AIDS – Causes, Symptoms and Cures

AIDS stands for Acquired immune deficiency syndrome which is a disease of immunity system caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). The disease will impact the immune system of affected individuals making them vulnerable to tumors and opportunistic infections.

Causes:

The virus is transmitted in various ways like oral, vaginal or anal sex, contaminated needles, blood transfusions, exchange between mother and baby during childbirth, breastfeeding. HIV is found in body fluids like tears, saliva, blood, spinal fluid, semen, seminal fluid, breast milk, vaginal fluid etc. Various causes for the diseases are,

Through sexual contact –anal, vaginal and oral sex

Through blood transfusions or sharing of contaminated needles

From mother to child – A women is pregnant could transmit virus to new born during childbirth or breast feeding.

The virus is not spread by hugging, physical contact or through air.

Symptoms

AIDS starts with infection of HIV. People affected with HIV might not experience any symptoms for ten years or longer but could transfer the infection to other people during the period without symptoms. Acute HIV infection might progress over time for asymptomatic HIV infections after which symptoms are exposed in the patient. The commonly observed symptoms are,

1. Fever
2. Chills
3. Swollen lymph glands
4. Weight loss
5. Weakness

Initially infection of HIV does not cause any symptoms and people might experience flu-like symptoms, sore throat, rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes after two to four weeks of getting infected by the virus. CD4 cells are certain category of T cells which are part of immune system. For people who have CD4 count less than 350 cells/mm3 can experience different symptoms like,

Herpes Zoster – Small blisters/Ulcers over a patch of skin which can cause chickenpox

Herpes Simplex Virus – Causes small blisters or ulcers in genitals or mouth

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — cancer affecting lymph nodes

Oral or vaginal thrush –Painful yeast infection of the vagina or mouth.

Tuberculosis – It can affect the lungs, brain, bowel or spinal cord.
Treatment:

There is no permanent cure for AIDS till now but there are medications available to reduce the symptoms and improve the life of people having symptoms already. Antiretroviral therapy can suppress the replication of HIV inside the body. A mixture of certain anti-retroviral drugs known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has found to become efficient in minimizing the number of HIV particles inside bloodstream.