pre-admission assessment
- Your treatment with our complete care team at your fingertips
- Personalised aftercare and follow-up
We want you to be in control of your health. That’s why we also offer optional services such as comprehensive recovery packages and extra touches for you to choose from during your stay with us.
How to pay
- You can use private medical insurance (PMI) to access this treatment. We work with all major PMI providers in the UK and many internationally
- You can pay for yourself (self-pay)
- If you’re paying for yourself, we have finance options available with Chrysalis
FAQs
Diagnosis is based on symptoms and examination. Sometimes a blood tests can be used both assist the diagnosis and exclude other causes.
These blood tests are divided into three groups.
- Diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus infection.
Patients with glandular fever commonly (85-90%) have heterophile antibodies which can be detected by the Paul-Bunnell test. T
his test uses sheep red blood cells that are specially prepared. These clump when they are put in blood samples of patients with heterophile antibodies.
A similar test is a Monospot® test, in this test horse red blood cells clump when exposed to heterophile antibodies.
The results may be falsely negative in 25% cases in the first week, 5-10% cases in second week and 5% cases in the third week of illness.
The results may be falsely negative in children less than 12 years of age and in the elderly. The levels of these heterophile antibodies may remain in the body for up to one year.
Other tests include the ELISA method of detecting antibodies against viral capsid antigens (VCAs) and the EB nuclear antigen (EBNA).
- Specific blood tests to diagnose alternative infections and diseases such as cytomegalovirus, rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis and hepatitis which produce similar symptoms and physical signs.
- Blood test to see the impact of the EB virus on other bodily systems such as the blood and liver.
Most people require no specific treatment and antibiotics are of no benefit because it is a viral infection.
Patients require rest, plenty of fluids, paracetamol and/or ibuprofen for the throat pain and avoidance of alcohol (because of possible impaired liver function).
Patients are advised not to engage in contact sports for at least three months as an enlarged spleen can be damaged in contact sports.
Complications are rare but can be very serious and some require immediate medical attention.
Examples include tonsil enlargement to the extent of impairing the breathing where the role of steroids in shrinking their size.
Glandular fever can also cause inflammation of the lungs, liver, the heart muscle, the membranes that surround the heart and brain.
The virus can also damage red blood cells leading to a lack of haemoglobin, damage the platelets which makes people more prone to bruising and bleeding and damage to the white blood cells which increase the risk of infection.