Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

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Recommended: Causes and effects of HIV

“Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a blood-borne virus typically transmitted via sexual intercourse, shared intravenous drug paraphernalia, and mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), which can occur during the birth processor during breastfeeding.” There is no cure for HIV or AIDS but over time different types of medications have been developed that slows down the advancement of the disease. AIDS is a lethal disease that is caused by HIV. HIV destroys the immune system and causes the body to not be able to fight off any diseases.
HIV goes through several different movements before it leads to AIDs. The first step is the serioconversion illness. This symptoms of this illness is very similar to the flu and an affected individual will typically experience this 1-2 months after connection with HIV. The next phase is asymptomatic infection in which the patient does not have any symptoms. During this step the immune system is starting to go downhill. A great deal depends on how long this phase will last such as, how fast the HIV virus replicates and how the patient’s body deals with the virus. Some patients can stay in this phase for almost 10 years without any signs or symptoms. Persistent generalized lymphadenopathy is when the lymph nodes become infected and enlarged. The HIV affected patient can endure swollen glands during any stage of the disease. The next phase of the disease is symptomatic infection. During this time symptoms will reveal themselves and often opportunistic infections, but AIDS has not developed yet (Masur H, 2007). The final phase is AIDS. The patient’s CD4 T-cell count is below 200 cells/mm3 and the patient is starting to have severe immunodeficiency. Patient begins to have severe opportunistic infections an...

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...cers that affect the blood such as Kaposi’s sarcoma.
It will be difficult for a HIV/AIDS patient to keep away from all of these different types of infections but constantly taking their antiretroviral medication is the first step. Routine physicals, blood tests, and eye examinations are significant because at times the patient may have no symptoms.

Works Cited

Galgiani JN, A. N. (2000). Practice guideline for the treatment of coccidioidomycosis. Infectious Diseases Society of America Clin Infect Dis, 30:658-61.
Kovacs JA, M. H. (2000). Prophylaxis against opportunistic infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. N Engl J Med, 342: 1416.
Masur H, H. L. (2007). Treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. In A. D. Goldman L, Cecil Medicine (p. Chap 412). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier.

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