Can you get mono again

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious viral infection of the liver. Hepatitis A exhibits mono-like symptoms although it also exhibits other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, jaundice , and joint pain. Rubella is a viral infection that shares symptoms with mono. However, rubella has some unique symptoms: facial rash, red eyes, runny nose, and a cough. Myalgic encephalomyelitis ME is another disorder often mistaken for mono, and formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

This makes sense since the primary symptom in both mono and ME is extreme tiredness. Cytomegalovirus CMV is a common virus that can trigger symptoms similar to mono. This virus affects every age group. Common Mono Symptoms Symptoms of infectious mononucleosis usually appear weeks after you have caught Epstein-Barr virus infection. Mono symptoms Severe fatigue may persist longer than other symptoms Severe sore throat Swollen glands in your neck Swollen tonsils Loss of appetite Body aches Fever Headache Symptoms of chronic EBV Severe fatigue lasting for multiple months Swollen lymph nodes that persist Enlarged spleen Enlarged liver possibly liver failure Anemia Rash Nerve damage Low levels of platelets in your blood Low levels of infection-fighting immune cells Causes of Recurring Mono Can you get mono twice?

Here are some risk factors that increase the likelihood of getting mono twice: Living in Asia, Mexico, Central America, South America HIV infection Pregnancy Organ transplant Genetic factors Weakened immune system Stress Extreme Fatigue Other illness or anything that stress the body Your immune system can also be weakened by alcohol, smoking, chronic stress , or poor nutrition , making it easier for mono to recur. Is mono worse the second time? Can mono come back with stress? But you may be able to prevent mono from happening a second time.

How to treat stealth pathogens like EBV The best defense against getting mono a second time is making sure your immune system is top notch. How can you strengthen your immune system? If you want to bring down a fever or ease aching, try these all-natural painkillers : Lavender oil Peppermint oil Ginger Feverfew Curcumin found in turmeric Lukewarm bath Also when we have patients with EBV we recommend rest, self care, and supplements that slow down the replication of the virus, strengthen the immune system, and suppress reactivation.

Looking to the Future Mono has affected billions of people in the world. It is possible to get mono twice. Sources Mohseni, M. Infectious mononucleosis: frequently asked questions. Primary Epstein-Barr virus infection with and without infectious mononucleosis. PloS one , 14 Characterization and treatment of chronic active Epstein-Barr virus disease: a year experience in the United States. Infectious mononucleosis. Chronic active Epstein—Barr virus disease.

Frontiers in immunology , 8 , Epstein-Barr virus and skin. Anais brasileiros de dermatologia , 93 6 , The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI journal , 16 , Bartonella and Brucella—weapons and strategies for stealth attack. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine , 3 8 , a Microbial stimulation by Mycoplasma fermentans synergistically amplifies IL-6 release by human lung fibroblasts in response to residual oil fly ash ROFA and nickel.

Toxicological Sciences , 81 2 , Host-pathogen interface: progress in understanding the pathogenesis of infection due to multidrug-resistant bacteria in the intensive care unit. Tobacco smoke induces and alters immune responses in the lung triggering inflammation, allergy, asthma and other lung diseases: a mechanistic review. International journal of environmental research and public health , 15 5 , Opposing effects of alcohol on the immune system.

Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry , 65 , It's just too soon for mono to show up. So what does it mean when we say you might still be contagious , even after 5 years? EBV is tricky. Experts think people with mono are most contagious for the first 18 months, but EBV stays in the body for life. The virus can show up in a person's saliva from time to time, even if it doesn't make that person feel sick with mono again. In theory, there is a very small chance that you can transmit EBV to someone else at any given point in time, even if you feel OK.

Since you don't know when the virus shows up, there's not much you can do — though it can help to wash your hands regularly and avoid sharing eating or drinking utensils. EBV is so common that most people will contract the virus at some time in their lives. Many people will never experience any symptoms. High school and college students are most likely to contract EBV and subsequently develop mono.

About 1 in 4 teens and young adults who contract EBV for the first time will go on to develop infectious mononucleosis , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Once you contract EBV, the virus stays in your body for the rest of your life. The virus remains behind in your immune cells and tissue. Your doctor can find the virus by testing your blood for antibodies, but the virus usually remains dormant. The virus may be more likely to reactivate and cause symptoms in people who have a weakened immune system. This includes people who:. If you have EBV, you can still develop mono caused by another virus. If you have a healthy immune system, immune cells called natural killer NK cells and T cells work to kill EBV-infected cells in the blood.

And in some cases, even a healthy immune system can be overwhelmed by the virus. When this happens, high levels of EBV remain in the blood. Chronic active EBV infection is more common in people from:. Genes may also play a role in the disease. Symptoms like fever and sore throat should go away within a couple of weeks. You may experience fatigue and swollen lymph nodes for a few more weeks. Persistent fatigue may be a sign of chronic EBV infection. See your doctor if your fatigue lasts for more than a month after mono has been diagnosed.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis ME , formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome , is often mistaken for mono. Fatigue is one of the hallmark symptoms of both illnesses. And like mono, ME can cause a sore throat and swollen lymph nodes. Tiredness can last for many months after a mono infection, which has led some experts to believe that EBV causes ME. However, no link between the two conditions has been proven. Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat.