How is glandular fever treated?
In most cases, doctors treat glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis) that is accompanied by symptoms only against the symptoms. This means that in most cases the fever is reduced and the pain is alleviated with appropriate medication. Only in severe cases is the use of cortisone or other measures necessary.
A symptomless course in children, which is often not even noticed anyway, does not require treatment.
A therapy against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) itself or even a complete cure (or a “cleansing” of the virus as is sought in alternative medicine) is currently not possible. One of the reasons for this is that the virus, which belongs to the group of herpes viruses, survives in a silent form in cells of the immune system for life and is reactivated only sporadically.
Symptom treatment: What does therapy look like?
In an uncomplicated course, treatment is only useful for alleviating the symptoms. In particular, one lowers the fever and relieves the pain.
Doctors advise to observe the following points in case of an Epstein-Barr virus infection:
- Take it easy on yourself and in particular avoid more intense physical exertion, do not do any sports
- Drink enough, especially if you have a fever.
- Take fever-reducing medication in consultation with your family doctor if necessary.
- Avoid alcohol and fatty foods to spare the liver, which has been attacked by the infection.
- In consultation with your doctor, adjust medications that you otherwise take regularly to spare the liver.
Since the body loses more fluid during a fever, it is particularly important to drink plenty of fluids. Many sufferers feel particularly tired and listless. The best thing to do here is simply to rest and take it easy.
Homeopathy for relief
To alleviate the symptoms of Pfeiffer’s glandular fever, some rely on homeopathic preparations. These include belladonna, ferrum phosphoricum and aconitum to reduce fever.
“Draining” the virus with alternative medicine?
Alternative medicine is familiar with the concept of not only fighting the virus, but “expelling” it. This means to remove it completely from the body. Various homeopathic and naturopathic preparations such as “Lymphdiaral”, “Lymphomyosot”, “Thuja Injeel”, “Thuja Nestmann” or “Aurum Nestmann” should help to do this, and naturopathic methods such as bioresonance may also be used.
A “cure” from Epstein-Barr virus is currently not possible, since the pathogen, which belongs to the group of herpes viruses, survives in cells of the immune system for life in a hidden silent form.
The concept of homeopathy and its specific efficacy are controversial and not clearly proven by studies.
What home remedies can help?
Common home remedies that help with acute mononucleosis also lower the fever on the one hand and relieve the pain on the other.
In addition to rest, drinking plenty of fluids and eating easily digestible foods, calf compresses, for example, help to reduce very high fevers. In addition to soothing teas with chamomile, for example, cooling compresses help with swollen lymph nodes.
Home remedies have their limits. If symptoms persist or worsen, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Therapy with antibiotics usually pointless
Antibiotics are not effective against viruses. Careless and untargeted use of antibiotics not only causes frequent side effects such as digestive complaints, but may also make potentially pathogenic germs insensitive (resistant) to them. The spread of antibiotic resistance, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant (or multi-resistant) Staphylococcus aureus), is an increasing problem in medicine.
If antibiotics become necessary, the physician avoids active substances from the group of aminopenicillins as far as possible (for example, amoxicillin or ampicillin). These often cause severe skin rash in cases of mononucleosis.
If glandular fever is present and tonsil surgery is planned, it is necessary to postpone the surgery because doctors avoid operating in an inflamed throat.
Cortisone for complicated glandular fever
In children with congenital immunodeficiency, an attempt at treatment with chemo-therapeutics or artificial antibodies is possible.
Antivirals such as aciclovir and others do not show sufficient effect against EBV.
Treatment for splenic rupture
A particularly feared complication of glandular fever is a ruptured spleen. The spleen is a very heavily perfused organ, so the event is life-threatening. Affected individuals require immediate surgery. During the surgery, the spleen is removed.
