Can I really have mono if I don't have any symptoms?
I am a 21 year old college student who is one the school’s track team. I am a distance runner and love to run. On April 1st, I was diagnosed with mono though I did not have any symptoms. On April 5th I was cleared to do some light exercises. These went extremely well and I did not feel any abnormal fatigue. On April 12th I was cleared to run again, just 11 days after I was first diagnosed. I have now had two easy five mile days and feel better than ever. I am confused about what to do. People are saying I should take it easy so the mono doesn’t come back but I never had a sore throat or fatigue. Is it possible it went away all ready? Do I need to be careful so it doesn’t come back?
You don’t mention why you were tested for mono in the first place but the answer to this confusing situation lies in the nature of the mono test. It’s likely that you did have mono – long ago. 90% of people have mono when they are toddlers. It is a mild disease at that age, but antibodies are produced and forever after, your blood will test positive for mono. There are further tests that can be done to tell if your positive test is from a more recent infection, but I suspect that your positive mono test reflected a childhood episode of mono, not a recent one. As you point out, you had none of the symptoms of mono. The unlucky 10% who get it as adolescents or adults have a severe tonsillitis, fatigue and muscle aches for several days and may be tired for weeks. They may need to cut back on strenuous activities while they recover. You, on the other hand can follow your body’s message that you are fine.
