AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome)

The human immunodeficiency virus causes this condition (HIV). Those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome are more likely to develop certain malignancies and illnesses that are more common in people who have a weak immune system. Also known as AIDS.Certain blood tests (CD4+ counts) can also be used to diagnose AIDS in HIV-positive people who haven’t had any major diseases.

When HIV impairs the immune system, “opportunistic” viruses can exploit this weakness and cause sickness. Kaposi’s sarcoma and pneumocystis carinii pneumonia are both opportunistic diseases. A robust immune system can effectively control many of these disorders.

It’s not the same as having AIDS if you’ve been infected with HIV (and have HIV antibodies in your blood).

Symptoms

HIV-positive people may be unaware that they are infected. Fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, stomachache, enlarged lymph nodes, or a one-to-two-week-long skin rash are among the flu-like symptoms experienced by some people.

Before the immune system responds, the virus replicates in the body for weeks or even months. A person will not test positive for HIV infection during this time, but they will be able to infect others.

To replicate itself, the virus uses CD4 T cells, a type of white blood cell that fights infection. The immune system is weakened as a result of this process, which eliminates CD4 T cells. For several weeks without treatment, a person may endure fevers, night sweats, diarrhoea, or swollen lymph nodes.

When HIV turns into AIDS, it occurs when:

• The CD4 T cell count of an HIV-positive person falls below 200 cells/mm.
• An HIV-positive person develops an ailment that is relatively uncommon in non-HIV-positive people.

The following are examples of AIDS-related opportunistic illnesses:

• Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is a lung infection caused by Pneumocystis carinii.
• Skin cancer Kaposi’s sarcoma
• Cytomegalovirus is a virus that primarily damages the eyes.
• Candida is a fungus that can cause thrush, a white film, and infections in the mouth, throat, and vaginal area.
• Cervical cancer that has spread throughout the body

Serious weight loss and brain tumours are other AIDS-related disorders.

The symptoms of AIDS differ from person to person. Even after being formally diagnosed with AIDS, some people die soon after becoming infected, while others enjoy relatively normal lives for many years.

Causes and Risk Factors

HIV infection is the cause of AIDS. AIDS patients around the world have only one thing in common: HIV infection, regardless of their sexual preferences, lifestyles, health, sexual practises, age or gender.

While there is still much to understand about HIV and AIDS, several circumstances can increase a person’s chances of contracting it, including:

• Exposure to HIV-infected body fluids, such as blood, sperm, vaginal fluid, breast milk, or other fluids that are normally only dangerous to healthcare personnel (cerebrospinal fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, synovial fluid surrounding bone joints and amniotic fluid surrounding a fetus)
• Sharing needles or syringes with an infected person
• Being born to or breastfed by an HIV-positive woman
• Not using a safer method of sex (use of a latex condom)

Diagnosis

When a person is infected with HIV, his or her body produces antibodies that can be detected in laboratory tests within three months. A doctor may wish to run further tests after taking a medical history and performing a physical exam, such as:

• A full blood count is performed.
• An analysis of your blood chemistry
• Hepatitis B and C blood tests
• CD4 T cell count is determined using a blood test. A low CD4 T cell count is a sign of illness progression because the virus needs these cells to replicate itself, killing CD4 T cells in the process.
• A blood test that determines the viral load, or the amount of HIV in a blood sample. Those who have a high viral load are more likely to develop AIDS than those who have a low viral load.
• Screening for syphilis
• A skin test for tuberculosis

Treatment

At this time, there is no cure for HIV infection or a way to get rid of the virus. Drug therapy, on the other hand, can help to reduce the virus’s spread and the immune system’s damage. Other medications can be used to prevent or cure opportunistic infections, which can be fatal for HIV patients.

Several factors must be taken into account when determining whether to begin HIV treatment:

• The CD4 T cell count results are shown below.
• The viral load test’s findings
• Willingness of the patient to adhere to pharmacological therapy on a regular basis. Treatment programmes for HIV can be extensive, requiring you to take up to 25 medicines every day. Some must be consumed on an empty stomach, while others can be consumed with food. It’s possible that the patient’s treatment will have to be sustained for the rest of their lives.
• Whether the patient has AIDS or is in the advanced stages of HIV infection.

Conclusion

HIV damages the immune system’s CD4 T lymphocytes , making the body prone to infections and malignancies that can be fatal. A person with HIV must have an AIDS-defining condition or a CD4 count of less than 200 cells/mm3 in order to be diagnosed with the disease (regardless of whether the person has an AIDS-defining condition). To replicate itself, the virus uses CD4 T cells, a type of white blood cell that fights infection. When HIV turns into AIDS, it occurs when: The CD4 T cell count of an HIV-positive person falls below 200 cells/mm. Causes and Risk Factors HIV infection is the cause of AIDS. A low CD4 T cell count is a sign of illness progression because the virus needs these cells to replicate itself, killing CD4 T cells in the process. A blood test that determines the viral load, or the amount of HIV in a blood sample. Screening for syphilis A skin test for tuberculosis Treatment At this time, there is no cure for HIV infection or a way to get rid of the virus. It’s possible that the patient’s treatment will have to be sustained for the rest of their lives. Whether the patient has AIDS or is in the advanced stages of HIV infection.