<p>Talked to my D today, first day of classes. Last week was all fun and games with Week of Welcome. Well her roomate was diagnosed with Mono today. My D is trying to stay out of the room as much as possible to allow roomate to sleep. Any advice to limit chance of my D. catching mono. She knows not to share any glasses etc. She’s trying to get plenty of sleep and eat healthy. Maybe I’m just a worried mom.</p>
<p>I got mono when I was a college student (during finals), from my boyfriend. Neither of us gave the mono to anyone else, including our close friends (both of us had roommates in the dorm & our roommates stayed 100% healthy). My case of mono was very mild & my boyfriend’s was more serious & took longer for him to recover.</p>
<p>Also, my friend’s son got mono when he was in college & he didn’t infect anyone else–roommates, girlfriend, or any friends.</p>
<p>When I was really exhausted, I was in the Student Health Center, where I stayed until I was at least well enough to fly off to winter break (got “Incomplete” for class & had to make it up when I came back). As long as she washes her hands frequently & follows your advice on staying healthy, she should be fine.</p>
<p>If available, some schools will put the sick student in a single room. More for the sick student to allow them to rest when not in classes.</p>
<p>I once thought I had mono for an entire year, it turned out I was just really bored.</p>
<p>Absolutely, if your D doesn’t already do it, tell her it is imperative to wash her hands with antibacterial soap (Dial gold is good–not the other colors) regularly–basically constantly. The waterless soaps are good, but be sure it’s antibacterial. Rigorously maintain good sleeping and eating habits. NO dieting. Do not get overtired or stressed out. </p>
<p>Mononucleosis is not airborne, but transferred through touch. It is somewhat like “walking pneumonia” in that most people have had a mild infection at one time or another and didn’t even know it. Only people who are in a weakened state or have chronic illness have problems with it lasting more than a week or 10 days. It’s typical in teenagers because they are more likely to crash diet, binge on whatever, stay up until 3 am and sleep till noon, pull all-nighters, procrastinate with schoolwork–you know the routine :)</p>
<p>My husband had mono when I was pregnant with our first child. We were worried I might get it and somehow harm the baby, but I never did. And we were sleeping in the same bed and all that. So it is definitely possible to live close to someone with mono and still stay healthy.</p>
<p>I’m sorry. The amusing music threads have made me glib. I had mono for my senior prom, and it really didn’t affect me except for the no kissing part.</p>
<p>I’m not trying being insensitive, but recommend that the patient use paper cups and plates, disposable eating utensils, etc.</p>
<p>( selected info from the Mayo Clinic website )
<a href=“http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=5C599D1E-4331-44F9-A48CE7EB9F7F2759&si=2765[/url]”>http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=5C599D1E-4331-44F9-A48CE7EB9F7F2759&si=2765</a></p>
<p>Infectious mononucleosis (mono) or glandular fever is often called the kissing disease. The label is only partly true. Kissing can spread the virus that causes this disease, but more commonly coughing, sneezing, or sharing a glass or cup transmits mononucleosis. It’s not highly contagious.
…
Mono usually isn’t very serious, although the virus remains in your body for life. Most people have been exposed to the Epstein-Barr virus by the time they’re 35 years old and have built up antibodies. They’re immune and won’t get mononucleosis again. Treatment mostly involves bed rest and getting adequate fluids.
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Mononucleosis is believed to spread through saliva. If you’re infected, you can help prevent spreading the virus to others by not kissing them and by not sharing food, dishes, glasses and utensils until several days after your fever has subsided. If you’ve had mononucleosis, don’t donate blood for at least six months after the onset of the illness.</p>
<p>There’s no vaccine to prevent mononucleosis.
…
For the first week, you may be so fatigued that you feel too weak to even get out of bed. But the tiredness lessens with time. Throat soreness is generally the worst for the first five to seven days of illness. Your swollen lymph glands should return to normal size by the fourth week of infection.
…
In addition to getting plenty of bed rest, these steps can help relieve symptoms:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Drink plenty of water and fruit juices.
Fluids help relieve fever and sore throat and prevent dehydration. </p></li>
<li><p>Take an over-the-counter pain reliever.
Use pain relievers such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) as needed. But don’t give aspirin to a child under age 16. Aspirin may trigger a rare but potentially fatal disorder known as Reye’s syndrome. </p></li>
<li><p>Gargle with salt water.
Do this several times a day to relieve sore throat. Mix one-half teaspoon salt in a glass of warm water. Most signs and symptoms of mono ease within a few weeks but it may be two to three months before you feel
completely normal.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Returning to your usual schedule too soon can increase the risk of a relapse. If you’re an athlete, be cautious about returning to strenuous activities, such as contact sports, especially if your spleen is enlarged because of the increased risk of rupturing the spleen. Children with mononucleosis and an enlarged spleen shouldn’t engage in vigorous activities, roughhousing or contact sports for the same reason. Rupture of the spleen results in severe bleeding and is a medical emergency. Doctors recommend avoiding contact sports for at least one to two months after you’ve had mono.</p>
<p>Although you may not be able to return to vigorous activities right away, your doctor may recommend gradual exercise to help you rebuild your strength as you recover from mononucleosis.</p>
<p>selected info from a college website
<a href=“http://www.ccsu.edu/healthservice/mononucleosis.htm[/url]”>http://www.ccsu.edu/healthservice/mononucleosis.htm</a></p>
<p>Almost anyone at any age can get mononucleosis. About 70-80 percent of the documented cases involve persons between the ages of 15 and 30. The disease occurs slightly more in men than in women and the college students are diagnosed as having the disease during the fall and early springtime.
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Adolescents and young adults transmit the virus to each other through prolonged kissing. Hence the name “kissing disease”. This is because the virus reproduces in the cells of the saliva as well as the white blood cells of your body. The virus can be found in your saliva for at least 6 months after the acute infection. About 15 percent of people continue to have the virus in their saliva thereafter. The virus can also be transmitted through sharing of drinking glasses or beverage cans because the non-infected person comes in contact with infected saliva left on the glass or beverage can. Despite this possibility, Mono is a disease that is hard to catch and only transmitted through direct contact with the virus-infected saliva.
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The mono virus, EBV, remains in your body for life. Patients with mono or with a history of having had mono do not need to be isolated from household members. College roommates are only at a slight risk of being infected during the period of communicability.</p>
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<p>That’s oversimplifying it a bit, don’t you think?</p>
<p>I’m a healthy weight, eat well, get exercise, etc. </p>
<p>This summer I got mono. I ran a fever of 103 for 2 days, and a lower grade fever for a while after that. I was out of work for 2 weeks. One morning when I woke up I took a sip of gatorade and when it went down the wrong way I discovered that my airway was so nearly blocked by my swollen tonsils that I couldn’t cough.
I couldn’t sleep for more than an hour at a time for 4 days. I also couldn’t eat anything or swallow without tear-causing pain for 4 days.
I was on steroids for over a week to keep my airway open. </p>
<p>I have several friends who have had similar cases of mono, and none of them fit your criteria (asking for it by abusing their bodies).</p>
<p>
The whole family laughed at that one. I hope it was intended to be funny. If not… well…uhhh… it was still funny. Sorry.;)</p>
<p>There are two prevalent strains of mono (cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr Virus) although like the common cold, there are actually hundreds of viruses that cause mono-like symptoms. My daughter had both types during High School. This was somewhat unusualy because most people have BOTH strains before they reach school-age but the symptoms are so mild, they go unrecognized.</p>
<p>It is more likely that your daughter has already had mono than will catch it from her roommate. If she uses common-sense precautions – washes her hands, keeps herself from getting run down, etc. – she should be just fine. If there was a great concern that others might catch mono, the Student Health Center probably would have isolated the mono patient or warned your daughter about staying with her ill roommate.</p>
<p>Here’s my mono-logue: I came down with mono at the end of my first semester at sleep-away college (when I wasn’t concentrating on the sleep part); felt miserable, couldn’t sleep, swallow, etc. but was in good enough shape to make it to late registration for the next semester. My daughter had mono when she was 7 - severe sore throat (to the point that her doctor said she’d never seen tonsils that swollen), fever - the sickest she’s ever been in her life (we’re generally very healthy). In neither case did anyone around us come down with mono. It makes sense to me that it’s one of those things we harbor and it will manifest itself in the right person at the right time. I think I must have given it to my daughter (because it’s a life long infection) the way I think my boyfriend (now h.) gave it to me in college. (His sister had it when she was 7 and I think his whole family must have developed an immunity to it. My daughter has probably done the same thing for our family). In my house, 100% of the females have had mono and none of the males. </p>
<p>I would think the student health service must know how your d. should deal with this. It must be one of their more common illnesses.</p>
<p>I had mono a year and a half ago. Your daughter shouldn’t be in danger of catching it as long as she doesn’t share glasses, etc. with her roommate. Although it can be done via sneezes, etc., it’s difficult to catch airborne. I missed a week of school with it, but felt it’s effects for roughly 4 weeks. I returned to work after a week and none of my students caught it from me.</p>