Hiv Effects On The Skin
Many people get a skin rash in the first stage of an HIV infection. It usually goes away without treatment in days or weeks. Over time, a number of things might cause more rashes. Itâs always important to let your doctor know about a rash, because it might be a sign of a serious problem, or an HIV medication could be causing it.
People who have HIV are more likely to get viral infections. Herpes zoster, herpes simplex, and Molluscum contagiosum can cause rashes or blisters.
Kaposiâs sarcoma causes lesions, patches, or nodules that are a different color from your skin. Sometimes, you can also get lesions on your internal organs. These may be life-threatening.
How Quickly Does Hiv Progress
The progression of the virus highly depends on the age and health of the person and how quickly they are diagnosed. And previously, where this meant that HIV inevitably would progress slowly into Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus , treatment methods can now help to prevent the virus progressing. But the timing of when someone receives treatment can greatly affect their life expectancy.
Throughout the life cycle of HIV, if the virus is able to replicate inside the human body, it will slowly cause the deterioration of the immune system and eventually leave individuals at heightened risks of contracting other infections. The human immunodeficiency virus is still profoundly prevalent in some regions of the world.
How Does Hiv Infect The Body
Understanding how the virus infects the body is very important in helping to further understand prevention and treatment methods for HIV. HIV is most commonly transmitted through having sex without a condom or drug use via sharing needles. HIV is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids such as blood, semen including pre-cum, vaginal fluid, anal secretions and breast milk.
HIV cannot replicate on its own. Its main goal is to generate multiple copies of itself in order to infect multiple cells. CD4+ cells are vital to the daily maintenance of your immune system. Once HIV enters the body, the virus directly attacks the immune system. It does this by attaching itself onto the T-helper cells.
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What Does Hiv Do To Your Body
Known as the human immunodeficiency virus, HIV primarily infects a type of white blood cell found in your immune system called a CD4+ cell . White blood cells are immune system cells that protect your body against both infectious diseases and potential foreign invaders. As the HIV virus progresses, without the intervention of treatment, the continuous destruction of white blood cells inevitably leads to a weakened immune system and consequently increases the risk of contracting wider ranges of opportunistic infections .
Hiv Effects On The Nervous System
About half of people with AIDS have nerve problems related to the virus. Infection or inflammation can damage your spinal cord or brain and keep your nerve cells from working the way they should. Some medications can also affect your nervous system.
Brain
Inflammation in your brain and spinal cord can lead to confusion and other thinking problems as well as weakness, headaches, seizures, and balance problems.
When AIDS is far along, you might get dementia and have problems remembering things.
Having HIV can also affect your mental health. Many people living with it have depression or anxiety. Mental health professionals and support groups can help you work through your concerns and manage your life with HIV.
Nerves
The opportunistic infection cytomegalovirus can attack your nerves, making it hard for you to control your arms and legs or your bladder.
Itâs common for tiny holes to form in spinal fibers when people with AIDS donât get treatment. This is called vacuolar myelopathy and causes trouble walking.
HIV or the drugs that treat it can also damage nerves all over your body, causing neuropathy. You might have pain, numbness, weakness, burning, stiffness, or tingling.
Antiretroviral therapy to treat HIV can lower your risk of getting these conditions or complications. If a medication is causing the problems, your doctor might switch you to a different one.
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Causes Of Hiv Infection
HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person. This includes semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk.
It’s a fragile virus and does not survive outside the body for long.
HIV cannot be transmitted through sweat, urine or saliva.
The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom.
Other ways of getting HIV include:
- sharing needles, syringes or other injecting equipment
- transmission from mother to baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding
The chance of getting HIV through oral sex is very low and will be dependent on many things, such as whether you receive or give oral sex and the oral hygiene of the person giving the oral sex.
Who Is At Risk For Hiv Infection
Anyone can get HIV, but certain groups have a higher risk of getting it:
- People who have another sexually transmitted disease . Having an STD can increase your risk of getting or spreading HIV.
- People who inject drugs with shared needles
- Gay and bisexual men, especially those who are Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino American
- People who engage in risky sexual behaviors, such as not using condoms
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Children With Weak Immune Systems
HIV A persons overall health should not be threatened due to temptation of risky sexual behavior. People with weak immune systems are in danger of contracting HIV because the progress of the virus can not be stopped. There are some people in the world that can not contract HIV because of their complex immune system. Over the years their genes have grown resistant to certain infections but their are people with very weak immune systems which makes HIV very dangerous for them HIV attaches
What Are The Factors That Affect Disease Progression
The most important factor affecting HIV progression is the ability to achieve viral suppression. Taking antiretroviral therapy regularly helps many people slow the progression of HIV and reach viral suppression.
However, a variety of factors affect HIV progression, and some people progress through the phases of HIV more quickly than others.
Factors that affect HIV progression can include:
- Ability to achieve viral suppression. Whether someone can take their antiretroviral medications and achieve viral suppression is the most important factor by far.
- Age when symptoms start. Being older can result in faster progression of HIV.
- Health before treatment. If a person had other diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C, or other sexually transmitted diseases , it can affect their overall health.
- Timing of diagnosis. Another important factor is how soon a person was diagnosed after they contracted HIV. The longer between their diagnosis and treatment, the more time the disease has to progress unchecked.
- Lifestyle. Practicing an unhealthy lifestyle, such as having a poor diet and experiencing severe stress, can cause HIV to progress more quickly.
- Genetic history. Some people seem to progress more quickly through their disease given their genetic makeup.
Some factors can delay or slow the progression of HIV. These include:
Living a healthy lifestyle and seeing a healthcare provider regularly can make a big difference in a persons overall health.
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Neurological Complications Of Hiv
HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens and slowly destroys the bodys immune system, leaving you vulnerable to life-threatening complications from an infection or certain cancers.
As HIV and AIDS battle your immune system, your central nervous system is also affected. HIV and AIDS both cause a number of neurological complications, particularly if HIV progresses to AIDS.
Today, antiretroviral medicineswhen taken correctly and promptlyhelp to slow down the progression of HIV. They also help to delay the onset of or to decrease the risk of progression to AIDS. Controlling HIV can also reduce your risk for neurological complications of HIV.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Essay
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus affects the human wellbeing by attacking the bodys immune system which is the natural defense system in the human body to resist infections. When the immune system is compromised, the body becomes less capable of fighting diseases, allowing the body to become more susceptible to infections. Different from other viruses that the body can get rid of, HIV will remain in the body for life . HIV works by attacking the CD4 cells, which assist
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Ways Hiv Cannot Be Spread
HIV is not spread by:
- Air or water
- Mosquitoes, ticks or other insects
- Saliva, tears, or sweat that is not mixed with the blood of a person with HIV
- Shaking hands hugging sharing toilets sharing dishes, silverware, or drinking glasses or engaging in closed-mouth or social kissing with a person with HIV
- Drinking fountains
Hiv Effects On The Kidneys
High blood pressure and diabetes are both related to HIV, and both are major causes of kidney disease. The healthy diet and exercise habits that are good for your heart will help keep your blood pressure and blood sugar under control. That helps protect your kidneys, too.
Some HIV medications can damage your kidneys. If you already have kidney problems, your doctor may want to avoid those drugs or keep a close eye on their effects.
Your doctor will need to check your kidneys regularly because you might not notice the signs of kidney disease.
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How Are These Disorders Treated
No single treatment can cure the neurological complications of HIV/AIDS. Some disorders require aggressive therapy while others are treated as symptoms arise.
Neuropathic painchronic pain caused by damage to the nervous systemis often difficult to control. Medicines range from over-the-counter pain killers to anticonvulsant drugs, opiates, and some classes of antidepressants. Inflamed tissue caused by autoimmune or other conditions can press on nerves, causing pain. Such illnesses may be treated with corticosteroids or procedures such as plasma exchange, formally known as plasmapheresis, that clear the blood of harmful substances that cause inflammation.
Treatment options for AIDS- and HIV-related neuropsychiatric or psychotic disorders include antidepressants and anticonvulsants. Psychostimulants may also improve depression and reduce fatigue. Drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors, which can temporarily improve or stabilize memory and thinking skills in people with dementia, may relieve confusion and slow mental decline. Benzodiazepines may be prescribed to treat anxiety. Psychotherapy may also help some individuals.
Other treatments may include physical therapy and rehabilitation, radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy to shrink cancerous brain tumors that may be related to HIV, antifungal or antimalarial drugs to combat certain bacterial infections associated with the disorder, and penicillin to treat neurosyphilis.
Economics Of Hiv/aids Care
The HIV/AIDS pandemic has profoundly affected the economy, the work force, individual workers and their families, health care expenditures, the cost of labor, and savings and investments . AIDS is the second leading cause of death among adults in developing countries. It is projected that HIV will be responsible for almost 40% of all deaths from infectious diseases by 2020 . AIDS also has costly consequences, especially for the poor. Because AIDS affects people during their most productive years, it has negative consequences for worker productivity, family income, and national revenues . As the pandemic evolves, it widens the gap between available resources and the needs for care. Annual medical costs in African countries during 1990 to 1993 ranged from US$210 to US$936 per person . In industrialized countries during those years, costs ranged from US$20,000 to US$57,000 per person . The overall cost of care in industrialized countries has increased steadily because of the increased number of AIDS cases, longer survival time, and increased use of expensive therapies.
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Effects Of Antiretroviral Drugs On The Body
Antiretroviral therapy helps people who have HIV live longer, healthier lives and lowers their risk of spreading the virus. The drugs can have side effects, many of which go away with time. Overall, the benefits outweigh the risks.
There are several kinds of antiretroviral drugs, and your doctor might combine them in different ways. Side effects can vary from drug to drug or from person to person.
Common side effects of these drugs include:
- Upset stomach and vomiting
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Summit Medical Group: “HIV and the Eyes.”
American Academy of Ophthalmology: “How Does HIV/AIDS Affect the Eye?”
American Heart Association: “HIV and Cardiovascular Disease,” “Wellness Checklist: Know Where You Stand.”
American Family Physician: “Common Side Effects of HIV Medicines.”
AIDS.gov: “Staying Healthy with HIV/AIDS: Potential Related Health Problems: Kidney Disease.”
New York State Department of Health: âHIV: The Basics.â
Merck Manual Consumer Version: âHuman Immunodeficiency Virus Infection.â
Mayo Clinic: âHIV/AIDS.â
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AIDSinfo: âAIDS-Defining Condition,â âOpportunistic Infection ,â âSide Effects of HIV Medicines.â
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HIV.gov: âHIV Treatment.â
How Are These Disorders Diagnosed
Based on an individuals medical history and findings from a general physical exam, a physician will conduct a thorough neurological exam to assess various functions: motor and sensory skills, nerve function, hearing and speech, vision, coordination and balance, mental status, and changes in mood or behavior. The physician may order laboratory tests andone or more of the following procedures to help diagnose neurological complications of AIDS.
Brain imaging can reveal signs of brain inflammation, tumors and CNS lymphomas, nerve damage, bleeding, white matter irregularities, and other abnormalities. Several painless imaging procedures are used to help diagnose neurological complications of AIDS.
- Computed tomography uses x-rays and a computer to produce two-dimensional images of bone and tissue to show inflammation, certain brain tumors and cysts, brain damage from head injury, and other abnormalities. It provides more details than an x-ray alone.
- Magnetic resonance imaging uses a computer-generated radio waves, and a powerful magnetic field to produce either a detailed three-dimensional picture or a two-dimensional slice of body structures, including tissues, organs, bones, and nerves. It does not use the ionizing radiation that an x-ray does and provides a better look at tissue located near bone.
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How Does Aids Affect The Body
What is AIDS
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AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is a disorder that is caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. This virus attaches to the surface of specific white blood cells called T cells and is therefore able to reproduce and continue production of the virus. As more and more of the bodys healthy T cells become infected with HIV, the bodys immune system becomes compromised. AIDS and HIV have become a pandemic as more and more people are contracting the disease.
Diagnosing AIDS
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AIDS is diagnosed after T cell counts reach a dangerously low level and blood tests confirm the presence of antibodies to HIV, indicating that the virus is present in the body. Symptoms of AIDS may not appear for 5 to 10 years after being infected with HIV. AIDS can affect every body system.
HIV and AIDS, the Onset
How AIDS and HIV Affects the Body
HIV, AIDS as the Immune System Deteriorates
Renewed Hope as Treatment Improves
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There is renewed hope that patients with the HIV virus can live for a long time with adequate and effective treatment regiments.
Hiv Effects On The Skeletal System
People who have the virus tend to lose bone faster than people who donât. Your bones may get brittle and can break more easily. Your hips, especially, may hurt and feel weak.
Things that might cause this include the virus itself, the inflammation it causes, the medicines you take to treat HIV or related illnesses , and an unhealthy lifestyle. It might also be from a vitamin D deficiency, which is common in people who have HIV.
To help keep your bones in good shape:
- Make sure you get plenty of calcium and vitamin D.
- Exercise in ways that put weight on your bones, like walking or lifting weights.
- Don’t smoke, and limit how much alcohol you drink.
- Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level.
Talk to your doctor about supplements or other medications to help your bones.
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The Epidemic Of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Essay
existed on the face of the earth. It is a virus to the human body transmitted from one person to another though physical contact such as sexually, breast feeding, needles, body fluids, etc. It has been one the worlds number one health issues. Millions of people have been effected by this virus and the number of the infected a year continues to grow, drastically! Sadly, after years of research there is still no cure for this deadly virus. Just how many people are affected by this virus in the United States
Hiv Effects On The Digestive System
More than half of people who have AIDS report digestive symptoms as the virus or an opportunistic infection targets the walls of their intestines. Diarrhea is the most common one. Over time, the virus can change how your digestive tract works and even how it looks.
Liver
Some HIV medications can damage your liver. Many people with HIV also have a form of inflammation called hepatitis.
Limit how much alcohol you drink, and don’t use recreational drugs. Having diabetes, high cholesterol, or triglycerides and being overweight can lead to fatty liver disease, so keep an eye on the carbs, fats, and calories you eat each day.
Talk to your doctor about getting the hepatitis A and hepatitis B vaccines. Thereâs no vaccine against hepatitis C, but you should get tested for it.
Get regular blood tests to catch any liver problems early.
Mouth
Your mouth might be one of the first places where you notice signs of HIV. Things like dry mouth, fungal infections, gum disease, cold sores, and canker sores can make chewing or swallowing painful. If they go on too long, you might not be able to take your HIV medication or get the nutrients you need.
Good dental habits can help prevent these issues, so brush and floss regularly. See your dentist for checkups, and tell them if youâre having problems. Most mouth conditions tied to HIV are treatable.
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