The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) weakens the body's immune system, thereby reducing the body's resistance to common bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other invaders. It is also the cause of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). People living with HIV are susceptible to diseases that normal people are not susceptible to, as are people living with AIDS, and are susceptible to certain unusual diseases.
Anyone has the potential to contract HIV, and both men and women can become hive transmitters. People living with HIV do not feel any discomfort but still have the ability to transmit the virus to others.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are currently about 1.1 million people living with HIV in the United States, with 37,600 new cases of infection each year.
Hive infection does not equate to HIV, and it takes many years for people living with the virus to develop AIDS.
There is currently no cure for HIV infection and AIDS, but the latest drugs have helped infected people stay healthy, live longer, and even reach a normal life expectancy.
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HIV and CD4T cells
HIV attacks and destroys one type of white blood cell: CD4 cells, also known as T cells. The role of this cell is to fight off disease. The HIV virus uses the proteins in this cell to replicate itself and then kills the cell. This process can last 10 years or more, while carriers have no obvious symptoms.
AIDS is an advanced stage of HIV infection. When the CD4 cells in the immune system drop to a very low level, HIV-infected people begin to be unable to defend against invaders that normal people can resist. An HIV diagnosis is established when an HIV-infected person has certain specific infections or cancerous changes, or when a blood test shows a CD4 cell count in their blood below 200.
How is HIV transmitted?
HIV is generally transmitted through contact with the body fluids of an infected person, i.e. the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and milk of an HIV-infected person enter the infected person. Specifically, HIV can enter an infected person through broken skin or mucous membranes on the surface of the mouth, anus, penis, or vagina.
Common modes of transmission of HIV are:
Unprotected sex with an infected person.
Needles are used to inject drugs.
Contaminated needles are used when tattooing or punching holes in body parts (ears and eyes, etc.).
People living with HIV can transmit the virus to their children before or at birth, or through breastfeeding.
Blood transfusions can also transmit HIV.
Healthcare workers must take special protective measures. They may become infected with HIV from a contaminated needle puncture, or infect their own open wounds by touching contaminated blood, or even as contaminated blood splashes into their eyes or nostrils.
Ways to prevent HIV
The best way to prevent HIV is to avoid behaviors that are at high risk of HIV infection. Latex condoms or latex protective films should be used at all times during any sexual activity, including vaginal, anal or oral sex. Don't inject drugs, and if you can't quit, remember not to use needles that others have used.
Some people with a very high probability of infection use pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs. They were not infected with HIV and were given daily medication to reduce the likelihood of infection.
HIV testing
The only way to determine if you have HIV infection is to get tested for HIV. Most HIV tests determine HIV infection by looking for HIV antibodies or trace amounts of HIV virus in the blood, and some tests are performed using urine or fluid (non-saliva) from the mouth.
A positive test result indicates that there is a trace amount of HIV in the blood, while a negative test result indicates that no signs of HIV infection are found in the blood of the person tested. Some types of tests can yield results within 20 to 30 minutes.
The time of HIV testing
Most tests cannot tell if a newly exposed person is infected with HIV because it takes 2 to 8 weeks for the body to develop antibodies, or enough virus for the test to be effective.
Some cases can even take up to 6 months to get a positive result, which means that an early test negative does not mean that you are not infected with HIV.
Confidentiality of HIV testing
Hospitals that test for HIV keep the results of the test subjects confidential. Some even offer anonymous tests where subjects do not need to register their names.
You can also buy a test kit at the pharmacy and go home to test it yourself.
HIV testing population
Anyone between the ages of 15 and 65 should be tested, including all pregnant women. If it is a high-risk group, such as someone who uses drugs by injection or who has multiple sexual partners, they should be tested at least once a year.
If you are pricked by a needle or come into contact with large amounts of blood from a suspected HIV-positive person, you should also be tested.
Symptoms of HIV infection and AIDS
Some infected people develop flu-like symptoms within a month of infection, usually disappearing within a month. In general, HIV infection does not turn into AIDS until many years later.
Until HIV infection is confirmed, infected people are at risk of shingles.
Thrush, a candida infection that occurs on the tongue, can occur in both women and men. Women may also have severe vaginal fungal infections, or pelvic inflammatory disease.
Signs of HIV turning into AIDS
Persistent fever
Night sweats
The feeling of exhaustion that cannot be eliminated is not due to stress or lack of sleep
Always feel uncomfortable
Weight loss
Lymphadenopathy of the neck, groin, or armpits
Oral yeast infection
Associated infections and diseases
People with AIDS are very susceptible to other infections. These "opportunistic infections" are not a problem for people with normal immune systems, but for people with low CD4 cell counts, the problem is big.
Because HIV is known to play an important role in these infections, doctors diagnose it as AIDS when they see the infection.
Common health problems for AIDS patients
Kaposi sarcoma, a skin tumor in which black or purple spots appear on the patient's skin or mouth.
Altered mind or headache caused by fungal infections or tumors in the brain and spinal cord.
Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing due to lung infections.
Young and middle-aged people develop dementia.
Severe malnutrition.
Chronic diarrhea.
treat
In the past, when the HIV virus was first discovered, the infected person was tantamount to being sentenced to death, but with the development of medical technology, everything has changed a lot. Today, there are a variety of treatments that can significantly slow down the course of HIV infection, and some can even stop its progression altogether.
After being diagnosed with HIV infection, doctors will use various types of anti-HIV drugs to develop a treatment plan for the infected person. This treatment is called antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the drugs used are called antiretroviral drugs.
Side effects of anti-HIV drugs
Patients must take the right dose of the drug at the right time every day, and if they don't, the virus will turn into a resistant strain of the virus and the drug will lose its effect. Anti-HIV drugs can have side effects, but the vast majority of people are well tolerated, and common side effects are:
Diarrhea and nausea
Rash or yellowing of the skin
Strange dreams or insomnia
Dizziness, muscle weakness, or difficulty concentrating
Increased or decreased body fat
High cholesterol and heart problems
Osteogenesis is insufficient
Precautions for taking the drug
If these or other symptoms occur while taking antiretroviral drugs, you should consult your doctor before deciding whether to discontinue the drug. There are many ways to mitigate side effects instead of stopping these life-saving medications.
Some new HIV drugs only need to be taken once a day, but these drugs are usually ineffective against resistant strains.
For people with AIDS, it may also be necessary to take medications to prevent and treat opportunistic infections at the same time.
Therapeutic effect
Doctors judge the effectiveness of treatment by measuring the amount of HIV (i.e., viral load) in an infected person's body.
The goal of treatment is to reduce the number of viruses to a level that most laboratories cannot detect, i.e. less than 20 copies per microliter. But that doesn't mean the virus is gone or the infection is cured; it just means that the drug is still working and the patient still needs to keep taking it.
prognosis
Most patients who receive the right treatment are in good shape and can live healthily for many years. The key to treatment is to start ART treatment as early as possible once HIV infection has been diagnosed, especially before the CD4 count drops to a low level. But even with the same treatment, some infected people's condition will still worsen faster than others.
Take good care of yourself, people living with HIV should take care of their bodies and pay attention to maintaining good relationships with doctors who are experienced in treating HIV and AIDS. Be sure to stick to your HIV medication plan and review it regularly to detect problems early.
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