Mononucleosis (cont.)

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Medical Author:

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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When to Seek Medical Care

Call a health-care provider for an appointment if any of the signs or symptoms of mononucleosis appear. Diagnosis of the illness by a health-care provider is important to make sure that it is not another medical condition that may require more extensive medical evaluation and treatment.

The following signs and symptoms require urgent evaluation:

difficulty breathing (may suggest airway obstruction from enlarged lymph nodes),
difficulty swallowing (severe sore throat),
abdominal pain (may signal that the spleen has ruptured),
bleeding from the gums or easy bruising,
seizures,
severe headaches,
chest pain,
inability to drink fluids (may lead to dehydration),
severe weakness in the arms or legs, and
yellow discoloration of the skin.