Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is an infectious, widespread viral disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which is a type of herpes virus. Also known as Mono, glandular fever or the kissing disease. Mononucleosis is transmitted through saliva and can be contracted through kissing, coughing, sneezing or by sharing common items such as glasses or eating utensils with someone who has Mono.
Symptoms
Fatigue or severe tiredness
Overall not feeling well
Sore throat
Swollen lymph nodes
Swollen tonsils
Fever
Headache
Red dotty skin rash
Soft swollen spleen
Signs and symptoms such as fever and sore throat usually improve within a couple of weeks. However, fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes, and a swollen spleen may last several weeks longer.
Mono And Athletes
Athletes who are actively participating in sports will have an increased risk for mono. Therefore, most physicians require a treatment of no physical sports or activity for 3-5 weeks, but this could vary depending on the sport and individual doctors.
Due to an increase risk of spontaneous splenic rupture, your physician may require weekly tests to determine when it is safe to return to training and conditioning, practice and completion. A splenic rupture is considered an immediate medical emergency requiring evaluation by your treating physician or emergency department at your local hospital.
Athletes returning to contact sports following infectious mononucleosis are at potential risk of splenic rupture secondary to abdominal trauma. As no clear consensus exists as to when it is safe to allow these athletes to return to contact sports, it is important to be fully cleared by a licensed medical healthcare professional with experience in evaluating and treating mononucleosis prior to returning to play.
The decision to return an athlete to play is based on the following but not limited to:
Is the spleen enlarged?
Have liver functions returned to normal?
Is the athlete fever free?
Has the sore throat gone away?
Is any skin rash gone?
As these symptoms resolve, in most cases, the athlete may be allowed to return to easy/light training without any contact at 50% maximum heart rate and progressed, as physician ordered.