Kissing can make you weak in the knees. Did you know that it can also leave you with an infectious disease? Perhaps you have heard or read before that your mouth is the dirtiest part of your body. It does not really come as a shock to know that there are so many health problems you can get from swapping saliva with someone.
So before you kiss on the first date, think twice. Read on to know some of the diseases that you may get from being passionate with someone who has questionable dental and health records:
Periodontitis
Do you love your beaming smile? Then don’t wreck it by kissing someone whose oral health is debatable. That’s because kissing can leave you with periodontitis, a disease characterized by the inflammation of the soft tissues of the mouth as well as gums. If left untreated, periodontitis may lead to tooth loss.
Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease
Caused by the coxsackie virus, the so-called hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is common among kids who attend daycares. However, adults like you are not exempted from having it. Your likelihood of having hand, foot and mouth disease is high if you kiss someone who has it, especially if the person has open sores inside his or her mouth.
Strep Throat
Just like what the name suggests, strep throat is due to a streptococcal infection. Having strep throat leaves your throat feeling scratchy and painful, and causes you to be feverish. You don’t want to get this problem from kissing or from any other means because it can cause some serious complications such as rheumatic fever and kidney inflammation.
The Common Cold
You can get a cold when you exchange spit with someone who has it or is harboring the virus behind it. Actually, the common cold is spread by coming into contact with the secretions of an infected person’s throat, which could be very well in his or her mouth. That thought alone should make you think twice before kissing a complete stranger!
Flu
Just like the common cold, this upper respiratory tract infection is something that can be spread through kissing. That’s why you should refrain from smooching someone who has cough, stuffy or runny nose, sore throat and fever if you don’t want to end up with the flu.
Cold Sores
You cannot get herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), the virus that causes cold sores, from the saliva of an infected individual. Rather, you can get this when you kiss someone who has cold sores on the lips or near the mouth — especially if the sores are open and leaking. Keep your eyes peeled before locking lips with the one in front of you!
Oral Thrush
If you’re familiar with candidiasis or yeast infection, this is the same thing — only it is in your mouth and even your throat. Even though oral thrush in not really regarded as a sexually transmitted disease (STD), it’s still gross. Especially if your immune system is weak, you can easily get oral thrush from kissing someone who has it.
Hepatitis B
It’s true that hepatitis B, a form of infectious disease characterized by an inflamed liver, is commonly transmitted by direct contact with the blood of an infected person. However, you may also end up with hepatitis B from kissing. This is especially true if you kiss someone while you have open sores in your mouth.
Infectious Mononucleosis
Last but not least, there’s infectious mononucleosis or mono, which is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Although this infection is not that serious and tends to go away in a month or two, it leaves you with a sore throat, high fever and swollen lymph nodes. By the way, infections mononucleosis is also known as “kissing disease”.
