HIV is a dangerous viral disease that causes serious damage to the human immune system. About 8,000 people a year fall ill with this virus. How to get tested for HIV, methods of infection and treatment methods will be discussed in the article.
What is HIV?
HIV is a disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. Pathology affects the immune system to such an extent that the body cannot fight any infections. This provokes the development of various diseases that cause significant harm to human he alth. HIV is dangerous because many years can pass from the moment of infection to the appearance of noticeable signs. Half of the affected people are asymptomatic for about ten years.
The principle of the virus
When HIV enters the bloodstream, it attaches itself to its he althy cells, which are responsible for immunity. Inside these cells, the virus actively multiplies. This happens so quickly that HIV has time to spread throughout the body before a protective reaction occurs. Since immune cells are already damagedand are not able to perform their functions normally, the virus does not receive a decent response from the immune system. Another feature of HIV infection is its rapid variability. In this regard, the body is difficult to recognize the virus and it continues to infect the body.
First of all, the lymph nodes suffer, since it is in them that immune cells are produced to a greater extent. As the virus hits, their number becomes critically low. This can be considered a sign of the onset of AIDS.
Types of HIV
Currently, there are 2 types of human immunodeficiency virus:
- HIV-1 or HIV-1. A very aggressive type of the disease, characterized by pronounced symptoms, is the main causative agent of the pathology.
- HIV-2 or HIV-2. Not as widespread as HIV-1. It is a less aggressive type of the disease. Symptoms are mild.
Routes of infection
It is noted that people with increased immunity have a significantly lower risk of infection from contact with a sick person than those who have a weakened immune response.
There are several main ways to get infected.
- When having sex without a condom.
- When using a syringe or any other medical instrument after an infected person.
- When blood is transfused from an infected patient.
- From mother to child during fetal development, since the virus is able to cross the placenta,You can also get infected during childbirth and during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding by an HIV-infected woman is contraindicated due to the fact that the presence of the virus has also been found in colostrum and milk. If the child has a negative HIV test, this most likely indicates the absence of infection, but constant monitoring is necessary.
- From sick people to medical personnel in case of injury with instruments on which infected blood could remain. This is a very rare mode of infection.
- Using third party personal care products.
Development stages
HIV has several stages of development depending on clinical manifestations.
- Incubation period. It lasts from the moment of infection until the first signs appear. In most cases, the duration of this stage is from 2 weeks to six months or more. Despite the fact that a blood test during this period is not yet able to show the presence of the virus in the blood, the person is already contagious.
- Acute stage (period of primary manifestations). This stage is characterized by certain symptoms that may be present for several weeks. The patient may be disturbed by such manifestations as swollen lymph nodes, fever, sore throat, eyes and head, general malaise and the appearance of rashes and ulcers on the skin. But it is worth noting that in half of the people this stage is absent and after the incubation period, the asymptomatic stage immediately begins.
- Asymptomatic phase. The longest stage. In spite ofthe fact that the signs of HIV infection practically do not appear, the reproduction of the virus in the blood continues. This stage can take up to 10 years. The duration will depend on the rate at which the infection spreads.
- Secondary manifestations. Due to the fact that the virus actively multiplies, and immune cells are not able to resist this, various diseases begin to appear. For example, lesions of the skin, internal organs and others.
- Terminal - the last stage of the development of HIV infection, in which AIDS occurs. This is due to the fact that the number of T-lymphocytes reaches critically low values and they are not able to cope with infections. Bacteria deplete the body, affecting all organs and systems. Death occurs within three years due to opportunistic diseases (pathologies caused by the influence of opportunistic pathogens that normally do not pose a threat).
First signs
HIV has no symptoms and can be confused with other infectious diseases. But there are signs of HIV infection, when they appear, you should contact a medical facility and get tested.
These include:
- Swollen and sore lymph nodes.
- Unreasonable fever for a week or more.
- Fatigue.
- Dramatic weight loss.
- Stool disorders.
- The appearance of oral candidiasis.
- Herpetic eruptions.
If HIV infection is suspected, it is worth as soon as possiblesee a doctor.
Diagnosis
Early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance for the successful treatment and increase in life expectancy of people with HIV. How to get tested for HIV?
If you suspect a virus infection, you should contact the laboratory and take a blood test. This is the only way to confirm or disprove the presence of infection in the body. But you need to clarify how many days to take an HIV test after a possible infection, because antibodies to it do not begin to be produced immediately.
Diagnosis consists of special tests:
- ELISA. The most common test that can detect the presence of antibodies to the virus. But it is worth remembering that their production occurs within three months from the moment of infection, so if the blood was taken earlier than this period, a negative HIV test is likely. The procedure must be repeated after a while. A questionable value means that not all antibodies have been developed.
- Immunoblot.
- PCR. To detect the virus, its RNA is used, in connection with this, it is possible to diagnose the disease at the earliest possible time - about 10 days should pass between the moment of infection and the analysis.
- An HIV test purchased from a pharmacy. With it, you can determine the presence of infection at home. This diagnostic method includes immunochromatographic tests, which are strips on which blood taken from a finger is applied. The presence of only a control line indicates thatHIV test is negative. But the appearance of a colored line on the strip warns of the presence of a virus in the blood. Other over-the-counter HIV tests include OraSure Technologies1. It has been approved by the FDA.
Laboratories use different tests to determine HIV infection, so before donating blood, you need to clarify which method is applicable in a particular laboratory. False-negative HIV is often diagnosed. This is due to the untimely delivery of the analysis, when the antibodies have not yet been developed in the amount necessary for the analysis.
If HIV is negative, what does it mean? This may indicate both the absence of infection and the small amount of antibodies produced.
Treatment and prognosis
The drug that will completely get rid of HIV has not yet been found. Therapy is aimed at relieving accompanying symptoms, treating diseases associated with the virus, and preventing complications.
Medication includes taking the following drugs:
- Antiretrovirals ("Retrovir").
- "Didanosine". Used in the early stages.
- "Stavudine". Used in later stages.
- "Nevirapine". For complications.
- "Nelfinavir". Can also be used by children.
The treatment plan will be drawn up by the attending physician on an individual basis, depending on a large number of factors.
It is also very important to observeproper lifestyle and mental attitude. With timely treatment, the life expectancy of HIV-infected people can reach 20 years or more.
Conclusion
If a person is tested positive for HIV, what does that mean? This question is asked by everyone who had to go to the laboratory for this reason. This question has been answered above. But in order not to get into a situation in which this analysis may be required, it is necessary to take preventive measures - do not have casual sex, use contraceptives, do not use other people's hygiene products. Medical instruments must be completely disinfected. Testing for the presence of human immunodeficiency virus is recommended for all people once a year, even if the previous result for HIV is negative.
