Cytomegalovirus or CMV is, as its name suggests, a fairly common virus that is frequently transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy . On the other hand, it is also common for adults over 40 to become infected with CMV; people sick with this virus usually do not have symptoms and once infected with cytomegalovirus the body maintains it for life, but without causing any problems. However, there are groups at high risk for CMV infection, such as people who are undergoing treatment for some other pathology and consume drugs that weaken the immune system, or fetuses that are infected by mothers. At FastlyHealwe offer you information about the symptoms, causes and treatments of cytomegalovirus
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Cytomegalovirus symptoms
Generally, the symptoms of cytomegalovirus are mild or, many times, it can be asymptomatic. If there is any manifestation of this infection, it may be confused with some other pathology, so many people do not even know that they have been infected. These symptoms can be:
- Sore throat and headache.
- Fever.
- Fatigue and weakness
- Swollen glands .
- Aches in the muscles
- Loss of appetite
In contrast, in high-risk groups for cytomegalovirus infection or those who have a low immune system due to diseases such as HIV or have recently undergone a transplant and are medicated, the symptoms of the virus can be more severe:
- Loss of vision and hearing.
- Seizures
- Mental handicap
- Bleeding in the intestines
Causes of cytomegalovirus
CMV is a virus from the family of those that cause herpes, mononucleosis, and chickenpox. So once it is infected, it remains in the body forever, although perhaps not actively.
The causes of cytomegalovirus transmission originate from body fluids, that is:
- Saliva.
- The blood.
- The urine.
- The semen.
- Breast milk
It can be transmitted when the infected person actively contains the virus and can be transferred through contact with the blood or other body fluids of a person with cytomegalovirus, or through sexual intercourse, but it is not very common in a transplant organ or blood transfusions, although it can occur.
Cytomegalovirus treatment
To diagnose cytomegalovirus, it will be necessary to perform a blood test. There is no cure for cytomegalovirus, and generally no treatment is necessary for the virus. In addition, it is not advisable to medicate those healthy people or pregnant women who are infected by this virus.
On the other hand, if it is a person who belongs to one of the risk groups mentioned above, the professional could prescribe different antiviral drugs, which slow down the reproduction of the virus in the body, but it cannot be cured.
Although there is a vaccine, it is not advisable to use it, since it is still under development and different forms and drugs are still being studied to treat and prevent cytomegalovirus. In any case, you should always go to a doctor to make the corresponding diagnosis and grant the most appropriate treatment.
Complications in pregnant women
If a pregnant woman transmits cytomegalovirus to the fetus, it is possible that a spontaneous abortion and even death occur , in addition there is a greater risk that, at birth, the child will have a hearing loss or some mental retardation. However, this only occurs in 1% of cases.
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Cytomegalovirus: symptoms, causes and treatment , we recommend that you enter our Immune System category .
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.