HIV/AIDS
The human body is complex due to
many factors that affect it and may cause ill health. These factors may be
environmental and determine whether an individual will be sick or not. In
addition, many demographic factors are also crucial in dictating the health of
an individual. However, the presence or absence of disease remains one of the most
important considerations for the health of a person. Different diseases have varying
impacts on the body of human beings. The availability of treatment, control,
and prevention are also important when determining the effect that a disease
will have. HIV/AIDS is a disease that continues to affect different
populations. The disease has raised worldwide concerns especially since
scientists have been unable to find its cure.
Why I Chose to Research HIV/AIDS
There are several reasons why I
chose HIV/AIDS as the disease to discuss. First, it is among the killer
diseases in the world. For a long time, the disease has led to the death of a
lot of people. Another reason why I chose the disease is the stigma that it is
associated with. Patients suffering from the disease face a high degree of
stigma from society. There is a lot of stigma because of the little knowledge
that some people have about HIV/AIDS. Another reason for choosing the disease
was thus to increase awareness and knowledge about it. It was also crucial to
choose the disease in order to dispel the many myths and misconceptions that
are associated with it. A large percentage of the world holds numerous beliefs
about HIV/AIDS that are false. The reason for choosing the disease was thus to
offer scientific knowledge about it and disapprove these myths and
misconceptions.
The Definition of HIV/AIDS
HIV means Human Immunodeficiency
Syndrome. The full meaning of the abbreviation AIDS are “Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome.” The disease is thus an infection that attacks the immune system of
the body. After weakening the system, it is possible for other infections to
attack an individual. In the body of a patient, the CD4 cells are responsible
for immunity and protection against diseases and infections. After HIV attacks
and damages the CD4 cells, other infections now get the opportunity to infect
the infected patient. Before the count of CD4 cells falls below 200, an
individual will not be diagnosed with AIDS. Such patients will just have the
HIV virus. After the CD4 cells go below 200 in number, a patient is now said to
be having the AIDS disease (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). HIV, therefore, refers to the
virus that cause AIDS.
The Symptoms of HIV/AIDS
The symptoms of HIV/AIDS appear
depending on the stage of infection. The first phase of the infections is a
result of the HIV virus. These symptoms are mild and patients still have a
relatively stable health. The next phase of symptoms is due to the AIDS
disease. The symptoms of AIDS are more serious and show greater effects of the
virus.
The Symptoms of HIV
There are several early symptoms of
HIV. These include fever. Fever is the condition when one’s body temperature
goes above that of a healthy human. Another common symptom of the virus
includes swollen lymph nodes. Patients of HIV also feel general aches and pains
in different body parts. Other symptoms include skin rashes, sore throats, and
headaches. Some patients may also feel nausea, chills and constant stomach
upsets.
The Symptoms of AIDS
The symptoms of AIDS are serious
and manifest after a significant reduction in the number of CD4 cells. Without
intervention measures, the symptoms of AIDS eventually lead to death. The
common signs of AIDS include recurrent fevers and chronic fatigues. Patients
suffering from AIDS also experience night sweating and other neurological problems.
These problems include memory loss and constant loss of concentration. Another
symptom for AIDS is constant diarrhea. Patients of AIDS also experience rashes,
bumps and constant rashes on their skin. Anxiety, stress, and depression are
also common symptoms of AIDS. In addition, the patients with AIDS face quick
and adverse weight losses. The next signs are chronic swelling of lymph nodes,
and dark marks under the skin, nose, mouth or the eyelids. AIDS patients also
experience sores and swellings in the tongue, genitals, and anus.
The Causes of HIV/AIDS
The cause of HIV/AIDS is the HIV
virus. The virus is mainly transmitted through sexual intercourse. However, a
mother can also transmit the disease to the child through breastfeeding. Blood
transfusion with infected blood may also spread the disease. However, hospitals
screen blood before transfusion. It is rare for one to contract the disease
through blood transfusions. The main mode of transmission of the virus is
sexual intercourse.
The Diagnosis of HIV AIDS
The diagnosis of HIV involves
testing of saliva and blood samples. The test may, however, be unreliable if
done once. The virus takes three months to multiply. Before the end of the
period, blood and saliva tests may not pick up the virus. It is thus
recommended that one repeat the test after about 3 months.
A faster and accurate test of the
disease involves the test for HIV antigen. It is possible to test for the
antigens immediately after infection. The antigen test is thus a surer test
than the test of blood and saliva samples.
Other tests are useful in determining
the stage of the infection in the blood. An important test among these is the
CD4 that determines the number of CD4 still available in the blood. Another
crucial test may be the viral load test. Doctors use the test to measure the
amount of virus in the blood of a patient. Drug resistance is also a crucial
test in the diagnosis of HIV. Drug resistance tests if the strain of HIV that a
patient has is resistant to drugs.
The Prognosis and Treatments of HIV/AIDS
No scientist has been able to find
a cure for HIV/AIDS. There are however drugs that are used to control the
virus. The giving of such drugs is known as antiretroviral therapy. There are
several classes of ART drugs. All these classes perform different functions in
the process of controlling the virus. The different classes of treatment
include integrase inhibitors, entry inhibitors or of drugs that prevent fusion,
protease inhibitors and nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase
inhibitors (Mayo Clinic, n.d.).
The Affected Organs, how they are Affected and Lifestyle Impact of the
Disease
HIV affects the immune system of
the body. The virus specifically targets the CD4 cells. It destroys them thus
reducing their number. The body will thus be unable to fight diseases and
infections. A person thus becomes susceptible to many infections.
The disease has several effects on
the lifestyle of a person after infection. for instance, an infected person
must also try to eat healthy food. These foods are able to keep one strong and
support the immune system. In addition, one should avoid eating raw foods such
as eggs, meat, and others. These foods increase the chance of one contracting
foodborne diseases. Such infections can be life-threatening due to the poor and
reduced immunity. An infected person must also ensure that they do not miss
their immunizations. These help to prevent infections that may be very
dangerous to an HIV positive patient. The disease affects the lifestyle of an
infected person in very many ways. The patient must strive to live a healthy
life and avoid other opportunistic diseases. Such infections become very severe
to HIV positive patient since they have limited abilities to fight them due to
a weaker immunity.
The Life Expectancy of a Person with HIV/AIDS
The life expectancy varies because
of many factors. When the disease is tested and treatment measures started
early, the life expectancy increases considerably. The average expectancy for a
person with HIV and undergoing treatment is 70 years (Scaccia & Madell,
n.d.). However, the expectancy may reduce if one does not stick to the
treatment. Failure to detect the disease earlier and start treatment may also
reduce the life expectancy.
The Latest Research that is being Conducted Concerning the Disease
There are several areas of research
in the HIV disease. The first area is determining the effects of the virus if
one stops or interrupts treatment. There are also studies on different forms of
taking HIV drug. These may include injections that taken after several months.
In addition, scientists are trying to find ways through which patients will be
able to take fewer drugs (HIV update, n.d.).
The Hypothesis for the Cure of the Disease
The hypothesis for curing HIV is
eliminating the cells that harbor the disease. These cells act as reservoirs
that allow the virus to replicate. Using sensitive chemotherapy, the infected
cells of a patient can be destroyed. The only challenge is identifying the
cells. However, antiretroviral viral therapy can first be used to reduce viral loads.
It will thus be easy to identify and destroy the infected cells.
In conclusion, HIV/AIDS is a
chronic killer disease. HIV virus causes the infection. The disease is mainly
spread through sexual intercourse. Currently, there is no cure for the disease.
It is important for an infected person to receive treatments and start early
treatments.
References
HIV update.
(n.d.). HIV update-15th November 2018. AIDSmap. Retrieved from http://www.AIDSmap.com/page/3367365/
Mayo Clinic.
(n.d.). Diagnosis and Treatment of HIV. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiv-AIDS/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20373531
Scaccia, A &
Madell, R. (n.d.). Facts About HIV: Life Expectancy and Long-Term Outlook.
Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-AIDS/life-expectancy
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