HIV & AIDS

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infects the immune system and causes it to deteriorate, and in the end, it leads to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).

HIV & AIDS

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) invades a type of white blood cell and destroys them, which reduces their number and leads to a weakened immune system that’s unable to fight diseases, even the simple ones.

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the final stage of HIV infection in which the immune system becomes gravely damaged.

Causes of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

HIV transmits through vaginal fluids, semen, blood, breast milk, and rectal fluids. The infection can spread through:

• All types of unprotected sexual contact.
• Using shared needles.
• Contact with infected blood and blood transfusion.
• From the mother to her infant during pregnancy, giving birth, and breastfeeding.

HIV can’t spread through kissing, hugging, touching, sharing toilets, sharing utensils, or through air droplets.

Symptoms of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)

• Symptoms of the primary or acute HIV stage may appear within 2-4 weeks after being infected, or they may not manifest at all, and they include flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, night sweats, and weight loss.
• In the latent or chronic HIV stage, patients may also not have any symptoms at all, and this can last for years.
• As the HIV infection continues to destroy the immune system cells, the patient may have long-term symptoms including flu-like symptoms, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats, shingles, oral yeast infection, pneumonia, diarrhea, and weight loss.
• In the end, HIV infection turns into AIDS after 8-10 years. In this stage, the immune system becomes severely damaged, and the body becomes more susceptible to having other infections and illnesses. Common symptoms of this stage include recurrent fever, chills, sweats, swollen lymph nodes, persistent fatigue, ongoing diarrhea, rapid weight loss, skin bumps, and constant lesions or white spots on the mouth or tongue.

Complications of HIV & AIDS

• Infections that commonly occur during HIV & AIDS are tuberculosis, pneumocystic pneumonia, candidiasis, cytomegalovirus (a type of herpes virus), toxoplasmosis, and cryptococcal meningitis.
• Cancers that commonly occur during HIV & AIDS are lymphoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and human papillomavirus-related cancers.
• Other complications that occur during HIV & AIDS are wasting syndrome, kidney disease, and liver disease.

Diagnosis of HIV & AIDS

• Blood tests.
• Saliva tests.

Management of HIV & AIDS

• There isn’t a cure for HIV nor AIDS. However, certain antivirals can reduce the risk of developing AIDS and prevent other complications.
• You can prevent the spread of HIV & AIDS by knowing whether the sexual partner is infected or not, avoiding sharing needles, and seeking medical help immediately if you think you got infected.