HIV-AIDS

Description

Human immunodeficiency virus is HIV. It attacks the immune system making a person vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It spreads when a human body comes in contact with certain body fluids of a person infected with HIV, most commonly through unprotected sex, or through sharing needles to inject drugs.

If left untreated, it leads to the disease AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). Once infected, the body cannot get rid of HIV, and no effective HIV cure exists. However, taking HIV medicine (antiretroviral therapy), people with HIV can live a long and healthy life.

Symptoms

The symptoms of HIV-AIDS depend on the phases of infection.

Acute HIV : People infected with HIV develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain, rashes, sore throat, and swollen lymph glands.

Chronic HIV : There are no specific signs and symptoms; however, some people experience persistent swelling of lymph nodes. HIV remains in the body and infected white blood cells.

Symptomatic HIV : When the virus starts to multiply itself, it starts to destroy the immune cells; the body develops mild infectious or chronic signs and symptoms like:

  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Diarrhea
  • Weight loss
  • Oral yeast infection
  • Shingles
  • Progression to AIDS

Thanks to the better HIV treatment medication, most people with HIV today don’t develop AIDS. Untreated HIV turns into AIDS in about ten years. When AIDS starts to attack the immune system, the patient may see the following symptoms and signs.

  • Soaking night sweats
  • Recurring fever
  • Skin rashes
  • Unexplained fatigue and weight loss

Causes

HIV transmits by having unprotected sexual intercourse with someone who has HIV, sharing drug needles with an infected person. And it also passes from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding.

HIV can’t survive outside the human body. Therefore, through casual contact like kissing, shaking hands, or sharing drinking glasses, HIV won’t transfer.

Medicines

The standard treatment for HIV-AIDS is a combination of antiretroviral medication. It slows down the rate at which HIV multiplies.

The medicines include:

  • Triomune
  • Lopimunes
  • Isentress
  • Dinex EC

Prevention

HIV spreads when people are not aware, they have it. So, it is always important to take the following steps.

  • Use condoms during sexual intercourse
  • Don’t have more than one sexual partner at a time
  • Talk to the partner and get tested together
  • Don’t consume a lot of alcohol or use illegal drugs before sex
  • Never share needles or syringes

Diagnosis

When diagnosed with HIV, the immune system makes antibodies to destroy the virus.

The tests done to detect HIV antigens include:

ELISA Test – It stands for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. If the ELISA test is positive, the Western blot is administered to confirm the diagnosis.

Home Tests – Home Access Express Test is the only test approved by the FDA. People can buy these home tests online, as well as in pharmacy.

Saliva Test – A cotton pad is used to obtain the saliva from inside of the cheek and sent for laboratory testing. A blood test may confirm if the person has HIV.

Viral Load Test – This test measures the amount of HIV in the blood using DNS sequences that bind to the virus.

CD4+ T Cell Count – CD4 cells are white blood cells, and the test measures the number of these cells in the blood.

FAQs

What should a patient do if he or she has HIV?

– The best possible way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is simple. Get in touch with the doctor to request an HIV test.

Can one buy HIV-AIDS medicine online?

– Yes, one can buy generic anti-HIV medicines online from the leading online pharmacies. However, HIV medication is a prescription drug, and one can buy it, one can buy it if prescribed by a doctor. So, ensure that you have a subscription before ordering and be careful with the drug name.