HIV infection - ways of infection, symptoms, treatment and prevention

HIV - causes and ways of infection, first signs, prevention

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious disease that was first described in 1981. The virus is characterized by slow development, so it may not manifest itself for a long time. However, medicine identifies the first signs of HIV that every person should know about. Timely diagnosis makes it possible to choose effective therapy and extend the patient's life.

How HIV is transmitted

This virus is present in any biological material, but it is possible to become infected only through blood, seminal fluid, breast milk, lymph and secretion produced in the vagina. Infection can occur when these biological materials enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system of a healthy person. According to statistics, infection does not occur when infected material hits a bleeding wound.

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus often occurs during unprotected sexual contact with a sick person and during repeated use of non-sterile medical instruments. Knowing how HIV is transmitted, you can always prevent the virus. It is not transmitted by household means, which means that you can calmly communicate with a sick person (sit at the same table and use common dishes). The fact is that HIV is very weak and dies in a matter of seconds in an open environment, ceasing its existence at a temperature of 56 degrees and above.

The probability of HIV infection is very high among medical workers who perform injections. They are given preventive measures to prevent infection in the form of monthly therapy with antiretroviral drugs.

Symptoms of HIV infection

The incubation period of HIV is from 3 weeks to 3 months, but in some cases it can last up to a year. During this time, without manifesting itself, the virus actively grows and multiplies, penetrating all organs and systems of the body. During this period, it is possible to diagnose the disease only through laboratory research of human biological material.

Symptoms of HIV in the early stages:

general weakness, constant malaise, weakness;
periodically appear rashes on the skin and mucous membranes;
enlargement of lymph nodes;
enlargement of the liver and spleen.

As the disease progresses, frequent sore throats and tonsillitis, herpes diseases, pneumonia of various types appear. Over time, all diseases disappear - the latent period begins. The only manifestation of the disease, which proceeds in the latent stage, is paired enlarged lymph nodes during HIV infection.

The latent stage of the disease can last up to 20 years, but this is 6-7 years. Then comes the terminal stage, which is characterized by irreversible pathological processes in all human organs and systems. Even competent drug therapy for HIV in the terminal stage will not help.

How HIV infection is treated

Drugs capable of completely curing HIV have not yet been developed. Timely diagnosis and well-chosen therapy will help increase the patient's life expectancy and improve its quality. Treatment of HIV-infected children is considered the most effective, since the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. Drug therapy prevents the spread of the virus throughout the body. Children with such a diagnosis are forced to be on supportive therapy for the rest of their lives.

Many are interested in how long HIV patients live. If earlier the average life expectancy of such people was 37 years, now it has increased to 41 years. Of course, these are conditional numbers. Much depends on the patient's general condition, lifestyle, and the level of care provided. It is extremely important to avoid all kinds of diseases and to carry out prevention of other infections in a timely manner. Viral load in HIV can provoke an aggressive development of the underlying disease, and the terminal stage will come very quickly.

Preventive measures

Doctors insist that every person undergo an examination after unprotected sexual intercourse with an unreliable partner. At any time, you can take an anonymous blood test for HIV and make sure that infection has not occurred, or get qualified help in case of confirmation of infection. After receiving the results of the tests, the doctor will have a conversation with the patient, provide recommendations for prevention and tell which drugs should be included in the anti-HIV first-aid kit.

To prevent infection with the immunodeficiency virus, the following preventive measures should be observed:

Sexual intercourse should be performed only with a condom, since no other contraceptives protect against infection.
Injection drug addiction is a direct path to HIV infection, so you should make every effort to treat drug addiction or, in case of irreversible process, use only sterile disposable syringes.
Tattoos and piercings should be performed only in specialized salons in compliance with all hygiene rules.

Prevention of HIV infection is an important part of infection prevention. People should also be familiar with internal prevention in hospitals. First of all, this applies to medical workers, who must perform all manipulations in gloves.

More details about the difference between HIV and AIDS, what is the prevention of infection and which doctor to contact for help, can be found on the pages of our website https://dobrobut.com/.