Diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are mostly infections with viruses, bacteria, and fungi that are passed through saliva or droplets of saliva such as influenza, mononucleosis, herpes and mumps, and the symptoms are usually low fever, body, cold and lumps in the neck.
Although these diseases are usually short-lived and cure on their own, complications such as spreading the infection to other parts of the body, even reaching the brain, can occur in some people.
To avoid getting these diseases, it is recommended to avoid intimate contact and kissing with people unknown or unreliable, because most of the time it is not possible to know if the person is ill or not. The main diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are:
1. Infectious mononucleosis
Mononucleosis is a contagious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, also known as kissing disease, since it is common to appear after kissing unknown people at parties.
- Symptoms : Fatigue, malaise, body aches and fever, which can be low or reach 40 ° C, sore throat and lymph nodes in the neck area, which last between 15 days and 1 month. Some people may have a more intense variant of the disease, severe pain in the joints, pain in the belly and spots on the body. In the presence of these symptoms, one should seek care with a general practitioner, who will do the clinical examination and request blood tests, such as a hemogram.
- How to treat : Treatment consists of administering medications to control symptoms, such as dipyrone, paracetamol, resting and drinking too much liquid. There is no specific drug to make the infection pass faster, which can last up to 2 months. Learn a home remedy recipe to cure mononucleosis faster.
2. Flu and colds
Flu is caused by influenza-like viruses, while the cold can be caused by more than 200 types of viruses such as rhinovirus and coronavirus.
- Symptoms : Flu causes fever that can reach 40 ° C, body aches, headache, runny nose, sore throat and dry cough. These symptoms last about 1 week, and they heal on their own. The cold is a milder variant and causes coryza, sneezing, nasal congestion, headache and low fever.
- How to treat : The treatment consists of the administration of analgesic and antipyretic drugs, such as dipyrone or paracetamol, as well as rest, hydration and feeding that helps strengthen immunity, with fruits rich in vitamin C, canja, teas with cinnamon and honey. See more on what to eat to cure the flu faster.
3. Herpes
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, which can infect the region of the lips or the intimate region by contact with the saliva of people who have this virus. The transmission is made by direct contact with the lesions of the infected persons, mainly through the kiss.
- Symptoms : 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 lymph nodes in the neck. These lesions last for about 7 to 14 days, but whenever immunity subsides, new lesions may appear. Confirmation of this infection is made by the general practitioner, through observation. Babies or people with weakened immunity, such as AIDS, for example, may develop a severe variant of the disease, with a high fever, multiple skin lesions, and even inflammation of the brain.
- How to treat : Ointments with antiviral properties, for about 4 days, can be used to help decrease the virus multiplication, avoiding worsening or transmitting to other people. In addition, one can also do the tablet treatment, which should be taken for about 7 days, and should be prescribed by the general practitioner.
4. Catapora
Also known as chickenpox or chicken pox, chickenpox is a very contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which occurs mostly in children, but adults who have never had or who have not been vaccinated can be contaminated. The infection is made by saliva or by contact with skin lesions.
- Symptoms : Small lesions on the skin, initially with blisters, that have seen crusts after a few days, which may be several, or may be almost imperceptible in some people. There can also be pain in the body, low fever and tiredness, which last about 10 days. Fragile people, such as newborns, the elderly or those with weakened immunity, may develop a severe variant that causes brain infection and risk of death.
- How to treat : The treatment is done with care of the wounds, keeping them clean and dry, as well as rest, hydration and medicines for pain and fever, such as dipyrone and paracetamol. The chicken pox vaccine is available from the SUS for children over 1 year and people who have never had this disease.
5. Blow
Mumps, also known as mumps or mumps, is also a viral infection transmitted by droplets of saliva caused by the virus Paramyxovirus, which inflames the salivary and sublingual glands.
- Symptoms : swelling and pain in the jaw area, pain when chewing and swallowing, fever of 38 to 40ºC, headache, fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite. In males, the mumps virus can also infect the region of the testicles, causing orchitis, with pain and inflammation of this region. Another complication may be meningitis, which causes severe headache and in these cases it is advisable to go immediately to the emergency room. Learn more about other complications of mumps.
- How to treat : The treatment consists of controlling the symptoms with medicines for pain, fever and nausea, with dipyrone, acetaminophen and metoclopramide, for example. In addition, rest and hydration are essential, as well as 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, a vaccine booster in adulthood is required to be truly protected.
6. Candidiasis
Candidiasis is also known as thrush, and is caused by Candida- type fungi. Some types of this fungus are present in our skin naturally, and others can cause the disease, especially if immunity is low, and are transmitted by direct contact, such as through kissing.
- Symptoms : A small red or whitish lesion on the tongue usually appears, which can be sore, and lasts about 5 days. However, in people who are more fragile or with weakened immunity, such as babies, malnourished or with chronic diseases, for example, may develop the most severe form of infection with several white plaques in the mouth.
- How to treat : An antifungal in local nystatin ointment may be used 4 times a day and in more severe cases, tablets such as ketoconazole, as prescribed by the general practitioner, may be necessary. See recipes for home remedies to help fight candidiasis in various parts of the body.
7. Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease, caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, but it can also be transmitted by saliva in people who have small sores in the mouth.
- Symptoms : In the initial phase small lesions appear, located in the mouth or in the intima, which, if untreated, can develop into a chronic disease that can spread throughout the body and can cause brain, heart and bone lesions. 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 the antibiotic penicillin injectable. There is no vaccine or immunity against this disease, which should be avoided by using condoms 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 various types of virus, such as rubella and measles, for example. Care, therefore, should be daily, with habits such as washing hands, avoiding hands to mouth or eyes, avoid sharing cutlery and, especially, do not kiss anyone.
Party situations, such as carnival, which combine physical wear, too much sun and alcoholic beverages, further facilitate these types of infection, as they may disrupt immunity.
To try to keep immunity always high, it is important to have a balanced diet rich in vitamins, drink plenty of water and perform physical activity. Check out food tips that help boost immunity.
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