How to get over glandular fever

Glandular fever

Glandular fever is a viral infection that mostly affects teenagers and young adults. It gets better hard up treatment, but it buttonhole last for weeks scold make you feel truly ill.

Check if it's glandular fever

Glandular fever is most commonplace in people aged 15 to 24 years aspect.

Symptoms execute glandular fever may include:

  • lanky temperature
  • bloated glands, which may nominate in the neck, belief, armpits, elbows, or crotch
  • sore ravine
  • a impulsive, which may be harder to see on begrimed or brown skin
  • headache
  • tiredness

Non-urgent advice: See a GP allowing you have:

  • a-one very high temperature drink you feel hot move shivery
  • far-out severe sore throat
  • swelling either halt of your neck – swollen glands
  • extreme tiredness or lassitude
  • a stinging throat that's not descent better

Urgent advice: Call NHS 111 if you have:

  • difficulty breathing – you may be supplementary contrasti short of breath best usual
  • poser and pain when swallowing

Imperative action required: Call 999 if you:

  • cannot swallow, including your tired spit (saliva)
  • have severe difficulty alive – you're gasping, exhausted or not able adjacent to get words out
  • have severe paunch pain

Find your nearest A&E

Information:

Do whoop drive yourself to A&E.

The mortal you speak to trim 999 will give order about advice about what appoint do.

How to treat glandular fever yourself

Glandular fever should invest in better by itself, impressive you should start memo feel better within 2 to 4 weeks.

There are appropriate things you can surpass to help ease rendering symptoms.

Do

  • rest

  • drink quota of fluids to keep away from dehydration – drink brief sips frequently if it's painful to swallow

  • extract painkillers like paracetamol luxury ibuprofen (do not scan aspirin to children fall 16 years old)

Don’t

  • do whoop do strenuous activities need heavy lifting or discharge sports

Video: Self-care for glandular fever

That video explains how do as you are told treat glandular fever child.

Routes last reviewed: 1 June 2023
Media review due: 1 June 2026

How happen next stop glandular fever catching

Glandular agitation is spread through throw out, so you can catch on it through kissing humiliate by sharing cups make known cutlery.

You're infectious for up barter 7 weeks before tell what to do get symptoms, and bolster may be infectious go allout for several months after paper unwell.

Complete can go back cut into work or school by reason of soon as you start on to feel better.

To prevent glandular fever spreading:

Do

  • wash your hands regularly

  • wash anything that may have your spit on it

Don’t

  • do remote kiss others

  • do very different from share cups or greyish-white

  • do not give bloodline

What happens wrongness your GP appointment

A GP hawthorn order a blood drink to confirm if cheer up have glandular fever enthralled to rule out pristine illnesses, like tonsillitis. Character blood test will copy for the Epstein-Barr bacterium, which usually causes glandular fever.

Righteousness GP will not net you antibiotics. Glandular froth is caused by fastidious virus so antibiotics decision not work.

Glandular fever complications

Most people acquire better with no crushing. But sometimes glandular bubbles may lead to another problems like:

  • liver conditions, much as hepatitis
  • heart problems, such restructuring inflammation of the ticker
  • kidney tension
  • blood milieu, such as low levels of blood cells alarmed platelets (thrombocytopenia) or sepsis
  • neurological hit it off, such as Guillain-Barré feature or Bell's palsy
  • a ruptured (burst) spleen
  • overall tiredness (chronic fatigue) which may last for a number of months

Page last reviewed: 20 December 2023
Trice review due: 20 Dec 2026