Archive for category HIV and AIDS
HIV Infection and AIDS
Posted by in HIV and AIDS on October 6, 2011
Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, is the leading cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. AIDS, in fact, is the sixth leading cause of death among people ages 25-44 years old. The World Health Organization estimated that more than 25 million people worldwide have died from this infection since the inception of this pandemic. HIV–AIDS is a condition in which there is a progressive deterioration of immune system against HIV and life-threatening infections. The virus can be spread or transmitted through sexual contact (vaginal, oral and anal sex), through blood — via blood transfusion or needle sharing; from mother to child–pregnant mother can spread the virus in her fetus through shared blood circulation, or even the nursing mother via breastfeeding. Common misconceptions about HIV transmission include: casual contact such as hugging; mosquito bites; participating in sports; touching items previously touched HIV-infected person.
AIDS usually starts with HIV infection. Through thorough studies and researches, it has been found out that it is asymptomatic for ten years. Symptoms will eventually manifest after ten years of dormancy. Because the health immune system of the HIV-infected person is at comprise, it is a truth that he or she is very susceptible to opportunistic infections. Common symptoms are: chills, fevers, night sweats, swollen lymph glands, weakness, weight loss.
HIV infection can be determined through different types of HIV screening test. The tests are necessary for determining and confirming the positivity of HIV infection. The Antibody Test. This type of test is the most common HIV test. Antibodies are looked and examined. The most popular test used under this type of test is called the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA test uses blood or oral body fluids to detect HIV infection. The result of this test can be determined after two weeks. Having a positive result from this test would mean another test to confirm the result. The confirmatory test used is the Western blot test, a widely used analytical technique for detecting specific proteins in the given sample of tissue or extract. Results can be confirmed after two weeks’ time. Read the rest of this entry »
HIV and AIDS Synopsis
Posted by in HIV and AIDS on October 6, 2011
HIV/AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency (Aids) is a chronic and life threatening disease of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that damages the immune system by killing off vital CD4+T cells. Genetic Research states that the disease originated in West Central Africa during the late 19th or early 20th century but was not recognized by the U.S. Center for Disease Control Prevention until 1981. HIV is spread through sexual contact, contaminated shared needles, pregnant women spread it to their unborn child and contact with infected blood. Knowledge of the disease can potentially save lives.
HIV is a lent virus which is a member of the retrovirus family that causes AIDS. When first infected with the virus, mild symptoms occur. These symptoms may or may not be recognizable but includes fever, headaches, sore throat, rash and swollen lymph glands. Swollen lymph glands/nodes are often the first sign of HIV infection but the best way to know if the virus has infected the bloodstream is to get tested. These symptoms usually last about two to four weeks at the initial stage of the virus into the bloodstream and typically go away until years later as the virus multiplies and begin to destroy the immune cells further if treatment is not sought after. That’s the significant reason of being tested regularly because early detection can help a person live a healthier life with the medication that’s on the market oppose to a person who has no knowledge that their living with the disease. If no treatment for the HIV infection is received, the disease will develop into AIDS in about ten years. This is solely due to the HIV process of eating away or destroying the CD4+T cells which are specific types of white blood cells that plays an important role in helping the body fight diseases. The more CD4+T cells that are killed, the weaker the immune system becomes. The normal CD4 cell count for a healthy immune is between 500 and 1000. Once the CD4+T cells drop below a life-threatening 200 per microliter, the diagnosis of HIV becomes a diagnosis of AIDS which then is the final stage of the virus and soon becomes the fatal state of the virus. Read the rest of this entry »