{"id":1215,"date":"2020-09-25T02:40:28","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T02:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oakbankhealth.ca\/?page_id=1215"},"modified":"2023-05-11T04:19:49","modified_gmt":"2023-05-11T09:19:49","slug":"hiv-aids","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ycdscc.com\/medical-condition\/hiv-aids\/","title":{"rendered":"HIV\/AIDS (sexually transmitted infection)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t
Overview<\/p>\n\t
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV interferes with your body’s ability to fight organisms that cause disease by damaging your immune system.<\/p>\n
HIV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It may also be spread from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breast-feeding, and can also be spread by contact with infected blood. Without anti HIV medication it can take years before HIV weakens your immune system to the point where you get AIDS.<\/p>\n
There is currently no cure for HIV\/AIDS, but there are anti-HIV medications that can dramatically slow down the progression of the disease. These anti-HIV medications have reduced AIDS deaths worldwide.<\/p>\n\t
Symptoms<\/p>\n\t
Depending on the phase of infection, the symptoms of HIV and AIDS may vary.<\/p>\n
When the HIV virus enters the body, most people will develop a flu-like illness within a month or two. This illness is called acute or primary HIV infection, and it can last for a few weeks. The signs and symptoms include:<\/p>\n
These symptoms can be so mild that they go completely unnoticed. However, the amount of virus in your bloodstream is quite high during this phase. As a result, HIV spreads more easily in this stage than the next.<\/p>\n
In some, persistent swelling of the lymph nodes occurs during this stage. Otherwise, there are no specific signs and symptoms. HIV remains in the body as well as in infected white blood cells.<\/p>\n
This stage of the HIV infections usually lasts about 10 years if you are not using anti HIV medication. Sometimes, even with treatment, it can last for decades. Some people develop more severe disease much sooner.<\/p>\n
As the virus multiplies and destroys your immune cells you might develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms like:<\/p>\n
Thanks to better anti HIV medication, most people today in the US with HIV don’t develop AIDS. If left untreated, HIV will usually develop into AIDS in around 10 years.<\/p>\n
When AIDS occurs, your immune system has taken significant damage. You’re more likely to develop opportunistic infections or cancers – diseases that usually wouldn’t trouble someone with a healthy immune system.<\/p>\n
The signs and symptoms of some of these infections may include:<\/p>\n
Causes<\/p>\n\t
HIV is caused by a virus. This virus can be spread through blood, sexual contact, or from mother to child during childbirth, breast-feeding, or pregnancy.<\/p>\n
HIV destroys the CD4 T cells (these cells play a large role in helping your body fight disease). The fewer CD4 T cells you have, the weaker your immune system gets.<\/p>\n
An HIV infection may be present for years before it turns into AIDS. AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 T cell count falls under 200, or you have an AIDS-defining complication<\/p>\n
HIV does not spread through ordinary contact. This means you can’t catch HIV or AIDS by kissing, shaking hands, dancing with, or hugging someone who has HIV. HIV is not spread through insect bites, air, water, or by sitting on a toilet.<\/p>\n\t
Diagnosis<\/p>\n\t
HIV is usually diagnosed by testing your saliva or blood for antibodies to the virus. It can, unfortunately, take up to 12 weeks for your body to develop these antibodies.<\/p>\n
A quicker test looks for HIV antigen, a protein that is produced by the virus immediately after infection. This allows the individual to take swifter steps to prevent the spread of the virus to others.<\/p>\n
At least two FDA approved home tests for HIV are available. Depending on what you choose, you will either need a saliva sample or a drop of dried blood. If the test comes back positive you will still need to see the doctor to confirm the diagnosis and talk about treatment options. If the test is negative you should repeat it in a few months to verify the results.<\/p>\n
If you receive a positive HIV\/AIDS diagnosis, there are several tests to help doctors determine the stage of disease and what will be the best treatment. These tests include:<\/p>\n
Your doctor will also order lab tests in order to check for other complications or infections which include:<\/p>\n
Treatment<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t
There is no cure for HIV\/AIDS, but many different anti HIV medications are available to control the virus. Such treatment is called ART which stands for antiretroviral therapy. Each class of drug has a different way of blocking the virus. ART is recommended to everyone, regardless of CD4 T cell counts. It’s recommended to combine three medications from two different classes. This help to avoid creating drug-resistant strains of HIV.<\/p>\n\t
The classes of anti-HIV drugs include:<\/p>\n
Overview Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition which is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV interferes with your body’s ability to fight organisms … <\/p>\n