- 1. Infectious mononucleosis
- 2. Flu and colds
- 3. Herpes
- 4. Chickenpox
- 5. Mumps
- 6. Candidiasis
- 7. Syphilis
The diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are mostly infections by viruses, bacteria and fungi that are passed through saliva or droplets of saliva, such as flu, mononucleosis, herpes and mumps, and the symptoms are usually low fever, pain in the body, cold and lumps on 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 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 unknown or untrustworthy people, because most of the time it is not possible to know whether the person is sick or not. The main diseases that can be transmitted by kissing are:
1. Infectious mononucleosis
Mononucleosis, popularly known as kiss disease, is an infectious disease caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, which can be easily transmitted from person to person through saliva, and is common to appear after kissing unknown people at parties, for example.
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 lymph nodes in the neck, which last between 15 days and 1 month. Some people may have a more intense variant of the disease, with severe pain in the joints, pain in the belly and spots on the body. In the presence of these symptoms, care should be sought with a general practitioner, who will do the clinical examination and order blood tests, such as blood count.
How to treat: Treatment consists of administering medications to control symptoms, such as dipyrone or paracetamol, rest and drinking plenty of fluids. There is no specific drug to make the infection go faster, and the virus can remain active for up to 2 months.
2. Flu and colds
The 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, and both 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. The cold is a milder variant and causes runny nose, 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, in addition to rest, hydration and food that helps strengthen immunity, with fruits rich in vitamin C, chicken soup, teas with cinnamon and honey. See more about what to eat to cure the flu faster.
3. Herpes
Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus, which can infect the lips or the intimate region through contact with the saliva of people who have this virus. Transmission is done through direct contact with lesions of infected people, mainly through kissing.
Main symptoms: The main symptoms of herpes are lesions on the skin, mainly around the lips, which are red, with small yellowish blisters, which cause tingling and pain, in addition to fever, malaise, sore throat and ganglia in the neck. These lesions last for about 7 to 14 days, but whenever immunity goes down, new lesions may appear.
The infection is confirmed by the general practitioner, observing the signs and symptoms presented by the person. Babies or people with weakened immunity, such as AIDS, for example, can develop a severe variant of the disease, with high fever, multiple skin lesions and even inflammation of the brain.
How to treat: To treat herpes, ointments with antiviral properties can be used for about 4 days, which help to reduce the multiplication of the virus, avoiding worsening or transmitting it to other people. In addition, you can also do the treatment in tablet, which must be taken for about 7 days, and must be prescribed by the general practitioner.
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 who have not been vaccinated, can be contaminated. The infection is caused by saliva or by contact with skin lesions.
Main symptoms: Chickenpox can be characterized by the appearance of small lesions on the skin, initially with blisters, which become scabs after a few days, which can be several, or almost imperceptible in some people. There may also be pain in the body, low fever and tiredness, which last for about 10 days. Fragile people, such as newborns, the elderly or those with weakened immunity can develop a severe variant, which causes brain infection and the 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 medicines for pain and fever, such as dipyrone and paracetamol. The chickenpox vaccine is available free of charge by 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 area, pain when chewing and swallowing, fever from 38 to 40ºC, headache, fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite are the main symptoms of mumps. In men, the mumps virus can also infect the testis region, causing orchid epididymitis, with pain and inflammation in this region. Another complication may be meningitis, which causes a severe headache and in these cases it is advisable to go immediately to the emergency room. Learn about other mumps complications.
How to treat: The treatment consists of the control of symptoms with medicines 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 prevented with the triple viral or tetra viral vaccine, however, it is necessary to reinforce the vaccine in adulthood to be truly protected.
6. Candidiasis
Candidiasis is also known as thrush and is caused by fungi of the genus Candida . Some species of fungus are present on our skin naturally and others can cause the disease, especially if immunity is low, and can be transmitted through kissing.
Main symptoms: Usually a small reddish or whitish lesion on the tongue is indicative of candidiasis, which can be painful and lasts for about 5 days. However, in more fragile people or with weakened immunity, such as babies, malnourished people or those with chronic diseases, for example, they can develop the most severe form of the infection, with several white plaques in the mouth.
How to treat it: An antifungal agent can be used in the ointment on the spot based on nystatin, 4 times a day and in more severe cases it may be necessary to use pills such as ketoconazole, prescribed by the general practitioner. See recipes for home remedies to help fight candidiasis in various parts of the body.
7. Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum , but it can also be transmitted by saliva, in people who have small sores in their mouth.
Main symptoms: In the initial phase, small lesions appear in the mouth or in the intimate region, which, if left untreated, can develop into a chronic disease, which spreads throughout the body, which can cause brain, heart and bone injuries. The disease is confirmed by scraping the lesions and blood tests to confirm the presence of the bacteria.
How to treat: Treatment is done by the general practitioner or infectious disease, using the injectable penicillin antibiotic. There is no vaccine or immunity against this disease, which should be avoided 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 viruses, such as rubella and measles, for example. Care, therefore, must be daily, with habits such as washing hands, avoid bringing your hands to your mouth or eyes, avoid sharing cutlery and, above all, not kissing anyone.
Party situations, such as carnival, which combine physical exhaustion, a lot of sun and alcoholic beverages, further facilitate these types of infections, as they can undermine immunity. To try to keep immunity at a high level, it is important to have a balanced diet rich in vitamins, drink lots of water and perform physical activity. Check out food tips that help boost immunity.
