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4 months ago
19
A self-confessed 'party girl' who snogged a random lad in a bar on a night out was hospitalised after contracting 'kissing disease' - and says it 'ruined' her graduation.
Singleton Neve McRavey was left needing IV treatment after she went clubbing with her friends earlier this month to celebrate finishing her degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
After meeting a random man at the bar, the 22-year-old journalism graduate says the pair shared an innocent kiss on the dance floor and thought nothing of it.
It was only when she woke up the following morning with a sore throat that she realised something was wrong - but put it down to tonsillitis.
Neve said her symptoms worsened over the next 24 hours and when she began 'gagging' on her own saliva, she visited her GP who prescribed her antibiotics.
Singleton Neve McRavey had been out clubbing with her friends earlier this month to celebrate finishing her degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow
The self-confessed 'party girl' says she was hospitalised after contracting 'kissing disease' from snogging random men in bars on nights out
The 22-year-old journalism graduate was left needing an IV to treat her illness while in hospital
But when the medicine didn't work, she went to hospital where she was diagnosed with glandular fever and fitted with an IV to rehydrate her.
Since snogging a stranger in a bar, Neve says she has been left almost bed bound and has struggled to leave the house.
What is glandular fever?
Also called 'kissing disease' due to being spread by saliva, this illness is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV).
It is also called mono, short for mononucleosis, in the US.
What is is it?
A viral infection cased by EBV.
How is it spread?
Usually by exchanging saliva with an infected person. This can be from kissing or sharing cups or cutlery but young children can also get it from sharing toys.
People are usually infectious for several weeks before the onset of symptoms.
What are its symptoms?
Common symptoms include:
- a high temperature (fever)
- a severely sore throat
- swollen glands in the neck
- fatigue (extreme tiredness)
Are there any long term risks?
Symptoms usually fade after two to three weeks though fatigue has been known to last up to seven months.
The virus behind glandular fever is suspected as triggering the onset of MS, though the exact mechanics of this interaction are not understood. Only a tiny fraction of people who have glandular fever ever go on to develop MS however.
There have also been studies linking EBV infection to elevating risks of certain cancers.
She even admitted contracting glandular fever 'ruined' her graduation on Wednesday as her symptoms stopped her from being able to celebrate with friends and family.
Neve, who has been single since March, is now warning other singletons to be cautious about who they kiss on nights out to ensure they don't face the same fate as her.
Neve, from Glasgow in Scotland, said: 'It's called kissing disease. When I heard this so much regret was going through my head.
'I've been single since March. I've been going out every weekend with the girls, dancing and having fun.
'Occasionally I'd meet a guy at the bar and get chatting and have a kiss on the dancefloor.
'The first couple of weekends in June I was out celebrating handing in my dissertation. I got a 2.1 so was out celebrating all the hard work.
'On Sunday I woke up with a funny throat. I'm quite prone to tonsillitis so I just thought it was this at first.
'On Monday morning I woke up and I couldn't even swallow my own saliva and I was gagging on it.
'I was really ill so I went to the doctors and they thought it was tonsillitis so they gave my antibiotics.
'The antibiotics didn't work and I kept feeling worse. I had a very high fever, swollen glands, I was sweating buckets and vomiting and I was so weak I couldn't really walk right.
'I went back to the doctors a couple of times and they tried to give me more medication but nothing was working. I then went to the hospital and it turns out it was glandular fever.
'When you're drunk and single you don't think anything of it [kissing a random person] and it's just a bit of fun.
'It's been well over three weeks now and I've spent nearly a month of my life bed bound and at the hospital just because I kissed someone at a bar.
'I didn't really get the graduation I wanted. All I could manage was to walk across the stage, take my photos and then go back to sleep.
'I had a lovely dinner booked with my family, and then me and my friends had tables booked out everywhere for a big night out.'
According to the NHS, glandular fever is a viral infection that mostly affects teenagers and young adults which includes symptoms such as a sore throat and extreme tiredness.
Neve was left bedbound after contracting glandular fever when she kissed a stranger in a club
The infection can get better without treatment but it can last for weeks and make you feel very ill.
Neve said due to her 'weak' immune system her body is struggling to fight the infection and it could take weeks for her to get better.
She is now advising other single people to take 'personal responsibility' to not kiss people on nights out if they're not well themselves.
Neve, who graduated with an English literature and journalism degree, said: 'I think as a young person it's part of our culture to go out and have a good night and sometimes part of that night includes kissing someone.
'It's glamorised in song lyrics to go out kiss boys and have fun. I was all about this and was a party girl.
'I think now after everything has happened I will be much more selective [with whom I kiss].
'I also feel that there is some personal responsibility too. With me being ill, I wouldn't kiss anybody for a long time but obviously the boy who kissed me knew they had been sick recently but didn't really care.
'If that boy had glandular fever, he was probably sick for a week and did not think anything of it.
'But, because I have a weak immune system, it floored me and ruined one of the most special moments in my life, which was my graduation.'
English (US)