AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a life-threatening and chronic condition that happens due to infection by HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). HIV interferes with the body and damages the body’s immune system to fight against any infection as well as the disease. It is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). HIV can also spread while contacting infected blood, from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or while breastfeeding. HIV can weaken your immune system if you are not on medication and may take you to the point that you have AIDS. No cure is there for HIV/ AIDS. But if you are on medication, then the progression of the disease can be dramatically slow. Due to the invention of various drugs, the deaths of AIDS have been reduced in most developed nations.
What is the infection of HIV Stages?
Symptoms due to infection by HIV vary depending on the phase of infection. These various stages of infections of HIV are the following:
Stage 1: Primary Infection (Acute HIV)
People who get infected by HIV gradually develop a flu-like illness within three weeks after the virus enters the body. This type of illness is termed an acute HIV infection. And this infection usually lasts for a few weeks. Other possible symptoms and signs are the following:
-
Headache
-
Fever
-
Rashes
-
Muscle and joint pain
-
Sore throat
-
Painful mouth
-
Diarrhoea
-
Swollen glands, especially on the neck
-
Cough
-
Weight loss
-
Night sweats
All these symptoms mentioned above are so mild that the patient might not even notice them at all. But the viral load means the amount of virus may be quite high at that time. And therefore, as a result, the infection spreads very fast from the primary infection compared to the next stages.
Stage 2: Chronic HIV (Latent Clinical Infection)
In chronic HIV infection, HIV may present in white blood cells and also in the body. Moreover, most people do not have contact with infections or symptoms during Chronic HIV time. If antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not received, this stage can last for many years. Few people also started to develop the more serious disease in a few years. Without taking HIV medications, this stage may last longer or a decade. But few may also recover faster. HIV can also transmit in this stage. People taking appropriate medicines will never move into stage 3.
Stage 3: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)
This is the most severe stage of HIV infection. People having Aids have a very bad immune system, and they will get the highest number of illnesses known as opportunistic infections. AIDS diagnosis is found when the CD4 cell count drops by 200 cells/mm. Or if the person is developing opportunistic infections. People with AIDS may have a very high viral load and are highly infectious. Without any medication or treatment, people having AIDS will survive for three years.
What are the symptoms of infection with HIV Causes?
HIV continues to multiply and destroy the immune cells of the human body. The cells usually help to fight off germs. People may develop chronic signs or mild infections and symptoms, such as:
-
Fatigue
-
Fever
-
Diarrhoea
-
Swollen lymph nodes
-
Weight loss
-
Shingles
-
Oral yeast infection
-
Pneumonia
How to find out if a person has HIV infection?
The only way to know that a person is tested with HIV infection is to get tested. Knowing about HIV status will help the person to make healthy decisions and prevent them from transmitting HIV.
How does HIV come in Humans?
HIV infection in humans comes from Central Africa from a type of chimpanzee. The virus from the chimpanzee’s virus is known as simian immunodeficiency virus or SIV. This virus was transmitted to humans when the human beings haunted these chimpanzees for their meat and later came in contact with their infected blood. Research showed that in the late 1800s, HIV has jumped to humans from chimpanzees. And over the years, HIV gradually spread across Africa and then later into the other parts of the world.
How does HIV Progress into AIDS?
Because of the better treatments and medications, most people having HIV in the United States do not develop AIDS. In around 8 to 10 years, HIV can typically turn into AIDS. When AIDS occurs, the immune system is damaged severely. And the person will be more likely to develop opportunistic cancers or opportunistic infections.
Conclusion
In this article, so far, we have learned that HIV interferes with the body and damages the body’s immune system to fight against any infection as well as the disease. This is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). HIV can also spread while contacting infected blood, from a mother to her child during pregnancy, childbirth, or while breastfeeding. HIV can weaken your immune system if you are not on medication and may take you to the point that you have AIDS. People may develop chronic signs or mild infections and symptoms, such as fatigue, fever, diarrhoea, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, shingles, oral yeast infection, and pneumonia. The various stages of HIV include Acute HIV, Chronic HIV, and AIDS. HIV infection in humans comes from Central Africa from a type of chimpanzee. The virus from the chimpanzee’s virus is known as simian immunodeficiency virus or SIV.