Behind AIDS, a condition known to the medical community as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is the ravages of the human immunodeficiency virus.
This virus is cunning and deadly, and once it enters the human body, it will ruthlessly destroy our immune function, causing serious damage to body tissues and organs.
The resulting infections and tumors not only cause great physical and mental suffering to patients, but also often lead to the loss of life. A set of data released by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals the dire situation of HIV/AIDS.
By the end of 2020, the number of people living with HIV in mainland China was as high as 1.053 million, and two major groups of them have become the focus of attention.
However, according to statistics, in 2020, there were nearly 3,000 new HIV patients among young students in the world, and 98.6% of the cases were caused by X transmission.
Another group worth paying attention to is the middle-aged and elderly people over 50 years old. According to data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and AIDS, the proportion of people over the age of 50 who are reported to be HIV patients each year has risen significantly, from 22% in 2011 to 44% in 2020.
01
What happens to my body when I am infected with HIV?
HIV is not an immediate onset of infection, it is a chronically progressive disease. People living with HIV go through several stages, starting with the acute phase, which usually appears within 2 to 4 weeks after the virus enters the body.
During this period, patients may exhibit symptoms such as fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc., but some infected people may not feel anything at this stage.
This is followed by the asymptomatic period, also known as the incubation period. This phase has a long time span, which can range from six months to twenty years, and on average, about seven to 10 years.
At this stage, the infected person usually does not show obvious clinical manifestations, however, this does not mean that the virus is not active, it is still quietly eroding the immune system of the infected person.
Then there is the early stages of the disease, usually after decades of incubation, when the body's immune system begins to decline. During this period, patients may experience manifestations of swollen lymph nodes in the abdomen, which is a clear sign that the immune system is compromised.
Finally, in the terminal stage, the immune system of the infected person is almost completely destroyed, and at this stage, even a minor illness such as the common cold can threaten the life of the infected person, because they are no longer able to effectively fight off the virus.
02
Don't mistake AIDS for a skin disease, if there are 3 changes in the body, or AIDS "signal"
AIDS, a distorted disease, is often disguised as a skin disease. We must be on high alert when we have the following three skin abnormalities in our body, as this may be a silent warning to us from AIDS.
Inexplicable rash
After being infected with HIV, people may develop red patches or rashes on their skin. These skin abnormalities are not fixed to one part of the body and can appear anywhere on the body, but are relatively common on the neck.
It is worth noting that these rashes usually gradually subside after the acute phase of infection after 2~4 weeks, but this does not mean that the virus has left us, it is still lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.
Unexplained dryness and itching
Itching is one of the common symptoms of people with AIDS. In the early stages of the disease, patients may suffer from inflammatory skin diseases such as pimples, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, etc.
These skin conditions leave the skin dry, flaky, and accompanied by unbearable itching. Over time, these symptoms can severely affect the patient's daily life, plunging them into endless suffering.
Ulceration of the skin
People with AIDS have significantly reduced immunity, which makes them more susceptible to diseases such as shingles. Once these diseases spread throughout the body, they can lead to herpes in various parts of the body.
And when people with AIDS suffer from infectious skin diseases, their skin may experience symptoms of ulceration, which is a clear sign that the virus is raging in the body.
03
Why is AIDS so difficult to cure?
The HIV virus, a cunning and tenacious pathogen, once it invades the human body, spreads like wildfire and multiplies at an astonishing rate.
However, what is even more tricky is that the virus is not unscrupulously exposed, but partially hidden in special cells of the human body, like a cunning rabbit, ready to attack at a critical moment.
When patients stop taking drugs for various reasons or fail to strictly follow the treatment regimen, these latent viruses will wait for an opportunity to rebound violently like a tidal wave, bringing a heavy blow to patients.
Currently, the mainstay of treatment for AIDS is antiretroviral therapy. At the heart of this approach is the use of a series of drugs, carefully formulated to maximize the ability to inhibit HIV replication.
However, despite the effectiveness of these drugs, they cannot completely eliminate all HIV virus from the body. It's like being in a vast ocean, we can't completely eliminate every tiny virus particle, we can only temporarily suppress them within a certain range.
The treatment of HIV/AIDS is still a worldwide problem. Although the medical community continues to explore new treatments, unfortunately there is still no cure for AIDS.
So, instead of struggling with the virus after it invades, it is better to prepare for it from the beginning and keep the virus at bay. Preventing AIDS is not only responsible for oneself but also for society.