Let’s Understand HIV And AIDS

We all know that HIV is related to AIDS, more specifically as the cause of AIDS. Further, we are also aware of how dangerous AIDS can be for our life. But, have we understood it right from its causes to functioning and effects? The answer is not many of us have this knowledge and so cannot raise a voice against AIDS. Let’s understand this life threatening disease thoroughly so that we can help the victims cope up with it and prevent others from getting into it.

HIV

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a type of virus that attacks specific cells including white blood cells namely T-helper or CD4 cells that are important for the immune system’. As HIV is a virus, it lacks its own metabolism due to which it attacks living cells in the body to use their metabolism and be multiplied up to infinity.

There are two possible results of the primary HIV infection, which is just the start of HIV. Even in this stage, you can infect other people irrespective of these outcomes that are listed below.

• A flu-like sickness occurring in 1 to 6 weeks after infection
• A alleged ‘dumb’ infection without any symptoms

In the first outcome, the white blood cells produce too much antibodies against HIV such that these bodies can be detected in the blood. So, if your blood test shows HIV antibodies, you are considered HIV positive (HIV +). Sometimes, even if your results are negative, there are chances that you might still be infected. However, this test failed to reveal this, as there are not enough antibodies in the blood to confirm or the infection took place after taking the blood sample for the test.

If a person is infected by HIV, he/she might not feel sick or ill for a long time, but the virus is active within the body that can wipe out new blood cells, which are continuously being produced. This also affects the quantity of T-helper cells in the blood, which will gradually decrease weakening the immune system in a few years. At this stage of weakened immune system, the victim will exhibit the AIDS symptoms.

AIDS

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Once a person is infected by HIV and if it is not detected or treated, AIDS occurs within an average period of nine years. It is a medical condition wherein the HIV virus has already eradicated several T-helper cells to such an extent that the immune system cannot make out and react to the attacks from daily infections. In addition, HIV also has the potential to attack the nervous and the digestive system.

AIDS Symptoms

Listed below are the symptoms of AIDS.

• Fatigue
• Mysterious weight loss
• Frequent bronchial and skin infections for which normal treatment is not effective
• Fever
• Swollen nodes
• Diarrhoea
• Small and deep ulcers often preceded by small wounds
• Night sweats
• Eruption of past dormant infections (shingles, herpes, toxoplasmosis)
• Alleged opportunistic infections caused by micro-organisms that are usually prevented by the immune system, which can further cause cancer or dementia

Causes of HIV AIDS

Normal interaction with HIV-positive people does not cause AIDS, meaning it is not contagious. Listed below are the factors that cause HIV AIDS.

• Contaminated needle or transfusing contaminated blood. To avoid this cause, blood donated is tested for HIV in the United Kingdom making the chances of AIDS through this path to zero.
• Infection from the mother during pregnancy, labor, or after the delivery through the route of breast milk.
• Unprotected physical interaction (without using condom).

The above causes means that people who share needles especially drug addicts, hospital workers who handle contaminated needles, people with blood transfusions prior to 1985, children with HIV-infected mother, prostitutes, and people having illegal and unsafe relationships are prone to AIDS.

More Worse Conditions with HIV

Ultimately, a person infected with HIV suffers from other serious diseases too. These are the ones, which otherwise can be prevented by the immune system.

• Tuberculosis
• Pneumonia
• Toxoplasmosis in the brain
• Reactivation of cytomegalovirus
• Infections involving the fungus candida albicans
• Cancer of skin and in the lymph nodes
• Meningitis and encephalopathy, a cerebral disorder that leads to comma
• Death

What after Suspecting HIV

If you suspect AIDS, consult your doctor on the spot and take his/her advice, ask him/her to test you, and discuss about the treatment. Mostly, the doctor will suggest you to go for the test approximately after three months from the time of infection. However, in case you have been exposed to some mode of infection such as needles or have noticed symptoms, the doctor will ask you to through a test that can confirm the presence antibodies and the virus. In a few cases, once the infection is detected at an early stage, the treatment will start immediately.

In some cases, the treatment aims at avoid an actual HIV infection when you immediately report about the exposure. This preventive measure actually starts after a few hours of the time of exposure. However, this treatment might have some side effects. Therefore, this needs a thorough discussion between you, your doctor, and your hospital.

Testing Locations

An HIV test is kept confidential and involves no cost. The test is offered at the listed below places.

• Clinics handling skin and venereal diseases
• Special clinics

If you want to go for any of the listed below activities, HIV test is mandatory.

• Donating blood
• Donating an organs for transplantation
• Using your sperm for non-natural insemination
• Adopting a child or opting for an egg transplantation

HIV Treatment

Even today, efficient new and more effective ways of dealing with HIV and decreasing the number of virus in the blood are being discovered. Despite of this continuous effort of fighting HIV, the virus is so efficient that it can totally change some of its features and develop similar new HIV’s that renders the medication in the treatment ineffective. To minimize this risk of resistance to medicines, the doctor treats HIV using different types of other treatments. Listed are the multiple treatments of HIV.

• Antiviral Medicines
  These medicines prevent the virus from spreading through the blood. However, this is not the cure of HIV and you are contagious. But, this treatment reinforces the immune system so that it becomes strong to fight against other infections. The experts are not sure about how long these medicines are effective.
• Specific Treatment
  This means treatment for each infection caused due to HIV.
• Vaccination
  This is against diseases such as flu, pneumonia, and infectious hepatitis.
• Treatment of the Symptoms
  This means that treatment will be given according to the HIV symptoms, such as nausea and fever, exhibited by the patient.

Show You Care Rather than Worry

If you are infected with HIV, you would prefer talking or sharing to someone about the situation. In this case, your GP is the first point of contact or it can be a counselor having experience. Sometimes, it could be a psychologist too as you might worry or be depressed about the infection. Listed are some guidelines that can help you to fight with HIV.

• Be in touch with AIDS and HIV support groups.
• Go for the test even you are all right after a suspected exposure.
• Remember that the earlier the diagnosis, the more successful will be the treatment.
• Have a healthy diet as HIV does affect the digestive system.
• Make sure that you are treated for all infections and diseases caused by the HIV virus.

Preventing HIV

Prevention is better than cure. Listed below are some guidelines on how to stay away from HIV. These are for people who do not have HIV and for people who have HIV.

• Avoid drugs injected with a needle or a syringe.
• Avoid sharing syringes or needles.
• Avoid blood transfusions at places where there are chances of blood not being tested for HIV
• Avoid transmitting organs, blood, or sperm if infected by HIV or suspect in that regard.

Life Expectancy

The disease is fatal and unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV. Patients with HIV have short life expectancy. However, related diseases can be treated and with the new medications, the life expectancy rate has gone up.

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