Best Defense Against AIDS - Stay Informed
Origin of AIDS
The history AIDS and HIV has puzzled scientists ever since the illness first came to light in the early 1980s. For over twenty years it has been the subject of fierce debate and the cause of countless arguments, with everything from a promiscuous flight attendant to a suspect vaccine program being blamed. So what is the truth? Just where did it come from? And is there a cure for AIDS?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that leads to AIDS. It was originated in non-human primates in sub-Saharan Africa and was transferred to humans during the late 19th or early 20th century. Since its origin, aids in Africa have been growing by large numbers day by day. Africa is inhabited by just over 12% of the world's population and still the AIDS statistics in the region estimated to have more than 60% of the infected population.
The first recognized case of AIDS occurred in the USA in the early 1980s. A number of gay men in New York and California suddenly began to develop rare opportunistic infections and cancers that seemed stubbornly resistant to any treatment. At this time, AIDS did not yet have a name, but it quickly became obvious that all the men were suffering from a common syndrome.
HIV AIDS Epidemic
AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). By damaging the immune system, HIV interferes with the body's ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease. HIV makes an individual more susceptible to certain types of cancers and to infections that the body would normally resist, such as pneumonia and meningitis. The virus and the infection itself are known as HIV. "Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)" is the name given to the later stages of an HIV infection.
One of the brutal facts about aids states that an estimated 33 million people have been infected worldwide. And though the spread of the virus has slowed in some countries, it has escalated or remained unchanged in others. The best hope for stemming the spread of HIV lies in prevention, treatment and education.
HIV AIDS Symptoms
HIV attacks the CD4 helper cells (or T4 cells), which are necessary to fight off illnesses. This causes the body to make CD8 killer cells that indiscriminately destroy CD4 cells. Eventually, the CD8 cells overwhelm the CD4 cells and the body becomes unable to fight off diseases and infections. Once the body's CD4 count falls below 200 per cubic millimeter of blood, and/or an opportunistic infection takes hold of the weakened immune system which then serves as an abode of several viruses and infections. Once a person is infected, symptoms begin to appear, but in some cases people do not even get to know as if they are infected unless they go for HIV testing, which is carried out in order to verify if the person is tainted, and to provide the victim with HIV treatments. HIV symptoms in women and men are observed to be almost the same and they are distributed in three stages according the passage of time.
Early Symptoms of HIV
The early symptoms of HIV infection resemble those of the other sexually transmitted diseases in which the body begins to form antibodies to the virus between six weeks and three months after getting infected with the virus. Those who do show early HIV symptoms also develop mild flu-like symptoms. This can include: fever, muscles aches, swollen lymph nodes and some times HIV dermatitis; in which red eruptions of skin begin to appear; feet, hands, genitals and face are the places where the HIV rash is located. However, for most people, the first symptoms of HIV will not be apparent.
Although the infection slowly takes over the body, the majority of the victims that are infected with HIV will be asymptomatic. Only by being tested for HIV can adjudge for if a person has contracted the HIV infection or not. Yet, despite the absence of HIV symptoms, victims are still highly contagious during this time, creating a possibility to infect others.
HIV/AIDS Symptoms
As the infection progresses, victims of HIV AIDS are increasingly susceptible to illnesses and infection that do not normally affect the healthy population. Even though many of these illnesses can easily be treated, but those with HIV often have such weakened immune systems that typical cures fail.
Without treatment of HIV, people can expect to develop AIDS eight to ten years after HIV infection. Taking HIV medications, however, can slow down this progression. With treatment, it can take ten to 15 years or more before you develop AIDS. In the later stages of HIV, before it progresses to full blown AIDS, signs of HIV infection can involve more severe symptoms. These include chronic yeast infections, fever, sudden weight loss, diarrhea, and acute HIV rash.
A normal healthy person has a CD4 count of 800-1000 cells per cubic milliliter. The decrement of CD4 count below 200 cells per cubic milliliter is what causes AIDS. After graduating towards AIDS the victim is exposed to the opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections are so named because they take advantage of the weakened immune system, which is vulnerable to severe bacterial infections. Additionally, vision loss, nerve damage, brain impairment and signs of brain deterioration can occur which includes troubled thinking, loss of co-ordination and balance between behavioral changes.
While there are HIV AIDS treatments to help prolong the life of those infected with the virus, but currently there is no cure for HIV AIDS. The best way for HIV prevention is by studying and understanding its ways of transmission and by taking preventative measures.
HIV AIDS Transmission
HIV is present to variable degrees in the blood and genital secretions of virtually all individuals infected with HIV, regardless of whether or not they have symptoms. The spread of HIV can occur when these secretions come in contact with tissues such as those lining the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes (the mucus membranes), or with a break in the skin, such as from a cut or puncture by a needle. The most common cause of transmission includes sexual contact, sharing of contaminated needles, and by mother to child transmission of HIV during pregnancy, labor (the delivery process), or breastfeeding.
Sexual HIV transmission has been described from men to men, men to women, women to men, and women to women through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The best way of HIV/AIDS prevention against sexual transmission is abstinence from sex until it is certain that both partners in a monogamous relationship and are not HIV-infected. Because the HIV antibody test can take up to six months to turn positive after infection occurs, both partners would need to test negative six months after their last potential exposure to HIV. If abstinence is out of the question, the next best method is the use of latex barriers. This involves placing a condom on the penis as soon as an erection is achieved in order to avoid exposure to pre-ejaculatory and ejaculatory fluids that contain infectious HIV.
The spread of HIV by exposure to infected blood usually results from sharing needles, as in those used for illicit drugs. HIV also can be spread by sharing needles for anabolic steroids to increase muscle, tattooing, and body piercing. To prevent the spread of HIV, as well as other diseases including hepatitis, needles should never be shared. In the early phase of HIV epidemic, many individuals acquired HIV infection from blood transfusions or blood products, such as those used for hemophiliacs.
There are a small number of HIV AIDS stories that gives a little evidence that HIV can be transferred by casual exposure, as might occur in a household setting. For example, unless there are open sores or blood in the mouth, kissing is generally considered not to be a risk factor for transmitting HIV. This is because saliva, in contrast to genital secretions, has been shown to contain very little HIV. Still, theoretical risks are associated with the sharing of toothbrushes and shaving razors because they can cause bleeding, and blood can contain large amounts of HIV. Consequently, these items should not be shared with infected people. Similarly, without sexual exposure or direct contact with blood, there is little if any risk of HIV contagion in the workplace or classroom.
How does the Immune System work - what happens after HIV?
The immune system is composed of many interdependent cell types that collectively protect the body from bacterial, parasitic, fungal, viral infections and from the growth of tumor cells. Many of these cell types have specialized functions. The cells of the immune system can engulf bacteria, kill parasites or tumor cells, or kill viral-infected cells. Often, these cells depend on the T helper subset for activation signals in the form of secretions formally known as cytokines, lymphokines, or more specifically interleukins.
The immune system functions by sending different white blood cells into the body to search for and destroy the intruding pathogens and infectious agents such as bacteria and viruses. Destruction of the virus is attained using the CD8 killer T-cells or CD8 cytotoxic lymphocytes and CD4 helper cells also termed as CD4 lymphocytes. The killer T-cells lead the viruses and infected cells to self destruction by producing an enzyme whereas the CD4 lymphocytes detect the invading materials and stimulate the body to produce more immune cells. The HIV contamination causes the killer cells to mistakenly treat the helper cells as virus and produce the enzyme which kills the CD4 helper cells. An average person has a normal CD4 count of 800-1000 cells per cubic milliliter, but the HIV virus causes it to decline. Low white blood cells damage the immune system and the body loses its defense against viruses, and this gradually leads to the appearance of HIV signs.
Effects of using Antiretroviral Drugs
When you hear the word cocktail, the first thing that usually comes into your mind is a drink that is served together with appetizers. Well, in the world of HIV/AIDS, cocktails refer to HAART or Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy. Since 1995, the statistics on HIV AIDS have dropped considerably, thanks to HAART.
It was only in the early 1980’s when AIDS research led to the knowledge of this new disease. Back then, the virus was treated with a few drugs. Since the condition is accompanied by certain infections, researchers tried to address the opportunistic infections as well. The patients benefited from the new treatment drugs for HIV and they were able to live longer. However, you must be aware that there is no cure for AIDS. Most of the drugs are expensive and the patient can suffer from severe side effects. There have also been cases of drug resistance especially among patients who have used the drugs for about twenty years. With the number of infected patients increasing every year, researchers are trying to develop newer and more effective drugs.
Doctors are very cautious about giving medications to infected patients. In the US, the Department of Health and Human Services provides recommendations for employing anti-retroviral drugs that are based upon the latest information available and they also regularly updated.
Current guidelines to AIDS cure are focused on maximum symptom suppression. This approach is called “cocktails” or the HAART. The therapy aims to reduce the virus that is already present in the blood of patients to an extremely low or non-detectable level. However, the virus can’t be eliminated completely. For therapy, medical professionals recommend the use of three or more medications.
The guidelines also emphasize the value of the patient’s life. A patient should, therefore, be provided with a very simple but strong treatment regimen that has the least side effects. If you’re one of the patients, you need to be active in making decisions about your treatment. You need to be strong and determined. By consulting a medical professional, you will know the benefits and risks of such therapies.
Here are the possible side effects of the cocktails:
1. Nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitors – decreases the red/white blood cells in your body due to the suppression of the bone marrow; there can also be rash, fatigue, nausea, fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
2. Protease inhibitors – you can experience side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, and problems of the digestive tract; problems with sugar metabolism and high levels of triglycerides.
3. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors – rash, worsening of mood disorders.
4. Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors – the effects include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and gas.
As you may have noticed that the side effects of the drugs for HIV cure are almost the same. Other treatments not included in the list are fusion inhibitors, integrase inhibitors, and chemokine co-receptor inhibitors. These drugs also have similar side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Measuring the viral load is necessary to ensure the efficacy of such drugs. If you want to undergo HAART, you need to be prepared for the side effects. But nowadays researchers have found a solution to the side effects: usage of monoclonal antibodies instead of ‘cocktails’ or HAART. Monoclonal antibody blocks the immune system weakness instead of killing the virus in the human immune system so that it can control the HIV infection effectively.