How to Recognize Epstein‐Barr Symptoms

Get plenty of rest. Since mono is a virus and can't be cured with medication, supportive treatment is recommended. Resting will give your body a chance to heal itself and will help if you’re feeling very tired all of the time.^[9]

• Try to avoid being completely inactive — move around a little when you can. Clinical evidence shows that prolonged time in bed might slow down your recovery.^[10]
• Return to your normal activities slowly.
• Consider taking time off of work or school until you’re feeling like yourself again.

Drink lots of water and other liquids. Drinking will relieve your sore throat and keep your system hydrated. Keep in mind that your body also needs more water when you have a fever.^[11]

• Avoid drinking alcohol when you are sick and for several months after you begin feeling better, as mono can affect your liver, and the addition of alcohol may cause damage.^[12]

Take over-the-counter pain relievers. These can help your headache, muscle pain, and soreness. You can use ibuprofen and throat lozenges to decrease pain and increase comfort. Pain relievers are also effective for lowering your fever.^[13]

Try different ways to relieve your sore throat.^[14] The methods here can help ease your sore throat and can relieve any discomfort you feel from splotches on the roof of your mouth:

• Suck on popsicles, cough drops, or lozenges (try Cepacol).
• Gargle with salt water (but don’t swallow!).
• Drink hot tea with honey.
• Use an over-the-counter throat spray, such as Chloraseptic spray.

Avoid heavy lifting or pushing and all contact sports. Strenuous activity can rupture your spleen, which is very dangerous. If you experience serious complications, like a ruptured spleen, you may need to be hospitalized.^[15]

Visit your health care provider. Mononucleosis may have similar symptoms as strep throat, so it is very important to distinguish between the two conditions in order to get the right treatment. A doctor or nurse practitioner may do a monospot test in their office to help with diagnosis of mononucleosis. Depending on your condition they can choose the right treatment for you. In severe cases of mono your healthcare provider may prescribe steroids to reduce swelling in your spleen or liver; such treatment is needed only in severe cases of mono. You can also be prescribed antibiotics to fight strep throat. Your health care provider might also do blood tests to look for antibodies that your immune system makes in response to EBV and/or white blood cells that your body makes to fight EBV.^[16]

Do not share items that come into contact with saliva. Avoid sharing toothbrushes, drinking glasses, water bottles, utensils, lip products, and other personal items with other people. EBV is most commonly spread through saliva, so you can reduce your chances of getting it if you don’t share these sorts of items, even with people who appear healthy.^[17]

Don’t kiss someone with symptoms of mono or EBV. Because EBV is found in saliva, you can get it through kissing (this is why mono is called the "kissing disease"), sharing drinking glasses, or using someone else’s toothbrush.^[18]