Epstein Barr Cures Blog

Many patients ask me “What are the typical symptoms of glandular fever?”

Well let’s have a look at the most common symptoms of glandular fever.

Symptoms typically include:

• Swollen glands in the neck, armpits or groin
• Fever 
• Fatigue
• Sore throat

Some patients will also suffer from:

• Headache
• Aching muscles
• Poor appetite
• Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
• Skin rash (especially in children)
• Abdominal pain
• Puffy eyelids
• Sensitivity to light
• Cough or runny nose
• Liver inflammation
• Enlarged spleen

Some people, particularly children, may exhibit none of these classical symptoms. When my young son picked up glandular fever we just passed it off as a mild cold. It was only a few months later when he had a blood test done, that we realised it was glandular fever.

Most glandular fever symptoms are mild and will disappear within a couple of weeks when adequate rest, fluids, an immune-boosting diet and the right supplements and herbs are taken (see my e-book for further ideas).

In some cases, glandular fever symptoms can be severe, and in fact may be life-threatening.
In the next post we’ll have a look at the four symptoms of glandular fever that you should never ignore.

For athletes who have had Epstein Barr, over exertion can cause a re-activation of the symptoms of landular fever or mononucleosis, or suppress immunity to the point where infections are easily picked up.

Australia’s Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett, a former Epstein Barr sufferer, was beaten today by less than a second in the Mens 1500m Final at the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. This dashed his hopes of claiming a third consecutive Olympic title.

Hackett had been confined to his bed for a day prior to the competition with a chest complaint that affected his breathing. It is well established that physical performance can be reduced during infection.

Hackett originally suffered from glandular fever, caused by Epstein Barr, when he raced in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Four years later he climbed from his sick bed again to win in Athens. Only later was it revealed that he had swum with a partially collapsed lung which reduced his lung capacity by a quarter.

For the 2008 Olympics, Hackett had taken extraordinary precautions to avoid infection. These included wearing face masks on the plane, avoiding handrails and other public surfaces, and even refraining from kissing his wife in the lead up to his events. He also decided not to march in the opening ceremony.

Hackett is not alone in suffering the long term effects of Epstein Barr. Another Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe resigned from his elite swimming career in 2006, citing health complications due to having glandular fever.

The spleen is a large organ located behind the stomach in the left hand side of the abdomen. Its role is to filter the blood and to produce immune cells that help when you are sick.

About half of all glandular fever patients will suffer from an enlarged spleen. Fortunately it is rare for the spleen to rupture, occurring in only 1-2 of every 1000 glandular fever cases.

Rupture may be triggered by trauma including a fall, contact sport or lifting something which is heavy. In some cases the spleen can rupture spontaneously. Rupture of the spleen is a potentially fatal consequence of glandular fever. It is a medical emergency requiring hospitalization and often a blood transfusion due to massive blood loss.

The best way to avoid a ruptured spleen when you have glandular fever is to rest your body and avoid contact sports, weight lifting or anything too physical in the first few weeks of your infection. Rupture is most likely to occur in week two or three of the infection. If you are an athlete or play a contact sport then it is advisable that you have a check up with your doctor before resuming these activities.

Avoiding constipation which puts pressure on the abdomen is also important when looking after the spleen. A high fibre diet based around plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus at least 8 glasses of water a day will help here.

If the left hand side of your abdomen is sore and tender, then it is worth seeing your health practitioner for a check up. There are some excellent herbs like Red Root and Milk Thistle which can help with an enlarged spleen and other symptoms of glandular fever. These are discussed along with other nutrients and foods to fight glandular fever in my e-book “Nature’s Amazing Mononucleosis Cures”.

• My Mononucleosis (glandular fever) Cures e-book is a sensible place to start to build up your immune system and re-claim your life. It is applicable for those with Epstein Barr as well as for those who have progressed to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. You can learn more at www.EBVCures.com