AIDS
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV), a chronic disease that poses a major threat to human life, results from HIV infection. Unlike many viruses, it can not be completely eradicated. Once infected, it remains in the body of the patient for life, Immune Deficiency The immune system in the body, especially CD4 cells (T lymphocytes), which contribute to the resistance of the human body to infection. If left untreated, this virus will reduce the number of these cells, making the body more susceptible to infection of various infections and tumors associated with infection, The passage of the The virus can eliminate a large number of CD4 cells so that the body can not resist infection and opportunistic tumors, when the patient has reached the last stage of HIV infection, AIDS.
The only way to check for HIV infection is to be tested, and there is no effective treatment for HIV, but it can be controlled with proper medical care and appropriate treatment, called the drug used to treat the virus with antiretroviral therapy. If treated daily and in the right way, It can increase the life expectancy of AIDS patients and also maintain some of their health and significantly reduce the chance of transmitting the virus to other people. Today, if someone is diagnosed with HIV, treated before the disease worsens and continues to be treated, he or she lives for about the same period as a healthy person.
Factors that increase the chance of contracting AIDS
A person may become infected with AIDS regardless of age, sex, race or sexual orientation, but the person is more likely to become infected if one of the following factors is present:
- Unsafe sex : This means having sex without using multiple prevention methods every time, and doubling the opportunity in case of multiple sex partners.
- Infection of another sexually transmitted disease : Many sexually transmitted infections cause open lesions on sexual organs, where these ulcers are an introduction to HIV.
- Use of intravenous medicines : People who use this method usually share needles and injections with other patients, and this presents them with the blood of other people.
- Male circumcision : Uncircumcised males are more susceptible to AIDS.
AIDS symptoms in detail
The symptoms of HIV / AIDS can be divided into multiple phases and are as follows:
- The first stages of the disease do not show signs of the presence of AIDS, and the symptoms of the first similar to the symptoms of influenza and soon begin to disappear after two weeks to four weeks from the moment of infection, and the symptoms of AIDS at this stage are:
- Rash onset.
- Fever is an increase in body temperature.
- Inflammation of the lymphatic region.
- Feeling of pain in the throat.
- Headaches.
- In the advanced stages of the disease, the AIDS patient does not suffer from any symptoms for a period of one to nine years and sometimes longer, but in this period the virus continues to multiply itself and multiply and works to destroy the cells of the immune system in the body in a systematic manner , And the symptoms of infection with this virus at this stage include:
- diarrhea.
- Cough.
- Tight breathing.
- Loss of body weight.
- Inflammation in the lymphatic region This is one of the symptoms that appear early in the incidence of AIDS.
- High fever (fever).
- The last stages of the disease, which are after the expiration of ten years and more exposure to the virus in the first phase, and the symptoms of AIDS appear more dangerous and when he reaches this stage is called HIV AIDS, and when the disease is exacerbated and develop more severe adverse effects on the immune system in the body The patient, which leads to greatly weakened and thus makes it easy prey to various diseases and opportunistic infections, and the symptoms that appear at this stage are:
- Chronic diarrhea.
- The temperature of the body above the thirty-eight degrees Celsius and accompanied by the feeling of fever and chills.
- Very tight during breathing.
- Night sweating.
- Disturbance and visual disturbances.
- The cough is dry.
- Lose body weight to a great degree.
- Feeling of head aches and headache.
- The appearance of white wounds or spots in the oral cavity and tongue.
- In the more advanced stages of the disease, other symptoms appear, including:
- Excessive night sweats.
- Chronic diarrhea.
- The feeling of constant fatigue without explanation caused.
- The fever, chills and high temperature of the body dramatically, and continue to show this period of several weeks.
- Continue to swell lymph nodes for a period of more than three months.