What is AIDS?

What is AIDS?

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the cause of the chronic, potentially fatal illness known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV interferes with your body's capacity to fight disease and infection by weakening your immune system.

A sexually transmitted infection is HIV (STI). Additionally, it can be transferred through sharing needles, injecting illegal substances, and coming in contact with infected blood. Additionally, it can be passed from mother to child while pregnant, giving birth, or nursing. Without treatment, it can take years for HIV to progressively impair your immune system to the point where you develop AIDS.

There is no known cure for AIDS; however, drugs help manage the infection and stop the disease's progression. International organizations are attempting to promote the accessibility of prevention strategies and treatment in resource-poor countries. Antiviral therapies for HIV have decreased AIDS fatalities globally.

Symptoms

Depending on the stage of infection, there are different HIV and AIDS symptoms.

Acute HIV

Approximately 2 to 4 weeks after the HIV is injected into the body, some HIV-positive individuals have flu-like symptoms. Primary (acute) HIV infection is a condition that might last for a few weeks.

Among the warning signs and symptoms are

• Fever

• Headache

• Aches and pains in the joints

• Throat ache and uncomfortable mouth sores

• lymph nodes that are swollen, usually in the neck

• Diarrhoea

• Loss of weight

• Cough

• sweats at night

You might not even be aware of these symptoms because they can be so minor. The viral load, on the other hand, is currently fairly high in your bloodstream. As a result, during the initial infection rather than the next stage, the virus spreads more readily.

Chronic HIV

HIV is still present in the body and white blood cells at this stage of infection. Many individuals, nevertheless, might not experience any illnesses or symptoms during this period.

If you are getting antiretroviral therapy, this stage may last several years (ART). Some persons experience an earlier onset of more severe disease.

HIV symptoms infection

You may experience minor illnesses or persistent symptoms like:

• Fever \Fatigue

• Swollen lymph nodes are frequently among the initial indicators of HIV infection.

• Diarrhoea

• Loss of weight

• infection with oral yeast (thrush)

• Shingles (herpes zoster) (herpes zoster)

• Pneumonia

Development Into AIDS

Even in countries with limited resources, the number of AIDS-related deaths has significantly dropped thanks to access to stronger antiviral therapies. Most HIV-positive individuals in the U.S. today don't progress to AIDS thanks to these life-saving medications. HIV usually progresses to AIDS if left untreated in 8 to 10 years.

Your immune system is severely compromised when AIDS strikes. You'll be more susceptible to illnesses that a person with a robust immune system wouldn't typically get. Opportunistic infections or opportunistic tumors are what these are.

Some of these infections may show the following signs and symptoms:

• Sweats \Chills

• persistent fever

• persistent diarrhea

• enlarged lymph nodes

• odd lesions or persistent white patches on your tongue or inside of your mouth

• persistent, irrational tiredness

• Weakness

• Loss of weight

• skin pimples or rashes

Treatment of HIV

1. Antiretroviral therapy is the name for HIV treatment (ART). ART includes taking a daily mix of HIV medications (an HIV treatment regimen).

2. Everyone infected with HIV should receive ART. HIV patients should begin taking HIV medications as soon as feasible. Although ART cannot cure HIV, HIV drugs can help persons with the virus live longer, healthier lives. ART also lowers the likelihood of HIV transmission.

3. One of the primary goals of HIV treatment is to decrease a person's viral load to undetectable levels. An undetectable viral load means that the level of HIV in the blood is too low to be identified by a viral load test. People with HIV who maintain an undetectable viral load have virtually minimal risk of spreading HIV through intercourse with HIV-negative partners.

When to visit a doctor

Consult a healthcare professional immediately if you suspect you have HIV or are at risk of getting the disease.