One of the first signs of mononucleosis, also known as “the kissing disease,” is a sore throat that gets progressively worse over the course of a few days. It might be hard to swallow foods and liquids, and it may hurt to speak after time left untreated. You should schedule mono testing near Tampa at Polmed Primary Care & Walk-In Clinic at the first sign of symptoms. In these cases, wouldn’t you rather be tested and come back negative than not be tested and suffer the symptoms of a treatable illness?

While it’s true that you can catch the virus for mononucleosis from kisses, it’s not a romantic or affection-based illness. Mono could easily be caught through any exchange of saliva, such as sharing food or drinks, casual kisses between children or adults (such as when grandma gives you a smooch after not seeing you for a long time), and touching anything directly after someone with mono has either drank or eaten from whatever you touch.

Mono usually begins with feelings of fatigue, bad headaches, and sore throats. For younger children, usually between the ages of 3 to 8, mono goes unnoticed because any symptoms are written off as the usual cold or flu. However, the difference is that mononucleosis can stay within your system, even after you stop showing symptoms, for 6 to 8 weeks.

What are the Severe Symptoms of Mononucleosis?

In rare cases, mono causes severe symptoms, typically in people with already compromised immune systems. Some of the more severe symptoms of mono could include swelling of the lymph nodes and tonsils, enlargement of the spleen from long-term exposure, shortness of breath, inflammation, and heart palpitations.

While your sore throat and fatigue could be an everyday cold, scheduling mono testing near Tampa never hurts. Polmed Primary Care & Walk-In Clinic can help you with a treatment for your symptoms if you have a positive mono diagnosis. Call us at (727) 339-2054.