Everything you need to know about HIV and AIDS on this World AIDS Day

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). It is a potentially life-threatening condition as it damages a person’s immune system by attacking the T-helper cells (CD4) and lowering down the white blood cells count in the body. 
Let us now discuss all the essential details related to HIV and AIDS:

How are HIV and AIDS connected?

HIV is a virus and AIDS is an advanced medical condition which is caused by HIV virus in the long run. The virus weakens the immunity system of the body and makes it prone to many diseases, particularly AIDS. Medical experts categorize the progression of HIV into 3 stages:

Stage 1: Acute HIV Infection

Most patients are unable to recognize the infection caused by the virus until they experience some mild symptoms after 2 to 6 weeks. This is the stage where the body’s immune system fights back against the virus. Some possible signs and symptoms include:
·         Fever and headache
·         Diarrhea
·         Nausea and vomiting
·         Joint pain and muscle ache
·         Sore throat and swollen lymph nodes
Though these symptoms are mild and unnoticeable, medical experts believe that the amount of virus in the bloodstream is potentially high during this stage, which leads to significant spreading of infection and progression to next stage.

Stage 2: Chronic HIV

After the immunity system loses the battle against the virus, the flu-like symptoms may disappear. Medical experts name this stage as asymptomatic or clinical latent period. It is a stage where patients are unable to experience any symptoms for even over a period of 10 years, meanwhile the untreated virus continues to kill the T-cells and constantly lowers down the WBC count.

Stage 3: AIDS

AIDS is the advanced stage of untreated HIV that occurs when the T-cell counts fall below 200. With severely damaged immunity system, the body gets prone to develop opportunistic infections and cancers. Some signs and symptoms include:
·         Fever lasting for 10 days
·         Purplish spots on skin
·         Breathing problems
·         Severe and long lasting diarrhea
·         Yeast infection in throat or vagina
·         Unexplained bruises and bleeding 

Causes

HIV is a retrovirus that damages the vital body organs and cells of the human immune system. Though spreading of the virus can be limited with antiretroviral therapies, the rate of virus progression depends upon many other factors like age, other infections, genetic inheritance, and resistance to certain strains of HIV.
HIV is contagious and can be transmitted via:
·         Sexual transmission: Virus transmitted due to contact with infected sexual fluids
·         Perinatal transmission:  Virus transmitted from mother to child during childbirth
·         Blood transmission: Virus transmitted from virus infected blood syringes
The late stage HIV infection increases the risk of AIDS. Even after consistent efforts made by scientists and pharmaceutical companies, there’s still no cure for HIV and AIDS. Thus, medical experts advise people to take precautionary measures during sexual intercourse and medical treatments to avoid chronic conditions.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Identify and Reverse these Reasons for Hair Fall in Women

Image
You cannot deny the fact that hair loss is agonizing for both men and women. It is true that men are more likely to suffer from it than women, but thinning and hair loss in women is on the rise, and it doesn’t look like the situation will get better anytime sooner. If you have lost a substantial amount of hair, then thanks to technological advancement, you can opt for treatments like hair transplant in Gurgaon , Delhi and in many other cities. But, would you not like to take control of the situation from the get-go if you still have the time? If your answer is yes, then here are a few common reasons for hair fall that you can start controlling for this moment onward: -       Physical stress: Trauma or physical stress like surgery, accident, illness, post-pregnancy, etc., can cause temporary hair loss. A stressful situation can shock the hair cycle system, and the good news is that your hair will start growing once your body recovers. - ...
Read more

Comparing Hair Transplant In Young And Older Patients

Image
It is not uncommon to find people reading about hair transplant reviews before going for this elective treatment. If you too are one of those then you are on the right track, as opting for an intense medical procedure like a hair surgery for balding problems needs as much preparation and information as possible. Let’s look at the basic criteria that makes you a candidate for a hair transplant surgery: -       In-depth diagnosis of a common genetic hair loss condition known as androgenic alopecia, or any other condition that can lead to hair loss. -       Exploration and observation of any medical therapy to see its full response. -       Adequate amount of hair lo ss that is hindering your aesthetic appearance. -       Availability of sufficient amount of donor hair that can satisfy the current and the future needs. -       Having realistic expe...
Read more

How to Choose the Right Shampoo for Your Hair?

Image
Washing your hair might look like a simple task, but like our skin, our hair too need all the care they can get. Just like you consider the type of skin you have before buying a moisturizer or taking a salon treatment, the hair type too needs to be considered. Hair care starts with the shampoo you pick. The task may look daunting given the number of shampoos and conditioners available in the market, but it is important to take it seriously because each of them has a different set of ingredients. Out of the basic cleaning agents that a shampoo has, few make the hair dry and brittle, while others are softer and milder on the hair. Mild shampoos are costlier as their lesser harmful components are expensive. Other than the cleaning agent, there are numerous other things that a shampoo has which helps improving the hair’s appearance. A few points that you must consider while buying a shampoo are: -       Observe how your hair reacts to the temperature a...
Read more