overview
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic, potentially fatal disease caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). By damaging your immune system, HIV affects your body’s ability to fight infections and diseases.
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It can also be transmitted through contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding. Without medication, HIV can take years to weaken your immune system to the point where you have AIDS.
There is no cure for HIV / AIDS, but medication can slow the progression of the disease significantly. These drugs have reduced the number of AIDS deaths in many developed countries. HIV/AIDS Treatment in Nizamabad
symptoms
The symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the stage of infection.
Primary infection (acute HIV)
Some people infected with HIV develop flu-like illness within two to four weeks of the virus entering the body. Known as primary (acute) HIV infection, this disease can last for a few weeks.
Possible signs and symptoms are:
- fever
- a headache
- Muscle pain and joint pain
- eruption
- Sore throat and painful mouth pain
- Swollen lymph nodes, mainly on the neck
- diarrhea
- Weight loss
- to cough
- Night sweats
Symptomatic HIV infection
As the virus continues to multiply and destroy your immune cells – the cells in your body that help fight germs – you may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as:
- fever
- Tired
- Swollen lymph nodes – often one of the first signs of HIV infection
- diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Oral yeast infection (thrush)
- Shingles (herpes zoster)
- lung infection
The reasons
HIV is caused by a virus. It can be spread through sexual contact, or through blood, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
How does HIV become AIDS?
HIV destroys CD4 T cells – white blood cells that play an important role in fighting disease. The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system is.
You can have HIV infection with few or no symptoms for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when your CD4 T cell count drops below 200 or you have an AIDS-defining complication such as: B. a severe infection or cancer.
How HIV Spreads
In order to become infected with HIV, infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids must enter your body.
This can be done in several ways:
- While you are having sex, you can become infected if you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex with an infected partner whose blood, semen, or vaginal fluid enters your body. The virus can get into your body through mouth pain or small tears, which sometimes develop in the rectum or vagina during sexual activity.
- By sharing needles. Sharing accessories that contain contaminated intravenous drugs (needles and syringes) puts you at high risk of contracting HIV and other infectious diseases such as hepatitis.
- Blood transfusions. In some cases, the virus can be transmitted through blood transfusions. US hospitals and blood banks now control the blood supply for anti-HIV antibodies, so this risk is very small.
- During pregnancy or childbirth or while breastfeeding. Infected mothers can transmit the virus to their babies. Mothers with HIV who are treated for the infection during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk to their babies. HIV/AIDS Treatment in Nizamabad
Risk factors
Anyone regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation can become infected with HIV / AIDS. However, you are most at risk of contracting HIV / AIDS if you:
- Have unprotected sex. Use a new latex or polyurethane condom every time you have sex. Anal sex is riskier than vaginal sex. Your risk of contracting HIV increases if you have more than one sexual partner.
- Have an STI. Many sexually transmitted diseases cause open wounds on your genitals. These wounds act as doors for HIV to enter your body.
- Use IV medication. People taking IV medication often share needles and syringes.