AIDS is the abbreviation of the term Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, i.e. acquired immune deficiency syndrome. It is at the final stage of chronic infection with the human (human) immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that leads to Immunes with frequent infections and tumors. Until the outbreak of AIDS can take years or decades, 50% of those infected are 10 years after infection in the AIDS stage. It comes to life-threatening diseases leading to death within a few years.
The HIV - virus seeks out certain immune cells of the human body as host cells that it infects. The virus "programmed" the nucleus of these cells a way, that they only produce new viruses until the infected immune cells eventually die. The newly formed viruses then they look for new immune cells as "victims". This will gradually weakened the immune system and invading pathogens or emerging cancer cells have an easy game. There is a breakdown of the immune system. A number of pathogens (called opportunistic pathogens) that are relatively harmless to healthy people and certain types of cancer can spread the virus weakened organism without interruption and at death.
The virus is found in various body fluids in different concentrations. When sperm is highly infectious, followed by blood. Vaginal fluid and urine contained lower levels of virus, saliva is only slightly infectious. A HIV - infection trigger must virus-containing liquids to enter the bloodstream. Are sufficient under certain circumstances, small wounds. A mere contact of virus-containing material with a healthy, intact skin or mucous membrane is sufficient for HIV - infection. Outside the body, the HI - virus do not survive long.
After infection with the virus and incubation period of one to three weeks can occur in some patients with acute flu-like illness. These nonspecific symptoms (fever, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, etc.) do not allow any direct conclusion of an HIV infection. There follows a months to years long stage in which, although viruses and antibodies to HIV detected in the blood, the infected person while not healthy. In this phase, he can pass the disease but already unknowingly to others. The first signs that show that the disease progresses may increase in fungal infections, diarrhea, his swollen lymph nodes, fever or weight loss. The last stage of infection corresponds to the disease AIDS. This can occur among other diseases, some of which are caused by opportunistic pathogens:
* Diseases of the nervous system, for example Meningitis (meningitis), weakness, physical and mental breakdowns.
* Infections with toxoplasma organisms.
* Severe forms of pneumonia very difficult to treat pathogens (eg Pneumocystis)
* Extensive fungal infection of the mucous membranes, for example the trachea or windpipe.
* - Virus infections (eg herpes - virus or cytomegalovirus).
* Tuberculosis.
* Diarrhea.
* Certain types of cancer (for example, Kaposi's sarcoma).
* Severe weight loss.
Common causes:
The transmission of HIV via:
* Unprotected sexual intercourse, during which there is direct contact with infected body fluids (semen, vaginal fluid or blood). It also facilitates other sexually transmitted diseases or infections of the skin and mucous membranes of the genital viral entry.
* The sharing of injection equipment among drug addicts.
* From an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, at birth or through breast milk rare.
* By infected blood and blood products (this is in the industrialized countries but today is not dangerous any more). Infection through infected donor tissue or semen from sperm banks are unlikely.
HIV is not transmitted:
* By insect bites.
* Through everyday contact with infected people in work and family life, such as Coughing, touching, hugging or using the same glasses or cutlery, door handles, telephones, towels, toilets, hairdressing scissors.
* In the sauna or swimming pool.
What can you do about HIV - infection prevention?
* Most important protective measure is the use of condoms during sexual intercourse. This is especially true in risky sexual practices (e.g. anal intercourse), at-risk groups and frequently changing sexual partners. One hundred percent protection is also not established, for example, in the case of a leaky condom.
* Drug addicts should be aware of the risk of infection with the common use of syringes and needles.
* Health care professionals and people do, first aid, are all activities that they can bring with infectious body fluids on them, wear gloves.
What can you do if you have HIV - infected?
* A positive test result should be confirmed by at least one more test.
* Seek advice from physician and regularly examined in detail.
* Try to live a healthy life and everything that weakens the body in addition to avoiding (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, poor diet, etc.).
* Avoid places and behaviors with high risk of infection. Even traveling in tropical countries with an increased risk of illness should be avoided.
* HIV-positive women should be discouraged from getting pregnant because the risk of transmission to the child 15 - 30%.
* Avoid anything that might lead to infection of other people (see prevention).
What your doctor can do?
* The doctor may first perform an HIV test. A special test can detect viral components in the blood within days after infection. Antibodies in the blood may be collected depending on the test 2-3 weeks or 1-2 months after infection. It is therefore important to know, was conducted at which time the type of test. A negative test result after 3-6 months of suspected infection is considered safe. In a positive test result, it is important that the doctor will advise you in detail or to another physician or a counseling center has that can handle the job. In a detailed examination, the doctor can determine how far the disease has progressed and when the time is right for the onset of therapy. An important note here the determination of a type of immune cells in the blood, the so-called T4-helper cells or CD4 cells, the number with progressive disease falls further and further.
* With the modern drugs can also delay the onset of the AIDS stage clear and significant prolongation of life can be achieved. In addition, a therapy hinzielen on maintaining the quality of life of patients. Whether AIDS is curable with the currently available treatments is uncertain. For therapy drugs have been developed that inhibit the multiplication of HIV and protect the infected cells from dying. Standard therapy is now mostly a triple combination of drugs was used, and the patient must adhere to a strict regimen. Some patients have significant side effects. In addition to the therapy against the virus itself are preventive measures against opportunistic pathogens (so) extremely important.
* In exceptional cases, after exposure to HIV viruses (e.g. needle stick injury with infected blood) virus transmission are prevented by the immediate initiation of therapy. Because of the severe side effects of such therapy is, however, a contingency measure.
The HIV - virus seeks out certain immune cells of the human body as host cells that it infects. The virus "programmed" the nucleus of these cells a way, that they only produce new viruses until the infected immune cells eventually die. The newly formed viruses then they look for new immune cells as "victims". This will gradually weakened the immune system and invading pathogens or emerging cancer cells have an easy game. There is a breakdown of the immune system. A number of pathogens (called opportunistic pathogens) that are relatively harmless to healthy people and certain types of cancer can spread the virus weakened organism without interruption and at death.
The virus is found in various body fluids in different concentrations. When sperm is highly infectious, followed by blood. Vaginal fluid and urine contained lower levels of virus, saliva is only slightly infectious. A HIV - infection trigger must virus-containing liquids to enter the bloodstream. Are sufficient under certain circumstances, small wounds. A mere contact of virus-containing material with a healthy, intact skin or mucous membrane is sufficient for HIV - infection. Outside the body, the HI - virus do not survive long.
After infection with the virus and incubation period of one to three weeks can occur in some patients with acute flu-like illness. These nonspecific symptoms (fever, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle and joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, etc.) do not allow any direct conclusion of an HIV infection. There follows a months to years long stage in which, although viruses and antibodies to HIV detected in the blood, the infected person while not healthy. In this phase, he can pass the disease but already unknowingly to others. The first signs that show that the disease progresses may increase in fungal infections, diarrhea, his swollen lymph nodes, fever or weight loss. The last stage of infection corresponds to the disease AIDS. This can occur among other diseases, some of which are caused by opportunistic pathogens:
* Diseases of the nervous system, for example Meningitis (meningitis), weakness, physical and mental breakdowns.
* Infections with toxoplasma organisms.
* Severe forms of pneumonia very difficult to treat pathogens (eg Pneumocystis)
* Extensive fungal infection of the mucous membranes, for example the trachea or windpipe.
* - Virus infections (eg herpes - virus or cytomegalovirus).
* Tuberculosis.
* Diarrhea.
* Certain types of cancer (for example, Kaposi's sarcoma).
* Severe weight loss.
Common causes:
The transmission of HIV via:
* Unprotected sexual intercourse, during which there is direct contact with infected body fluids (semen, vaginal fluid or blood). It also facilitates other sexually transmitted diseases or infections of the skin and mucous membranes of the genital viral entry.
* The sharing of injection equipment among drug addicts.
* From an infected mother to her baby during pregnancy, at birth or through breast milk rare.
* By infected blood and blood products (this is in the industrialized countries but today is not dangerous any more). Infection through infected donor tissue or semen from sperm banks are unlikely.
HIV is not transmitted:
* By insect bites.
* Through everyday contact with infected people in work and family life, such as Coughing, touching, hugging or using the same glasses or cutlery, door handles, telephones, towels, toilets, hairdressing scissors.
* In the sauna or swimming pool.
What can you do about HIV - infection prevention?
* Most important protective measure is the use of condoms during sexual intercourse. This is especially true in risky sexual practices (e.g. anal intercourse), at-risk groups and frequently changing sexual partners. One hundred percent protection is also not established, for example, in the case of a leaky condom.
* Drug addicts should be aware of the risk of infection with the common use of syringes and needles.
* Health care professionals and people do, first aid, are all activities that they can bring with infectious body fluids on them, wear gloves.
What can you do if you have HIV - infected?
* A positive test result should be confirmed by at least one more test.
* Seek advice from physician and regularly examined in detail.
* Try to live a healthy life and everything that weakens the body in addition to avoiding (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, poor diet, etc.).
* Avoid places and behaviors with high risk of infection. Even traveling in tropical countries with an increased risk of illness should be avoided.
* HIV-positive women should be discouraged from getting pregnant because the risk of transmission to the child 15 - 30%.
* Avoid anything that might lead to infection of other people (see prevention).
What your doctor can do?
* The doctor may first perform an HIV test. A special test can detect viral components in the blood within days after infection. Antibodies in the blood may be collected depending on the test 2-3 weeks or 1-2 months after infection. It is therefore important to know, was conducted at which time the type of test. A negative test result after 3-6 months of suspected infection is considered safe. In a positive test result, it is important that the doctor will advise you in detail or to another physician or a counseling center has that can handle the job. In a detailed examination, the doctor can determine how far the disease has progressed and when the time is right for the onset of therapy. An important note here the determination of a type of immune cells in the blood, the so-called T4-helper cells or CD4 cells, the number with progressive disease falls further and further.
* With the modern drugs can also delay the onset of the AIDS stage clear and significant prolongation of life can be achieved. In addition, a therapy hinzielen on maintaining the quality of life of patients. Whether AIDS is curable with the currently available treatments is uncertain. For therapy drugs have been developed that inhibit the multiplication of HIV and protect the infected cells from dying. Standard therapy is now mostly a triple combination of drugs was used, and the patient must adhere to a strict regimen. Some patients have significant side effects. In addition to the therapy against the virus itself are preventive measures against opportunistic pathogens (so) extremely important.
* In exceptional cases, after exposure to HIV viruses (e.g. needle stick injury with infected blood) virus transmission are prevented by the immediate initiation of therapy. Because of the severe side effects of such therapy is, however, a contingency measure.
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