Thousands of people worldwide kiss on a daily basis without the slightest concern. Considering the trillions of kisses exchanged each year, and the low incidence of kiss-related disease, the activity is pretty low-risk. Yet, kissing does carry with it varying degrees of infectious risk.
A kiss on the cheek or forehead doesn't carry much risk for passing germs. A traditional, though nearly archaic top-of-the-hand kiss poses a risk slightly less than kissing a door handle if the recipient hasn't washed his or her hands. A light peck on the lips – the kind of kiss some families give in greeting – is not very likely to transmit any disease unless there's an active cold sore on the lips of the kisser or the person being kissed, or the person just licked their lips.
Deep kissing (aka French kissing), on the other hand, is more likely to pass disease. But then again, so is sharing a straw or eating off someone's fork. The reason is because certain germs reside in saliva, as well as other bodily fluids.
So, what diseases can you get from kissing?
Cold Sores
Those red or purple blisters that appear on your lips or around your mouth are caused by a herpesvirus, specifically herpes simplex virus one (HSV-1). HSV-1 is one of the most common of the herpesviruses. Once you have a cold sore, the virus stays in your body for life, reappearing seemingly at will. Some people can identify certain triggers, such as stress, too much sun, or not getting enough sleep.
Cold sores are spread by kissing, or by any other means of coming in contact with virus, such as through washcloths, pillows, and drinking glasses. If you simply must kiss someone with a cold sore (for example, it's your wedding ceremony), make sure the person first applies an antiviral cold sore cream.
Common Cold
Colds are definitely "catchable" by kissing. But, then again, breathing the sneeze- or cough-infested air around your sick kissing partner already exposes you. Many people decide to take their chances, since they've already been exposed.
Having already being sick with a cold doesn't make you immune from future colds. That's because a few hundred viruses cause colds. Your immune system can only protect you from the ones you've already had. And cold viruses can mutate from one person to the next. Don't assume you'll stay well.
Influenza
Exposure to saliva droplets exposes you to the flu. You can get sick by sharing a drinking glass, touching a coughed-on surface, or sometimes just breathing in a room where someone is sneezing. Some people choose to throw caution to the wind and continue to kiss their partner. But germ warfare calls for avoidance – unless you like the flu.
Meningococcal Diseases
A simple kiss will get you more than you wanted if you kiss someone with meningococcal meningitis or meningococcemia. You might think someone with meningitis simply has the flu, but you need to be sure. Meningitis is an infection of the lining of the brain, which can occur from a parasite, bacteria, or virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, appetite loss, alertness change, or a purplish rash. People with meningococcemia might not have a stiff neck. With early treatment, almost all people with a meningococcal disease recover.
Mononucleosis
Mono, for short, is also known as the "kissing disease." From the name, you've probably guessed that kissing is a primary method of transmission. To spread, the disease requires a non-immune person to come in contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person. The good news is, colds are far more infectious than mono. Fatigue characterizes mono in teens and adults. Also be alert to sore throat, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, body ache, appetite loss, white patches on the back of your throat, and tonsillitis. Children rarely exhibit symptoms.
Mumps
If you've been immunized against the mumps, you probably don't need to worry about this one – but check with your doctor first. Mumps is easily spread through close contact with the saliva or mucus of an infected person. That includes kissing, breathing air into which an infected person has coughed or sneezed, or sharing a fork, straw, or cigarette.
Mumps causes fever, headache, swollen cheeks and neck, pain around your neck and ears, and difficulty swallowing. Men with mumps can develop swelling of the testicles, and might become infertile. People who become seriously ill with the mumps can develop a number of serious illnesses. So you want to make sure you're immunized!
Sore Throat
Sore throats are caused by viruses too. And there are hundreds of variants. Often a stuffy or runny nose, a cough, or other cold or flu symptoms accompany them. If you decide a kiss is worth the risk of a pesky sore throat, just make sure you have plenty of fluids and pain reliever on hand!
Strep Throat
Kissing and other saliva-spreading activities can lead to another sore throat – strep throat. Only in this case, the culprit is bacterial, not viral. Symptoms include a fever, headache, stomach ache, and of course a really sore throat. (Some people say it feels like you're being stabbed in the throat.) You can get strep throat from coming in contact with someone's saliva or mucus – and they don't even have to have symptoms. If you have an "on fire" sore throat, call your healthcare provider right away. Left untreated, strep throat can lead to arthritis, heart and kidney damage, and more.
Cytomegalovirus Infections
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a very common virus, infecting approximately 40 percent of all young adults in the United States. It rarely causes serious consequences except in people with suppressed or impaired immune systems or in infants, whose immune systems are still developing. The virus, a member of the herpesvirus family, is found in saliva, urine, and other bodily fluids. The virus can be spread by sexual contact. Other forms of physical contact, such as kissing, also can easily spread it.
Like other herpesvirus infections, CMV is incurable; people are infected with it for life. Although the virus usually remains in an inactive state, it can reactivate from time to time. In healthy adults, CMV usually produces no symptoms of infection. Occasionally, however, mild symptoms of swollen lymph glands, fever, and fatigue may occur. These symptoms can be similar to those of mononucleosis.
And More...
Hepatitis B and some forms of bacterial meningitis can be transmitted through kissing alone, but it's much less common than getting a cold or flu by kissing. HIV has also been found in the saliva of infected people, but there is no evidence that the virus is spread by contact with saliva. Laboratory studies reveal that saliva has natural properties that limit the power of HIV to infect. And research studies of people infected with HIV have found no evidence that the virus is spread to others through saliva by kissing. No one knows, however, whether so-called "deep" kissing, involving the exchange of large amounts of saliva, or oral intercourse increase the risk of infection.
Scientists also have found no evidence that HIV is spread through sweat, tears, urine, or feces. Studies of families of HIV-infected people have shown clearly that HIV is not spread through casual contact such as the sharing of food utensils, towels and bedding, swimming pools, telephones, or toilet seats.
Initial symptoms of HIV infection mimic those of other diseases such as the flu or mononucleosis: fever, headache, tiredness, and enlarged lymph nodes. Symptoms often disappear within a month, but people with HIV remain highly infectious.
When in Doubt
…check it out. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider for appropriate testing. If you think there's a chance you could have mononucleosis, hepatitis, HIV, or CMV, assume you do until test results come back negative. Take measures to protect others from coming in contact with your bodily fluids – including no kissing. |
