Aids or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

General or Other | - Others | Aids or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) (Disease)


Description

HIV / AIDS is a long-term infection that left untreated, results in reduced immunity to other infections.

HIV is a sexually transmitted disease. It can also be spread by contact with infected blood, or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding.

Once the immune system weakens, a person infected with HIV can develop the following symptoms: lack of energy, weight loss, frequent fevers and sweats, persistent or frequent yeast infections, persistent skin rashes or flaky skin, short-term memory loss, mouth, genital, or anal sores from herpes infections, seizures and lack of coordination, severe and persistent diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting, coma.

Causes and Risk factors

People who use intravenous drugs and share or reuse needles contaminated with the virus are at high risk of infection. The virus can be transmitted through organ transplants or blood transfusions, but in developed countries, routine screening of blood, organs, and tissues for HIV has made the risk of infection by these routes extremely low.

It can take years before HIV weakens your immune system to the point that you have AIDS. HIV infection cannot be transmitted by everyday contact, such as shaking hands, or by coughs or sneezes. There is no risk to your health from working or living with an infected person.

Diagnosis and Treatment

At this time, there is no cure for AIDS, but medications are effective in fighting HIV and its complications. Treatments are designed to reduce HIV in your body, keep your immune system as healthy as possible and decrease the complications you may develop. ...