HIV
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV infects and destroys cells of your immune system, making it hard to fight off other diseases. When HIV has severely weakened your immune system, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Because HIV works backward to insert its instructions into your DNA, it is called a retrovirus.
AIDS
AIDS is the final and most serious stage of an HIV infection. People with AIDS have very low counts of certain white blood cells and severely damaged immune systems. They may have additional illnesses that indicate that they have progressed to AIDS. Without treatment, HIV infections progress to AIDS in about 10 years.
What effect does HIV have on a person?
HIV affects your immune system's CD4 cells, also known as helper T cells. It kills CD4 cells, lowering your white blood cell count. This results in an immune system that is incapable of fighting off infections, even those that would not typically cause illness. HIV first causes flu-like symptoms. Then it can remain in your body for a long time without generating any symptoms. During that period, it gradually depletes your T-cells. When your T-cells get depleted or you have infections that people with healthy immune systems do not get, HIV has advanced to AIDS.
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is a type of virus that functions in the opposite direction of human cells. Human cells contain instructions (DNA) that transmit a message (RNA) to produce building blocks for the body (proteins). Retroviruses have instructions written in RNA. When a retrovirus infects your cells, it modifies its RNA to resemble your cells' instructions (DNA). Then it cuts the DNA of your cells and inserts its own instructions. Your cell then responds as if the virus's instructions were its own.
Who is affected by HIV?
It is a fallacy that HIV only infects specific people. Anyone can contract HIV if they are exposed to the virus. The most prevalent ways that HIV spreads are through sex without a condom and sharing needles to inject drugs. Some populations are statistically more susceptible to HIV than others. HIV disproportionately affects the following groups:
Symptoms
When you first become infected with HIV, you may experience influenza-like symptoms. Symptoms may include fever, chills, weariness, sore throat, muscle aches, night sweats, rash, swollen lymph nodes, and mouth sores.
Stages of HIV
HIV develops in three stages:
Causes
HIV is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. The virus affects the immune system's helper T-cells, weakening it. AIDS is caused by having insufficient immune cells to combat other illnesses.
Diagnosis
HIV is detected via a blood or saliva test. You can take a test at home, in a healthcare provider's office, or in a community testing center. If your test results are negative, no additional testing is required.
Tests diagnose HIV
HIV tests are classified into three types:
Are there HIV tests that can be done at home?
There are HIV test kits available for use at home. Some are fast tests that include rubbing your gums with a soft, flexible stick. To obtain your results, place the stick in a tube containing a specific solution. Results appear in 15 to 20 minutes. Other at-home tests require a device to prick your finger with a little needle. You place a drop of blood on a card and ship the test kit to a lab to receive your findings.
Treatment
HIV is treated with a mix of drugs (pills) taken orally every day. This combination of medications is known as antiretroviral therapy (ART). Taking multiple types of medicines rather than just one is the most efficient strategy to prevent HIV from growing and killing your cells. There are also combo tablets, which contain many drugs in one pill. Your healthcare professional will carefully determine a mix that is unique to you.
Medications
Each form of ART pill works in a different way to prevent HIV from replicating or infecting cells. There may be several different brand names for the same type of ART medicine. ART medications are classified as nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), fusion inhibitors, CCR5 antagonists, integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs), attachment inhibitors, post-attachment inhibitors, pharmacokinetic enhancers, and HIV combination medications.
Prevention
The greatest strategy to lower your chance of contracting HIV is to understand how it spreads and to take precautions during particular behaviors. The most prevalent ways that HIV transmits are through sex without a condom and sharing needles when taking drugs.
Conclusion
HIV treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed virus management, allowing people to live long, healthy, and productive lives. Early treatment, careful adherence to medicine, and regular monitoring are crucial for suppressing the virus, preserving immune function, and preventing transmission.
Dr. Shivam Sharma, Head of Department & Consultant Internal Medicine & Diabetology
Internal Medicine & Diabetology
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