The Kissing Disease

Mononucleosis, often referred to as the "kissing disease," or Mono, is a viral illness that leaves its host feeling tired and weak for months. The "kissing disease," is actually transmitted through saliva, so it is common at high schools with all the adolescents and young adults who tend to share drinks with best friends who may have, unknowingly, contracted Mono.
According to the Mayo Clinic Staff, 80 percent of the time, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the beginning of Mononucleosis. Epstein-Barr virus is a member of the herpes virus family, one of the most common human viruses. Mono will have periods of time where it seems to be dormant, then, when one is under too much stress, flare ups may occur in different forms; fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, headache, skin rash, loss of appetite, and night sweats.   Usually, after one to two months, Mono may resolve, but EBV can remain in a few cells for the rest of someone's life. According to M.D., James M. Steckelberg, 95 percent of adults between the ages of 35 and 40 have already been infected   with Epstein-Barr virus, but, the disease usually occurs during adolescence, causing Mono 35 to 50 percent of the time in healthy teens.
Mononucleosis has been known to cause an enlarged spleen, an organ involved in maintaining proper blood cell ratios. In extreme cases, the spleen may rupture, causing a sharp, sudden pain in the left side of the upper abdomen. In rare cases, it may lead to; Hepatitis, a mild liver inflammation, or Jaundice, the yellowing of ones skin and occasionally the whites of the eyes. Under different circumstances, the following may occur; Anemia, a decrease in red blood cells and hemoglobin (an iron rich protein in red blood cells), Thrombocytopenia, a low count in platelets (cells involved in clotting), inflammation of the heart, and swollen tonsils, which would lead to obstructed breathing.
Then, there is Infectious Mononucleosis: which is caused by Cytomegalovirus (CMV),...