TRACKING Kissing is a mixture of chemicals, textures, and tastes that can enhance the attraction or derail it. It triggers your brain to release some chemicals that keep you in a good mood by igniting the pleasure centers of the brain. These chemicals include oxytocin , dopamine , and serotonin , which can make you feel euphoric and encourage feelings of affection and bonding. It also lowers your cortisol (stress hormone) levels’.
Kissing is a big decider of attraction and is a much more pleasurable experience when you’re genetically compatible’, says love biologist. In addition to boosting your happy hormones, kissing can reduce your cortisol levels —potentially improving your feelings of self-worth. It is understood that couple who were unhappy with their physical appearance had higher cortisol levels in their body.
Judging from the lines above, k issing is no doubt one of the best ways to show affection, unfortunately, many may not realise that intimate kissing that involves exchange of saliva can often transfer some life threatening disease.
An intimate 10 second kissing can transfer over 80 million bacteria, as such no one is exempt from the disease-spreading dangers of kissing.
Below are 6 potential scary diseases or illnesses you can develop from kissing your partner.
1. Polio
Polio is an acute viral infectious disease of the nervous system. The virus can affect the nerves and may lead to partial or full paralysis Pathogenesis Poliovirus is strictly human pathogen. Clinically, it is transmitted by direct person-person contact via; contact with infected mucus from the mouth or nose and contact with infected faeces. Incubation period is usually 6 – 20 days. Polio virus enters through the mouth, then followed by replication in the alimentary tract, this is then followed by a primary transient viremia. The virus then invades the local lymphoid tissue, enters the bloodstream and then infect cells of central nervous system.
Sign and symptoms
a). A mild form or abortive polio which is characterized by clinical symptoms ranging from upper respiratory tract infections (fever and sore throat), nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrea and in some cases influenza-like illnesses.
b). Non-paralytic polio which presents manifestations like stiffness of neck, back and or legs.
c). Paralytic polio which causes flaccid paralysis. It is characterized by asymmetric paralysis, weakness of muscles, respiratory arrest and even death.
2. Mumps
Mumps formerly known as epidemic parotitis a distinctive and generally benign systemic viral infection that affects the salivary glands, causing them to swell.
Pathogenesis Mumps is highly contagious, usually spreads via airborne droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person to susceptible individual. Primary viral replication takes place in the epithelial cells of the nasal mucosa or upper respiratory tract followed by spread to regional lymph nodes. This is followed by transient viremia resulting in dessimination of the virus granular or neural tissue.
Signs and symptoms
Following the mean incubation period, symptomatic mumps begins typically with a fever, headache, muscle aches, malaise and anorexia (loss of appetite) . Recovering from mumps takes about two weeks, and treatment usually focuses on relieving the symptoms.
3. INFLUENZA
Influenza , commonly known as the flu , is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus. Pathogenesis
Influenza is spread from person to person, usually via droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk, this infection is solely respiratory tract. People can infect others with the flu virus one day before they have symptoms and up seven days after becoming sick.
Influenza viruses normally replicate in the mucosa of the nasopharynx, resulting in a pharyngitis or at most a tracheobronchitis after an incubation period of 24-72 hours. Signs and Symptoms
The most common symptoms include: high fever, runny nose, sore throat , muscle and joint pain , headache , coughing , and feeling tired .These symptoms typically begin 2 days after exposure to the virus and most last less than a week. The cough, however, may last for more than two weeks. Most people recover on their own in less than two weeks. The flu is a highly seasonal disease that can often be prevented by getting an annual flu vaccine.
4. RUBELLA
Rubella aslo known as “German measles” is an exanthemous infection caused by a rubivirus. It is typically a mild infection that goes away within one week with or without treatment.
Pathogenesis Rubella virus usually spreads by direct contact with respiratory secretions. The virus primarily replicates in lymphoid organs at the portal of entry and in the nasopharyngeal space after which a viremia develops before the exanthem manifests. The virus in pregnant women takes its route through the placenta to the embryo, where it can cause congenital deformities or embryonic death especially in the first trimester of the pregnancy.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptomatic rubella usually manifests in the symptoms such as pink or reddish facial rashes, mild fever, swollen and tender lymph nodes, runny or stuffy nose, headache, muscle pain and inflamed red eyes.
The use of live attenuated vaccine is commercially available to prevent rubella-caused embryopathies and provide lifelong immunity.
5. INFECTIOUS MONONUCLEOSIS
Infectious mononucleosis or glandular fever popularly knowns as kissing disease , is an infection usually caused by the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). While usually caused by Epstein–Barr virus, also known as human herpesvirus 4, which is a member of the herpes virus family , a few other viruses may also cause the disease.
Pathogenesis. It is primarily spread through saliva but can rarely be spread through semen or blood. Spread may occur by objects such as drinking glasses or toothbrushes. Those who are infected can spread the disease weeks before symptoms develop. Mononucleosis is primarily diagnosed based on the symptoms and can be confirmed with blood tests for specific antibodies.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms are very similar to those of the flu and include a fever, sore throat, fatigue, muscle weakness and swollen lymph glands. The infection and related symptoms usually last for one to two months. Young people between the ages of 15 and 30 and those who regularly come into contact with a lot of people are the most at risk. While no treatment for mononucleosis exists, resting, staying hydrated and taking over-the-counter pain medications often help.
6. GINGIVITIS
Gingivitis is a common and mild form of gum disease (periodontal disease) that causes irritation, redness and swelling of gingiva, the part of gum around the base of teeth. It’s important to take gingivitis seriously and treat it promptly. Gingivitis can lead to much more serious gum disease called periodontitis and tooth loss.
Pathogenesis
The cause of plaque-induced gingivitis is bacterial plaque, which acts to initiate the body’s host response . This, in turn, leads to destruction of the gingival tissues, which then progress to destruction of the periodontal attachment apparatus. The plaque accumulates in the small gaps between teeth, in the gingival grooves and in areas known as plaque traps; locations that serve to accumulate and maintain plaque. These accumulations may be tiny, the bacteria in them produce chemicals, such as degradative enzymes, and toxins, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS, otherwise known as endotoxin ) or lipoteichoic acid (LTA), that promote an inflammatory response in the gum tissue. This inflammation then cause an enlargement of the gingiva and subsequent formation.
Signs and Symptoms Signs and symptoms of gingivitis include Swollen or puffy gums, Dusky red or dark red gums, Gums that bleed easily during tooth brush or floss Bad breath, Receding gums, Tender gums.
If you notice any signs and symptoms of gingivitis, schedule an appointment with your dentist. The sooner you seek care, the better your chances of reversing damage from gingivitis and preventing its progression to periodontitis.
