HIV is a disease of our time, which can no longer be ignored. The virus is spreading very quickly. Every year the number of infected people is growing. Despite this, many men and women know almost nothing about this disease, and some even consider it mythical. You can take a position of denial until the infection has touched the person himself or his close relative. To prevent this from happening, HIV should not be ignored. It is important to know its symptoms and how it is transmitted. It is also important to understand how HIV differs from AIDS.
The name of the disease is identical to the name of the virus that causes it. The virus is dangerous for the human immune system. Once in the body, it begins to affect cells, on the surface of which there are certain proteins – CD4 receptors. First of all, T-lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, etc. suffer. The virus causes their death. This is dangerous because it is these cells that form the basis of the immune system. The less they become, the weaker the body’s defenses. He loses the ability to resist infections, even the mildest ones. Diseases that are safe for healthy people lead to the death of a person with HIV.
There is no vaccine for HIV. The virus is able to change its structure. Each copy of it has at least 1 element that is different from the original. Another reason why a universal drug for the treatment of HIV has not yet been developed is that the virus infects immune cells. With the introduction of the vaccine, the number of protective cells increases, which means that the number of viral cells increases.
What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
You can’t get AIDS. AIDS is the terminal stage of HIV infection.
In total, WHO distinguishes 4 stages of the development of the disease:
Stage of initial manifestations (acute infection).
Widespread involvement of the lymph nodes.
Pre-AIDS.
AIDS.
In Russia and in some CIS countries they use a different classification (according to Pokrovsky):
The first stage is incubation.
The second stage of the initial manifestations. It is divided into several subspecies: A – stage of fever, B – asymptomatic stage, C – widespread lymphadenopathy.
The third stage of secondary lesions, where A – less than 10% weight loss, superficial infections, B – more than 10% weight loss, deep infections. B – generalized infections that spread throughout the body.
The fourth stage is terminal.
AIDS is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, it is the final stage of HIV. At this time, the level of immune cells decreases to critical levels. There can be several of them in a milliliter of blood. While the norm is 600-1900.
With AIDS, the immune system is severely suppressed, the body loses the ability to fight any infections. Therefore, a person develops opportunistic diseases.
They include:
Diseases of the respiratory system. This includes pneumocystis pneumonia, microplasma pneumonia, tuberculosis.
Diseases of the digestive system: viral or bacterial esophagitis, cryptosporidiosis, microsporidiosis, generalized salmonellosis, cytomegalovirus infection, toxic megacolon.
Diseases of the central nervous system. This includes such pathologies as: toxoplasma encephalitis, cryptococcal meningitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, non-cognitive disorders.
Tumor neoplasms, including: Kaposi’s sarcoma, Burkitt’s lymphomas, primary CNS lymphoma, large cell lymphoma, cervical cancer with germination, anus carcinoma, genital papillomas.
Other pathologies: inflammation of the retina, penicilliosis, damage to the oral cavity by fungal flora, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis.
There are many diseases. They rarely develop in people without HIV and occur predominantly during the AIDS stage.
Each person must have the following information:
Only HIV can be transmitted. AIDS is not contracted, it is the final stage of the infection.
If a person does not receive treatment, then 9-11 years pass from the moment of infection to the stage of AIDS.
If a person receives treatment, then more than 40 years pass from the moment of infection to the development of the AIDS stage.
With HIV infection while taking drugs, a person can live 70-80 years, and without therapy – about 11 years.
The AIDS stage lasts 9 months if the person does not receive treatment. If therapy is carried out, then it increases to 3 years.
[Video] What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?