If a person has difficulty swallowing or breathing because of severely swollen lymph nodes or tonsils, or has other rare but dangerous complications of the disease, steroids may be prescribed, Britigan says. However, steroids can have negative side effects such as stomach ulcers, retention of fluids, or suppression of the immune system, so they aren't routinely prescribed for patients. Antibiotics are prescribed only if a secondary bacterial infection sets in. Mono can also cause an enlarged spleen. Symptoms vary with your age.
Many people acquire the virus as children.
A person may have no symptoms whereas in some cases it may show up as a common cold or other brief viral infection. People who acquire the virus during childhood are carriers and can pass it on to others, even though they do not exhibit any symptoms of mono. However, if someone is exposed to the virus for the first time as a teenager or adult, he or she has the potential to develop mono. Perhaps the best news about mono is that once you have it, you won't experience the disease again. All rights reserved.