The diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are mostly infections by viruses, bacteria and fungi that are transmitted through saliva or droplets of saliva, such as flu, mononucleosis, herpes and mumps, and the symptoms are usually low-grade fever, pain in the body, cold and lumps in the neck.
Although these
diseases are usually short-lived and heal on their own, in some people
complications can occur, such as the spread of the infection to other parts of
the body, even reaching the brain.
To avoid
catching these diseases, it is recommended to avoid intimate contact and
kissing with strangers or people without a trusting relationship, because most
of the time it is not possible to know if the person is sick or not. The
main diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are:
1. Infectious
mononucleose
Mononucleosis, popularly known as
kissing disease, is an infectious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which can be
easily transmitted from person to person through saliva, being common to appear
after kissing strangers at parties.
Main symptoms:
The main symptoms of infectious mononucleosis are fatigue, malaise, body pain
and fever, which can be low or reach 40ºC, sore throat and ganglia in the neck
region, which last between 15 days and 1 month.
Some people may
have a more severe variant of the disease, with severe pain in the joints,
stomach pain, and spots all over the body. In the presence of these
symptoms, one should seek assistance from a general practitioner, who will
perform the clinical examination and request blood tests, such as a blood
count.
How to treat:
The treatment consists of administering medication to control the symptoms,
such as dipyrone or paracetamol, rest and drinking plenty of fluids. There
is no specific medication to make the infection pass faster, and the virus can
remain active for up to 2 months.
2. Flu
and colds
Flu is caused by Influenza-type viruses, while colds can be
caused by more than 200 types of viruses such as rhinoviruses and
coronaviruses, both of which can be transmitted by kissing.
Main symptoms:
The flu causes fever that can reach 40ºC, body aches, headache, runny nose,
sore throat and dry cough. These symptoms last for about 1 week and heal
on their own. A cold is a milder variant and causes a runny nose,
sneezing, nasal congestion, headache and low-grade fever.
3.
Herpes
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, which can infect the lips or intimate region through contact with the saliva of people who have this virus. Transmission is made through direct contact with lesions of infected people, mainly through kissing.
Main symptoms:
The main symptoms of herpes are skin lesions, especially around the lips, which
are red, with small yellowish blisters, which cause tingling and pain, in
addition to fever, malaise, sore throat and neck nodes. These lesions last
about 7 to 14 days, but whenever immunity drops, new lesions may appear.
Confirmation of the infection is made by the general practitioner, through
observation of the signs and symptoms presented by the person. Babies or
people with weakened immunity, such as with AIDS, for example, can develop a
severe variant of the disease, with a high fever, multiple skin lesions, and
even brain inflammation.
4. Chickenpox
Also known as chickenpox or shingles, chickenpox is a very
contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which occurs mainly in
children, however adults who have never had or have not been vaccinated can be
contaminated. Infection is caused by saliva or contact with skin lesions.
Main symptoms:
Chickenpox can be characterized by the appearance of small lesions on the skin,
initially with blisters, which turn into crusts after a few days, which can be
several, or almost imperceptible in some people.
There may also be body pain, low-grade fever and tiredness, which last for
about 10 days. Frail people such as newborns, the elderly or those with
weakened immunity can develop a severe variant, which causes brain infection
and risk of death.
How to treat:
The treatment is done with care for the wounds, keeping them clean and dry, in
addition to rest, hydration and medication for pain and fever, such as dipyrone
and paracetamol. The chickenpox vaccine is available free of charge by the
SUS for children over 1 year old and people who have never had this disease or
who have not been vaccinated throughout their lives.
5. Mumps
Mumps, also known as mumps or mumps, is
also a viral infection caused by the Paramyxovirus virus that
can be transmitted by droplets of saliva and leads to inflammation of the
salivary and sublingual glands.
Main symptoms:
Swelling and pain in the jaw region, pain when chewing and swallowing, fever at
38 to 40°C, headache, fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite are the main
symptoms of mumps. In men, the mumps virus can also infect the testicle
region, causing orchiepididymitis, with pain and inflammation in this
region. Another complication can be meningitis, which causes severe
headache and in these cases it is advisable to go to the emergency room
immediately.
How to treat: The treatment consists of
controlling the symptoms with medication for pain, fever and nausea, with
dipyrone, paracetamol and metoclopramide, for example. In addition, rest
and hydration are essential, in addition to a light diet, with few acids, so as
not to irritate the salivary glands. This disease can also be avoided with
the triple viral or tetra viral vaccine, however, it is necessary to boost the
vaccine in adulthood to be really protected.
6. Candidiasis
Thrush is also known as thrush and is
caused by fungi of the Candida genus. Some
species of fungus are naturally present on our skin and others can cause the
disease, especially if immunity is low, and can be transmitted through kissing.
Main symptoms:
It is usually indicative of candidiasis the appearance of a small reddish or
whitish lesion on the tongue, which can be painful and lasts about 5
days. However, in people who are weaker or with weakened immunity, such as
babies, malnourished people or people with chronic illnesses, for example, they
can develop the most severe form of the infection, with several white plaques
in the mouth.
How to treat: A nystatin-based antifungal
ointment can be used in place, 4 times a day and in more severe cases it may be
necessary to resort to tablets such as ketoconazole, prescribed by the general
practitioner.
7. Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted
infection caused by the bacterium Treponema
pallidum , but it can also be transmitted through saliva in people
who have small sores in their mouths.
Main symptoms:
In the initial phase, small lesions appear in the mouth or in the intimate
region, which, if not treated, can evolve into a chronic disease, which spreads
throughout the body, causing brain, cardiac and bone damage. Confirmation
of the disease is done by scraping the lesions and blood tests to confirm the
presence of the bacteria.
How to treat:
The treatment is done by the general practitioner or infectologist, through
injectable antibiotic penicillin. There is no vaccine or immunity against
this disease, which should be avoided using a condom and avoiding intimate
contact with strangers.
In addition to
these diseases, there are many health problems that are passed through saliva,
such as bacteria that cause caries and tuberculosis, and several types of
viruses, such as rubella and measles. Care, therefore, should be daily,
with habits such as washing hands, avoiding putting your hands to your mouth or
eyes, avoiding sharing cutlery and, above all, not kissing anyone.
Party
situations, such as carnival, which combine physical wear and tear, lots of sun
and alcoholic beverages, make these types of infections even easier, as they
can weaken immunity. To try to keep immunity high, it is important to have
a balanced diet rich in vitamins, drink plenty of water and exercise.
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