7 Facts About HIV and Immune Health
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HIV/AIDS has been haunting mankind for several decades. Back in the day due to lack of awareness there were high cases of HIV/AIDS but with gradual increase in awareness the number of cases reporting HIV/AIDS has gradually decreased. Let’s take a look at the major facts about HIV and the immune system.
What is meant by HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS is caused by this virus. When someone is infected with HIV, the virus enters the body and mainly targets and multiplies in the white blood cells, which are the cells that usually help protect the body from illness.
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV weakens the immune system by destroying or damaging specific immune cells as it spreads throughout the body. This makes the person more susceptible to infections and illnesses, such as pneumonia or cancer.
A diagnosis of AIDS is made when a person with HIV develops one or more of these serious conditions or loses a large number of immune cells. Reach out to the general medicine doctors in Coimbatore to seek proper care and treatment for HIV/AIDS.
What are the common facts of HIV/AIDS?
Symptoms may not be visible in case HIV infection:
You could be infected for over a decade and feel perfectly healthy. It’s usually only when HIV progresses to AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and the immune system weakens that people start to experience HIV symptom, such as diarrhea, coughing, weight loss, fever, and neurological issues.
HIV is virus that can lead to AIDS:
HIV damages the immune system by targeting a type of white blood cell called T cells, which help the body fight infections. Without treatment, the virus gradually weakens the immune system, making it unable to defend against diseases. When severe infections start to appear, the virus has advanced to AIDS.
A person with HIV is impacted for the rest of their life:
While there is no cure for HIV, there are effective medications that can manage the virus. With proper treatment, a person with HIV can stay healthy and free from HIV symptoms for many years. Scientists are also working on a vaccine that could eventually help in the prevention of HIV and AIDS.
HIV is a preventable disease:
Using protection during sex and not sharing needles or syringes are key ways to prevent the spread of HIV. As we do not have a definite cure for HIV, prevention is crucial. Two main ways to reduce the risk of HIV include:
The best fool-proof way to prevent HIV infection is to avoid frequent sex. If you choose to have sex, make responsible decisions. Limit the number of sexual partners you have, make sure your partner is HIV-negative, while ensuring safe sex. This includes using condoms correctly during oral, anal, or vaginal sex to prevent contact with sexual fluids.
Avoid injecting drugs, if you do, always use new, clean needles and never share needles, including those used for piercings or tattoos.
HIV cannot spread like other diseases:
The most significant ways of HIV spread include:
- Mother to child during pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Sharing or re-using infected syringes
- Sexual contact through unprotected ways
It cannot be transmitted by casual contact like hugging, holding hands, casual kissing, dancing, or sharing food, drinks, toilets, or swimming pools.
You cannot identify a HIV infected person by just looking at them:
One of the reasons HIV is so dangerous is that a person can carry the virus for a long time without showing any signs. In fact, majority of people infected with HIV do not feel sick and may not even realize they are infected. The best approach to confirm the diagnosis is through HIV test.
HIV infected persons should start treatment immediately:
HIV can harm your immune system even if you are healthy and do not exhibit any symptoms. To protect it, most doctors suggest starting HIV treatment called antiretroviral therapy, as soon as you are diagnosed. These medications lower your “viral load” or the amount of HIV in your blood, which also reduces the risk of spreading the virus to others. The HIV treatment cost can also vary depending on the stage of the disease, hence early intervention is always recommended.
Important Takeaway:
HIV/AIDS is the most misunderstood disease. There are a lot of misconceptions and taboos around the disease. It is a disease that is only spread when you come in contact with body fluids like blood, semen, and others. There is no other way for the disease to spread. With proper awareness you can prevent yourself from HIV/AIDS spread and protect your health along with your dear ones. You can also reach out to the HIV treatment hospital in Coimbatore to know more about the disease from the experts.
