HIV and AIDS

November 10, 2012

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For the first time information on the disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , Sounded in the eighties of the last century. While experts diagnosed with a previously unknown disease. Man, it ill, suffering from Immunodeficiency Who had previously met only in premature infants. The study found that these patients had an immune deficiency is not innate, but acquired. That is why the disease and is called acquired immune deficiency syndrome, abbreviated AIDS . The first symptoms of the disease were reported in several people from Sweden and the USA. But in 1983, scientists announced the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus.

Since then, the story of AIDS continues to this day: at this stage we are talking about an epidemic of the disease. According to statistics, in the world there are currently about 50 million people suffering from AIDS. Unfortunately, there is currently no effective cure for this dangerous disease. Therefore, the most important preventive measure is to inform the public about what AIDS is and what you need to know to prevent infection.

HIV Infection and Immunity

Initially should be aware of the differences the main concepts related to the disease: HIV . AIDS . Thus, HIV - the human immunodeficiency virus. It becomes the agent of the disease, which doctors call HIV. The disease develops in stages, and the last one is called AIDS.

HIV directly affects the immune system of the human body. Due to the body's immunity can counter substances and living organisms that carry foreign genetic information. During the functioning of the immune system produces antibodies That fight antigens (foreign substances), and pathogens that enter the body. At the time when the body includes such substances is switched immune response, which is attended lymphocytes . Initially cells recognize pathogens, after which the red blood cells block their effects and stimulate the production of antibodies.

HIV Infection

HIV infection   It develops in humans as a consequence of HIV infection. Infection occurs when the infected blood into the bloodstream of a healthy person or during sexual intercourse. In the former case, the virus enters the body during a non-sterile syringe injections, as well as during the transfusion of infected blood. If the infection process is due to sexual intercourse, the penetration of the virus occurs through the mucous membranes of the genitals, rectum, and more rarely - in the mouth. If a person has sores or wounds in the mucous membranes, the risk of infection increases dramatically.

HIV can be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy   in utero and in generic process   or even during breast-feeding baby . Therefore, HIV and pregnancy - a serious combination, requiring constant medical supervision.

Currently registered other methods of infection.

In the case of unprotected oral sex, there is a risk of contracting the disease for a partner to "take", with a partner, "introducing" may not be infected, since there is only contact with the saliva. However, in this case it is the low average statistical risk, but not safe.

During anal intercourse chance of transmitting the virus is higher as this often damaged mucous membranes.

Experts warn about the fact that if the vaginal and anal intercourse condoms are used properly, the risk of infection is very high. It is more likely the infection in case of a person sexually transmitted diseases.

It is important to understand the fact that without proper analysis to determine, whether a person is infected with HIV, it is impossible.

Of infection in the home does not happen, as is the body of HIV, there are only a few minutes, then dies .  But it is important to know that the used syringe live virus can exist for several days .  Through physical contact - hugging, touching, shaking hands - the virus is not transmitted .  Intact skin is a barrier to human transmission .  Theoretically infection can occur only when the patient by touching the wound healthy person misses a sufficient quantity of contaminated blood .  The virus can not be transmitted through clothing, bedding, household items .  Do not get infected and when visiting the pool or sauna, as getting into the water, kill the virus .  In addition, the virus is not transferred by insects or animal bites .  Due to the low concentration of the virus in the saliva of human infection occurs during kissing .  During medical procedures can not be infected because of a thorough sterilization of all instruments .

Thus, it is important to know that contains only the HIV blood . sperm . vaginal discharge   and breast milk . Therefore, contact with an HIV-infected person is dangerous only during sexual intercourse, as well as the general acceptance of the drug. Therefore important to carefully prevention. For information on how HIV is transmitted, and how you can become infected with the disease, everyone should know the person to best protect themselves and their loved ones.

Development of HIV

HIV infection occurs in both men and women for many years, so the patient is gradually adjusting to his how to live with the infection. This results in low immunity, progressing over time. This situation eventually leads to the fact that a person showing signs of severe opportunistic   and cancer   diseases. Unfortunately, up to now it assumed that most of the outcome of HIV infection - is the death of the patient. However, studying what HIV is, and what its implications, it is important to understand that the experts determine the presence and less infectious strains of HIV, and in patients who have a high level of stability.

HIV Symptoms appear gradually, in accordance with the periods of the disease. It occurs in several stages. Initially after infection occurs incubation period . Then there are the first clinical manifestation of the disease, followed by latent period . After that, the infection enters the stage of development of secondary diseases. The last period - terminal . Despite the fact whether a person has manifested visible symptoms of HIV infection, it is infectious to people around them at all stages of the disease. But the most likely to be infected - by a man in the acute stage of the disease, as well as the transition of HIV into AIDS. It was during these periods, there is an active replication of the virus in the human body.

The incubation period lasts until the first clinical signs of the disease. Different people he proteket during different time periods, from a few weeks to one year. However, this period lasts average human of about three months. At this stage, put the patient can be diagnosed, detected during laboratory studies of the virus, its genetic material, or antigens. Provided the classic course of HIV infection after an incubation period, a period of acute primary infection.

Symptoms of HIV and AIDS

All stages of HIV have certain symptoms. The first clinical signs of HIV in about half of patients appear for one or two weeks. They are identical in both men and women. These symptoms resemble the symptoms SARS : A person may be in a fever, he increased lymph nodes, shown a constant drowsiness   and fatigue, worries sore eyes   and headache . A person can also suffer from photophobia, in different parts of the body rash, cough and runny nose are concerned. These symptoms disappear on their own after about 2-4 weeks after the start. However, not everyone infected with HIV are aware of how the infection manifests itself in this period, because of the people he passes completely asymptomatic. Another option - a person simply does not pay attention to signs of distress erased. After the symptoms subside, a latent period of the disease.

When the first signs of the disease decrease, followed by a period of stabilization. Living with HIV can last for many years. According to doctors, the average life expectancy with the virus is 12 years. Speaking of that, how many people live with HIV, it should be noted that some infected have lived 20 years or more. However, sometimes fatal begins about a year after infection. At this stage, the only manifestation of the disease may be an increase in some lymph nodes . But in general, the overall health of the patient remains at this time is quite satisfactory. And often an infected person does not even know about what is HIV, and that he was infected with the virus.

Further, the development of the disease there is a period of secondary diseases. The patient develops an immune deficiency. Its manifestations are expressed in the emergence of the so-called opportunistic   disease (it is an infection that causes severe consequences solely on the background of immunodeficiency).

AIDS - is the most severe form of HIV infection. This stage can last from six months to two years. The disease occurs in different forms: Pulmonary . E. , in shape disease affecting the skin . nervous system . mucosa . But in each of these cases, the mechanism of the disease remains the same: due to the fact that the AIDS virus has destroyed the immune system, activates the body of pathogens present in other diseases. Thus, secondary infection develops, from which a person is killed.

Most often, the disease manifests itself in pulmonary form . With this development of the disease manifest signs of AIDS development pneumonia Flowing much more serious than in uninfected patients. If HIV is diagnosed special, Pneumocystis   form of pneumonia. Also, quite often it develops intestinal form The first manifestations of which are to protracted diarrhea lasting consequence of even a few months. As a consequence, the intestinal form of the disease in both men and women, leads to significant weight loss and dehydration. Analysis of the available medical evidence suggests that the disease of the gastrointestinal tract in AIDS are largely under the influence of fungi of the genus Candida, Salmonella bacteria TB . cytomegalovirus . Speaking about how this form of the disease manifests itself, it should be noted that in this case, the symptoms can be very diverse.

Around 20% of cases, the disease occurs as a secondary infection that affects the nervous system. As a result, developing encephalitis . meningitis . brain abscesses And about 2% of cases, the infection triggers encephaloma . AIDS symptoms appear in this form of the disease at an early stage fever, decreased memory and intellect. Gradually, the patient becomes very sluggish or even stalled. In the later stages of the disease virus continues to multiply that provokes atrophy of the brain . As a result, there are serious signs - disintegration personality, memory loss, dementia , Seizures.

About half of infected patients affected skin and mucous membranes, which appear erosion . Later, the skin appear multiple tumors, cancer, blood vessel wall, activated fungal and viral infections. These lesions are considered to be one of the earliest signs of AIDS.

Diagnosis of HIV

Many people are afraid to make a decision and be tested for HIV. However, if a person has the slightest suspicion of being infected with a virus, a blood test is necessary to pass without delay, since it is timely diagnosis of the patient's life may continue. Donate blood is desirable in a specialized center, where, if necessary, as soon as possible to obtain rapid expert advice. However, it is not so important exactly where to hand over analyzes: a much more relevant is the question of prompt diagnosis.

For the detection of the virus in humans practiced a special test for HIV. During such testing may detect antibodies produced by the body in response to viral entry into the body. There are several varieties of such tests, and, theoretically rapid test can be done even at home.

The first test to detect the virus, is the enzyme immunoassay, which is considered the most common method of diagnosis. With this method of investigation can determine the presence of the virus within three months after infection. During this time, it accumulates enough antibodies for the detection of infection. This analysis gives a false result in 1% of cases. If you suspect a false negative or false positive reception of the result can be to re-examine another three months.

The second version of the study - carrying out the so-called immunoblotting, which can detect specific antibodies to HIV. The results of this test can be positive, negative and uncertain. When you receive a questionable result we can talk about the presence of HIV in the blood, but the body has not had time to work out all of the antibody. In this case, the expert supervision and conduct re-analysis after a certain period of time.

The third test is conducted - polymerase chain reaction. It allows you to identify RNA and DNA viruses. During this test, a highly sensitive and efficient reaction which identifies the virus, if the result of immunoblotting unknown. Also, this test makes it possible to detect the HIV status of newborns. Conducting this test makes it possible to identify the virus within 10 days after it enters the body. But at the same physicians consider that such a high sensitivity of the assay enables the reaction to other infections. Therefore false positive result is quite common in this case. Therefore, the final diagnosis is only on such a test can not be put. To conduct such a test is necessary sophisticated equipment and specially trained professionals. Given the high cost of its analysis are widely currently not used.

It is also possible determination of the presence of infection by rapid test, which is used in emergency situations. But the results obtained in this study can not be considered final. Therefore it is necessary later to hold any other high-grade test.

Treatment

To provide a relatively effective treatment for AIDS and HIV patients, doctors take measures to suppress the activity of the virus. In addition, the practice of the leading opposition manifested oncological diseases and opportunistic infections that occur against a background of reduced immunity. In addition, the patient is assigned to a specific cure for AIDS, the effect of which is aimed at stimulation of protective functions of the body. Unfortunately, until now effective vaccine   AIDS has not been developed. Therefore, doctors are doing everything possible to minimize the symptoms and improve the patient's condition. Before prescribing any treatment initially confirms the diagnosis and establishes exactly what stage of the disease occurs in a patient. The main indication for specific therapy is to decrease the immune status, as well as the development of secondary diseases.

The most promising treatment for HIV and AIDS today - is a comprehensive use of antiviral drugs that effectively suppress viral replication and immune stimulant to prevent immunodeficiency manifested rapidly.

One of the major problems that are encountered in the treatment of HIV, is the high level of toxicity, which has virtually every cure for HIV. In addition, the virus very quickly adapts to almost any drug, so in the course of treatment, combination therapy is used. Because the vaccine protects against the disease still is in the process of development, it is being actively used antiviral treatment, which uses just 2-3 drug suspending the reproduction of HIV.

Even if the patient is convinced that he knows almost everything about AIDS, the most important condition for the successful treatment of the disease are constant consultation with a specialist.

Prevention

AIDS