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HIV |
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Introduction
Human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks
the immune system, making it difficult for the body to
fight infection and disease. This virus progressively
weakens the body's ability to fight off disease,
opening it to severe infections with both common and
exotic organisms, as well as various forms of cancer.
Causes
HIV is spread primarily through bodily fluids such as
blood, semen, or vaginal secretions, usually through
sexual contact or from sharing needles when injecting
drug. HIV cannot survive outside of the body for very
long, and can only be transmitted through intimate
contact in which bodily fluids are exchanged.
HIV can be passed from a mother to her child during
pregnancy or childbirth, and after birth through
breast milk. Viral transmission to the child may occur
in the uterus. The risk of transmission is enhanced if
there is a prolonged period of time between the
rupture of a mother's membranes and the time of
delivery. In addition, breast milk contains relatively
high levels of HIV, and transmission of the virus from
mother to child through breast-feeding has been
well-documented.
Symptoms
Primary HIV infection is the first stage of the
disease. Some who have just been infected have these
flu-like symptoms that last a few days and may
include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Rashes
- Sore throat
Most people who are newly HIV infected experience no
symptoms. After years of silent infection, as the
immune system loses its effectiveness, several
complications can occur. Swollen glands may be in one
or all of the following locations: armpits, groin or
neck. Other symptoms appearing months or years after
HIV infection include:
- Rapid weight loss
- Dry cough
- Recurring fever
- Profound and unexplained fatigue
- Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
- Muscle aches and joint pain
- Pneumonia
- Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the
skin or inside the mouth, nose or eyelids.
- Weight loss
Treatment
The goal of treatment is to control the amount of
virus in the body and keep it as low as possible.
Medications work by stopping parts of the virus so the
virus can't make more copies of itself.
Drugs used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals,
and several of these drugs are combined for treatment
called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.
Using HAART reduces your risk of developing drug
resistance. Drug resistance is more likely to develop
in people who are treated with only one antiretroviral
drug. Other steps you can take include keeping your
immune system strong, taking drugs as prescribed, and
monitoring your CD4+ (white blood cells) counts to
slow the multiplication of the virus in your body.
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