What are HIV and AIDS? Symptoms, Treatment and Causes

1st December is known as the world AIDS day on this day the main motto is to spread the awareness about HIV/AIDS. HIV is a virus spread by certain fluid from the body that affects the immune system of humans, speaking specifically it affects the CD4 cell is also known as T cells. HIV virus destroys these cells overtime and the capability of the immune system to fight against diseases reduced over a time. On this World AIDS Day (1st December) let’s find out everything that you must know about HIV/AIDS symptoms, causes and prevention.

World HIV/AIDS

What are HIV and AIDS?

The word HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. If HIV is not treated it would be lead to AIDS.

HIV directly affects the body’s immune system, T cells or CD4 cells and as we mentioned earlier these cells help the immune system to fight with other diseases, without proper medication HIV virus reduces these cells. And the patient will more like to get other diseases as well the rate of disease occurs in the person who infected with HIV much higher than the person who doesn’t have HIV. AIDS is the last stage of the HIV virus and it could be a very serious issue for that person.

Today, anyone finds himself HIV positive and treated properly before the virus goes in the advanced stage the person can be live a happy and normal life as long as a person who doesn’t have HIV.

HIV symptoms can be different from one person to another person, there is no assurance two person having HIV experience the exact symptoms. Here we are discussing the general pattern of HIV.

There is basically three stage in HIV infection:

1. Acute illness
2. Asymptomatic Period
3. Advanced infection

Let’ see them in details one by one:

Acute Illness:

At this stage, more than 80% of patients who got infected by HIV virus may have flu-like symptoms in between 2 to 4 weeks. This symptoms or flu illness called as acute HIV infection. It the primary stage of HIV. 

The HIV symptoms at this stage are:

• body
• a rash sore throat
• fever
• headaches

Few less common symptoms may be:

• Fatigue
• ulcers in the mouth or on the genitals
• muscle aches
• swollen lymph nodes
• joint pain
• nausea and vomiting
• night sweats

These symptoms may last long 1 to 2 weeks if anyone who thinks he or she may experience these symptoms should consult with doctors and get tested for it.

Specific symptoms For men: The HIV symptoms to men and women are common on one exception men may have an ulcer on a penis.

Asymptomatic Period

Once the first stage symptom disappears, HIV may not have any other symptoms for the next few months to years. At this stage the virus weakens the immune system, the patient will not feel any sickness or other changes in look but the virus continues to weaken the immune system. And the virus can be transferred during the unsafe sex or through other ways and just because of it you should test in the early test if feel rare symptoms.

Advanced infection

The advanced infection stage may take a very long time but unfortunately, HIV virus will break the resistance of human’s immune system to reach this stage. This stage virus will lead to stage 3 HIV and the stage 3 HIV generally referred to as the AIDS. It is the final period of the disease and those have reached this stage already much weaken the immune system and it also susceptible to more other diseases known as opportunistic infections.

People with stage 3 HIV frequently get cold, fungal infections and flu they may also have few more symptoms like as:

• nausea
• vomiting
• persistent diarrhoea
• rapid weight loss
• a cough and shortness of breath
• recurring fever, chills, and night sweats
• memory loss, confusion, or neurological disorders
• prolonged swelling of the lymph nodes in the armpits, groin, or neck
• rashes, sores, or lesions in the mouth or nose, on the genitals, or under the skin

Myths about HIV/AIDS or Misconceptions about HIV/AIDS:

Many people have a misconception and many believe in the myths, it is most important to know these myths.

• Mosquito and other insect bites 
• Sharing clothing, towels or linen
• Sharing crockery or cutlery
• Sneezes or coughs 
• Urine or sweat 
• Public toilets, gym equipment, showers, swimming pools or water fountains
• Going to school with, socializing or working with HIV-positive people 
• (Sexual) contact with animals (HIV is strictly a human virus and isn’t carried by animals) 
• Touching, hugging, shaking hands with or dry kissing a person with HIV 
• Breathing the same air as someone who has HIV

Prevention against HIV and AIDS:

Most of the people having HIV even don’t know they have it. In the last few years, the people with HIV increases and the transmissions rate somehow looks steady.

The most important thing is to aware everyone about the HIV infection and the causes of HIV. Get a test in the early stage if you got negative then no need to worry and if HIV positive then early stage test is one of the best options to live a healthy life with HIV.

Here are a few steps that can prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS:

• Use Condoms for anal as well as vaginal sex
• Avoid reuse or sharing of needles
• Avoid direct contact with blood from other persons
• Get Tested on Clinics for HIV

Is there any cure for HIV/ AIDS?

The answer to this question is no, there is nothing as effective to complete cure HIV or eliminate HIV from a body. Only with proper treatment, you can control HIV. The treatment used to cure HIV is known as ART (antiretroviral therapy) with the proper ART amount of HIV virus in the blood can be undetectable. And the person can live a happy and normal healthy life.

These are the common fear about all the people who just tested HIV positive.

Am I going to die?

Certainly not, not soon, HIV takes times to progress and if gets treatment in time can be controlled like other diseases such as diabetes. But generally with the advancement of medical treatment and therapies the person infected with HIV can live a near-normal lifespan.

Hope you got some useful information in our blog post, spread the information on this day to your reminder 1st December declared as the world AIDS day for spreading the awareness about HIV/AIDS. Please follow us on social channels to get more information on Health and Travel Tips.