Epstein Barr Health Video

Video Transcript

CLIFFORD SEWELL, MD: Hello. I'm Dr. Clifford Sewell. A brief message about Epstein-Barr virus. Epstein-Barr virus is in the category of herpesvirus. That's right. It's a cousin to the herpes virus that causes cold sores on your lips or can cause genital herpes. Epstein-Barr virus causes mononucleosis. Mononucleosis is an illness generally associated around young adulthood. It is characterized by high fever, swollen lymph nodes in the neck, under your arms, and in your groin. It can cause hepatitis which is an inflammation of the liver. You can have elevation of liver function test which is a marker for liver inflammation. You can also develop jaundice which is a yellow discoloration of your eyes and skin as a result of this liver inflammation. Fortunately, the illness is self-limiting and will eventually go away on its own. The illness lasts approximately 21 days, maybe 4 weeks. During that period, you have quite a bit of malaise or fever and fatigue, upset stomach, diarrhea and/or constipation. The treatment is simply symptomatic and supportive care such as Tylenol or aspirin for fevers, fluid intake, and rest. There is no way to prevent mononucleosis; however, it is a self-limited disease with full recovery in all cases.