healthy throat

Strep throat can be diagnosed easily (with a throat culture by your doctor) and can be treated effectively (with antibiotics). If left untreated, however, you could come down with rheumatic fever, which can be very serious. Learn how to prevent strep throat from entering your home as well as what some of the most common symptoms are on this page.

Mono has many of the same symptoms of the flu, so its important to know what else to look out for in case you or someone in your family comes down with this infection. Learn the basics, as well as who is most at risk, in the helpful information that follows. Mono Basics Mononucleosis, or the kissing disease, is a common infection usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a member of the herpesvirus family. As its nickname implies, kissing can spread the disease, but it can sometimes be transmitted indirectly through mucus and saliva released in the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Most people are exposed to EBV during childhood, but the majority will not develop mononucleosis. People who have been infected with EBV will carry it for the rest of their lives, even if they never have recognizable mono. However, EBV can cause serious illness, especially a lymph gland cancer such as Burkitts lymphoma, in people with compromised immune systems, including those with HIV/AIDS and those on medications to suppress immunity following an organ transplant. EBV can be found in the saliva for six months or more after a case of mono. Because people carry EBV for life, it can periodically reappear in the saliva. According to the National Institutes of Health, EBV is one of the worlds most successful viruses, infecting more than 95 percent of the adult population over time. A blood test is the best way to diagnose mononucleosis, but common symptoms include fever; sore throat; constant fatigue or weakness; headaches; sore muscles; enlarged spleen and liver; skin rash; abdominal pain; and swollen lymph nodes in the neck, underarms, or groin. Mono is often mistaken for strep throat or the flu.

Figuring out which of these two is the cause of your symptoms is not always possible. However, there are some key differences. Strep throat usually involves a severe sore throat that is usually not accompanied by a runny nose, coughing, congestion and sneezing. However, the only way to know for sure if you have strep is to visit your doctor and have a rapid strep test or throat culture performed. These kinds of strep complications often occur in children who get strep throat without the knowledge of their parents, particularly if the case of illness is mild. A parent may not know that a child is sick, or may mistake strep for a mild cold. If you notice a loss in appetite, difficulty swallowing or a fever in your child, its important that you take him or her to the doctor.