HIV/AIDS Overview: Health
November 20, 2009
HIV/AIDS Overview: Health:HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection has now spread to every country in the world. Approximately 40 million people are currently living with HIV infection, and an estimated 25 million have died from this disease. The scourge of HIV has been particularly devastating in sub-Saharan Africa, but infection rates in other countries remain high. In the United States, approximately 1 million people are currently infected. Here are a few key points about the disease:
Globally, 85% of HIV transmission is heterosexual.
? In the United States, approximately one-third of new diagnoses appear to be related to heterosexual transmission. Male-to-male sexual contact still accounts for approximately half of new diagnoses in the U.S. Intravenous drug use contributes to the remaining cases. Because the diagnosis may occur years after infection, it is likely that a higher proportion of recent infections are due to heterosexual transmission.
? Infections in women are increasing. Worldwide, 42% of people with HIV are women. In the United States, approximately 25% of new diagnoses are in women, and the proportion is rising.
? There is good news on one front: New HIV infections in U.S. children have fallen dramatically, with only 38 cases reported in 2006. This is largely a result of testing and treating infected mothers, as well as establishing uniform testing guidelines for blood products.
In order to understand HIV and AIDS, it is important to understand the meanings behind these terms:
?HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus. It is one of a group of viruses known as retroviruses. After getting into the body, the virus kills or damages cells of the body’s immune system. The body tries to keep up by making new cells or trying to contain the virus, but eventually the HIV wins out and progressively destroys the body’s ability to fight infections and certain cancers.
? AIDS stands for the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is caused by HIV and occurs when the virus has destroyed so much of the body’s defenses that immune-cell counts fall to critical levels or certain life-threatening infections or cancers develop.
HIV/AIDS Symptoms:
Many people with HIV do not know they are infected.
Many people do not develop symptoms after they first get infected with HIV. Others have a flu-like illness within several days to weeks after exposure to the virus. They complain of fever, headache, tiredness, and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck. These symptoms usually disappear on their own within a few weeks. After that, the person feels normal and has no symptoms. This asymptomatic phase often lasts for years.
? The progression of disease varies widely among individuals. This state may last from a few months to more than 10 years.
? During this period, the virus continues to multiply actively and infects and kills the cells of the immune system.
? The virus destroys the cells that are the primary infection fighters, called CD4 cells.
? Even though the person has no symptoms, he or she is contagious and can pass HIV to others through the routes listed above.
? AIDS is the later stage of HIV infection, when the body begins losing its ability to fight infections. Once the CD4 cell count falls low enough, an infected person is said to have AIDS. Sometimes, the diagnosis of AIDS is made because the person has unusual infections or cancers that show how weak the immune system is:
? The infections that happen with AIDS are called opportunistic infections because they take advantage of the opportunity to infect a weakened host. The infections include (but are not limited to)
? Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis, which causes wheezing,
? Brain infection with toxoplasmosis which can cause trouble thinking or symptoms that mimic a stroke,
? Widespread infection with a bacteria called MAC (mycobacterium avium complex) which can cause fever and weight loss,
? Yeast infection of the swallowing tube (esophagus) which causes pain with swallowing, and
? Widespread diseases with certain fungi like histoplasmosis, which can cause fever, cough, anemia, and other problems.
? A weakened immune system can also lead to other unusual conditions:
? Lymphoma in the brain, which can cause fever and trouble thinking; or
? A cancer of the tissues called Kaposi’s sarcoma, which causes brown, reddish, or purple spots that develop on the skin or in the mouth.
How To Protect Form HIV / ADIS:
Despite significant efforts, there is no effective vaccine against HIV. The only way to prevent infection by the virus is to avoid behaviors that put you at risk, such as sharing needles or having unprotected sex. In this context, unprotected sex means sex without a barrier, such as a condom. Because condoms break, even they are not perfect protection. Many people infected with HIV don’t have any symptoms. There is no way to know with certainty whether a sexual partner is infected. Here are some prevention strategies:
? Abstain from sex. This obviously has limited appeal, but it absolutely protects against HIV transmission by this route.
? Have sex with a single partner who is uninfected. Mutual monogamy between uninfected partners eliminates the risk of sexual transmission of HIV.
? Use a condom in other situations. Condoms offer some protection if used properly and consistently. Occasionally, they may break or leak. Only condoms made of latex should be used. Only water-based lubricants should be used with latex condoms.
? Do not share needles or inject illicit drugs.
? If you work in a health-care field, follow national guidelines for protecting yourself against needle sticks and exposure to contaminated fluids.
? If you have engaged in risky behaviors, get tested to see if you have HIV.
? The risk of HIV transmission from a pregnant woman to her baby is significantly reduced if the mother takes medications during pregnancy, labor, and delivery and her baby takes medications for the first six weeks of life. Even shorter courses of treatment are effective, though not as optimal. The key is to get tested for HIV as early as possible in pregnancy. In consultation with their physician, many women opt to avoid breastfeeding to minimize the risk of transmission after the baby is born.
When to Seek Medical Care:
If you have engaged in unprotected sex outside of a mutually monogamous relationship or shared needles while using drugs, you should have an HIV test. Early detection and treatment of the infection can slow the growth of HIV.
? If you are pregnant and infected with HIV, you may be able to reduce the risk to your unborn child by getting treatment early.
? You can also avoid infecting others if you know that you have the disease. Testing is available anonymously and confidentially. You can even test yourself at home.
People known to have HIV infection or AIDS should go to the hospital any time they develop high fever, shortness of breath, cough up blood, severe diarrhea, severe chest or abdominal pain, generalized weakness, severe headache, seizures, confusion, or a change in mental status. These may be the indication of a life-threatening condition for which an urgent evaluation in the hospital’s emergency department is recommended. All infected people should be under the regular care of a physician skilled in the treatment of HIV and AIDS.
Source:http://www.doctorpk.com/HIV-AIDS/index.htm
