HIV is now being treated. HIV infection - symptoms, causes, stages, treatment and prevention of HIV

HIV is an acronym that stands for human immunodeficiency virus, which attacks the human immune system, causing HIV infection.

The last stage of HIV infection is AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

HIV infection and AIDS: what is the fundamental difference between these two conditions?

HIV infection
Incurable infectious disease. It belongs to the group of slow viral infections with a long-term course that affects the immune system.

That is, the virus, having entered the body of a healthy person from a sick person, may not manifest itself in any way for many years.

However, HIV gradually destroys the cells of the immune system, which is designed to protect the human body from all kinds of infections and negative influences.
Therefore, over time, the immune system “loses its ground.”

AIDS
A condition in which the human immune system is practically unable to fight infections, resist the development of cancer cells and various harmful environmental factors. At this stage, any infection, even the most harmless one, can lead to the development of a serious illness, and subsequently the death of the patient from complications, encephalitis or a tumor.

Facts about the disease

Perhaps now there is not a single adult who has never heard of HIV infection. It’s not for nothing that it’s called the “plague of the 20th century.” And even in the 11th century, it moves forward by leaps and bounds, claiming about 5,000 human lives all over the world every day. Although, As a disease, HIV has a not so long history.

It is believed that HIV infection began its “triumphant march” across the planet back in the 70s of the last century, when the first mass cases of infection with symptoms similar to AIDS were described.

However, they started talking about HIV infection officially only in the early 80s of the last century:

• In 1981, two articles were published that described the development of an unusual pneumocystis pneumonia (caused by a yeast-like fungus) and Kaposi's sarcoma (a malignant skin tumor) in homosexual men.
• In July 1982, the term “AIDS” was coined to describe the new disease.
• The human immunodeficiency virus was discovered in 1983 simultaneously in two independent laboratories:
  • In France at the Institute. Louis Pasteur under the direction of Luc Montagnier
  • In the USA at the National Cancer Institute under the leadership of Gallo Robert
• In 1985, a technique was developed that determined the presence of antibodies to HIV in the blood of patients - an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
• In 1987, the first case of HIV infection in the USSR was diagnosed. The patient is a homosexual man who worked as a translator in African countries.
• In 1988, the World Health Organization declared International AIDS Day on December 1st.

Where did HIV come from? There is no clear answer to this question. However, there are several hypotheses.

The most common theory is that man became infected from a monkey. It is based on the fact that in apes (chimpanzees) living in Central Africa (Congo), a virus was isolated from the blood that can cause the development of AIDS in humans. It is likely that human infection occurred through accidental injury during butchering of a monkey carcass or a human being bitten by a monkey.

However, monkey HIV is a weak virus and the human body copes with it within one week. But for the virus to harm the immune system, it must be transmitted from one person to another within a short time. Then the virus mutates (changes), acquiring properties characteristic of human HIV.

There is also an assumption that HIV existed for a long time among the tribes of Central Africa. However, it was only with the onset of increased migration in the 20th century that the virus spread throughout the world.

Statistics

Every year, a huge number of people around the world become infected with HIV.

Number of HIV-infected people

• Worldwide as of 01/01/2013 amounted to 35.3 million people
• In Russia at the end of 2013 - about 780,000 people, with 51,190 thousand identified between 01/01/13 and 08/31/13
• By CIS countries(data as of the end of 2013):
  • Ukraine - about 350,000
  • Kazakhstan - about 16,000
  • Belarus - 15,711
  • Moldova - 7,800
  • Georgia - 4,094
  • Armenia - 3,500
  • Tajikistan - 4,700
  • Azerbaijan - 4,171
  • Kyrgyzstan - about 5,000
  • Turkmenistan - officials say HIV infection does not exist in the country
  • Uzbekistan - about 7,800

Mortality

Since the beginning of the epidemic, about 36 million people have died from AIDS. Moreover, the mortality rate of patients is decreasing year by year - thanks to successful highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART or ART).

Celebrities who died from AIDS

• Gia Carangi- American supermodel. She died in 1986. She suffered from a severe form of drug addiction.
• Freddie Mercury- lead singer of the legendary rock band Queen. Died in 1991.
• Michael Wastphal- famous tennis player. He died at the age of 26.
• Rudolf Nureyev- a legend of world ballet. Died in 1993.
• Ryan White- the first and most famous child with HIV infection. He suffered from hemophilia and contracted HIV through a blood transfusion at age 13. The boy, together with his mother, fought for the rights of HIV-infected people all his life. Ryan White died of AIDS in 1990 at the age of 18, but did not lose: he proved to the whole world that HIV-infected people do not pose a threat if basic precautions are taken, and have the right to an ordinary life.

AIDS virus

In addition, there are several varieties of the virus itself.

HIV: structure

• HIV-1or HIV-1(discovered in 1983) is the main causative agent of infection. It is very aggressive, causing typical manifestations of the disease. Most often found in Western Europe and Asia, South and North America, Central Africa.

• HIV-2 or HIV-2(discovered in 1986) is a less aggressive analogue of HIV-1, so the disease is milder. Not so widespread: found in western Africa, Germany, France, Portugal.

Structure

HIV- a spherical (spherical) particle having a size from 100 to 120 nanometers. The virus shell is dense, formed by a double lipid (fat-like substance) layer with “spikes”, and under it is a protein layer (p-24 capsid).

Under the capsule are:

• two strands of viral RNA (ribonucleic acid) - a carrier of genetic information
• viral enzymes: protease, intergrase and transcriptase
• p7 protein

The most important feature of retroviruses is the presence of a special enzyme: reverse transcriptase. Thanks to this enzyme, the virus converts its RNA into DNA (a molecule that ensures the storage and transmission of genetic information to subsequent generations), which it then introduces into the host cells.

HIV: properties

• quickly dies under the influence of a 5% solution of hydrogen peroxide, ether, chloramine solution, 70 0 C alcohol, acetone
• outside the body in the open air dies within a few minutes
• at +56 0 C - 30 minutes
• when boiling - instantly

HIV: features of the life cycle

What are the cells of the immune system responsible for?

T lymphocytes-helpers activate the work of almost all cells of the immune system, and also produce special substances that fight foreign agents: viruses, microbes, fungi, allergens. That is, in fact, they control the functioning of almost the entire immune system.

Monocytes and macrophages - cells that absorb foreign particles, viruses and microbes, digesting them.

The HIV life cycle includes several phases

• Once in the body, the virus binds to special receptors on the surface of the T-lymphocyte - CD4 cells. Next, it penetrates the host cell and sheds the outer membrane.

• Using reverse transcriptase a DNA copy (one chain) is synthesized on the viral RNA (template). The copy is then completed into double-stranded DNA.
• Double-stranded DNA moves into the T-lymphocyte nucleus, where it is integrated into the DNA of the host cell. At this stage, the active enzyme is integrase.
• The DNA copy remains in the host cell from several months to several years, “sleeping,” so to speak. At this stage, the presence of the virus in the human body can be detected using tests with specific antibodies.
• Any secondary infection provokes the transfer of information from the DNA copy to the template (viral) RNA, which leads to further replication of the virus.
• Next, the host cell's ribosomes (protein-producing particles) synthesize viral proteins on the viral RNA.
• Then from viral RNA and newly synthesized viral proteins assembly of new parts of viruses occurs, which leave the cell, destroying it.
• New viruses attach to receptors on the surface of other T lymphocytes - and the cycle begins again.

HIV infection

Anyone can become infected, regardless of social status, financial income, gender, age and sexual orientation. The source of infection is an HIV-infected person at any stage of the infectious process.

HIV doesn't just fly through the air. It is found in biological fluids of the body: blood, semen, vaginal secretions, breast milk, cerebrospinal fluid. For infection, an infectious dose of about 10,000 viral particles must enter the bloodstream.

Routes of transmission of HIV infection

1. Heterosexual contacts- unprotected vaginal sex.

The risk of infection after one sexual contact with ejaculation ranges from 0.1 to 0.32% for the passive partner (the “receiving” side), and 0.01-0.1% for the active partner (the “introducing” side).

However, infection can occur after one sexual contact if there is any other sexually transmitted disease (STD): syphilis, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and others. Since the number of T-helper lymphocytes and other cells of the immune system increases in the inflammatory focus. And then HIV “enters the human body on a white horse.”

In addition, with all STDs, the mucous membrane is prone to injury, so its integrity is often compromised: cracks, ulcers, and erosions appear. As a result, infection occurs much faster.

The likelihood of infection increases with prolonged sexual intercourse: if the husband is sick, then within three years in 45-50% of cases the wife becomes infected, if the wife is sick - in 35-45% of the cases the husband becomes infected. A woman’s risk of infection is higher because a large amount of infected sperm enters the vagina, it stays in contact with the mucous membrane for longer, and the contact area is larger.

1. Intravenous drug use

Since drug addicts often use shared non-sterile medical syringes or shared containers for preparing the solution when administering drugs intravenously. The probability of infection is 30-35%.

In addition, drug addicts often engage in promiscuous sex, which several times increases the likelihood of infection for both themselves and others.

1. Unprotected anal sex regardless of sexual orientation

1. Unprotected oral sex

However, the risk of infection increases if there are jams in the corners of the mouth, and wounds and ulcers in the cavity.

1. Children born from HIV-infected mothers

It is possible for a healthy mother to become infected when breastfeeding a sick child, if the woman has cracked nipples and the baby’s gums bleed.

1. Accidental injuries with medical instruments, subcutaneous and intramuscular injections

1. Blood transfusion and organ transplantation

On a note

The likelihood of infection depends on the initial state of the person’s immune system: the weaker it is, the faster infection occurs, and the more severe the disease. In addition, it matters what the viral load of an HIV-infected person is; if it is high, then the risk of infection increases several times.

Diagnosis of HIV infection

Methods for diagnosing HIV infection

Available three main stages of diagnosis HIV infections in adults:

1. Preliminary- screening (sorting), which serves to select presumably infected individuals
2. Referential

1. Confirming- expert

Some concepts in the context of diagnosing HIV infection:

• Antigen- the virus itself or its particles (proteins, fats, enzymes, capsule particles, and so on).
• Antibody- cells produced by the immune system in response to HIV entering the body.
• Seroconversion- immune response. Once in the body, HIV multiplies rapidly. In response, the immune system begins to produce antibodies, the concentration of which increases over the next few weeks. And only when their number reaches a certain level (seroconversion), they are detected by special test systems. Then the level of the virus drops, and the immune system calms down.
• "Window period"- the interval from the moment of infection to the appearance of seroconversion (on average 6-12 weeks). This is the most dangerous period, since the risk of HIV transmission is high, and the test system gives a false negative result

Screening stage

It is preferable to use fourth generation test systems. They have one feature - in addition to antibodies, they also detect the HIV antigen - p-24-Capsid, which makes it possible to identify the virus even before the development of a sufficient level of antibodies, reducing the “window period”.

However, in most countries, outdated third or even second generation test systems (only detect antibodies) are still used, because they are cheaper.

However, they are more often give false positive results: if there is an infectious disease during pregnancy, autoimmune processes (rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis), the presence of the Epstein-Bar virus in the body and some other diseases.

If the ELISA result is positive, then the diagnosis of HIV infection is not made, but proceeds to the next stage of diagnosis.

Reference stage

Expert stage - immunoblotting

Consists of several stages:

• HIV is broken down into antigens using electrophoresis.
• using the blotting method (in a special chamber), they are transferred to special strips on which proteins characteristic of HIV are already applied.
• The patient's blood is applied to the strips; if it contains antibodies to the antigens, a reaction occurs that is visible on the test strips.

Therefore there are two options for conducting the expert stage laboratory diagnosis of HIV infection:

Diagnosis in children born from HIV-infected mothers

Diagnostic tactics

• up to 1 month - PCR, since the virus does not multiply intensively during this period
• older than a month - determination of p24-Capsid antigen
• laboratory diagnostic examination and observation from birth to 36 months

Symptoms and signs of HIV in men and women

Stages of HIV infection

HIV infection symptoms

• The first stage is incubation

  The virus is actively reproducing. Duration - from the moment of infection to 3-6 weeks (sometimes up to one year). In case of weakened immunity - up to two weeks.

  Symptoms
  None. You can be suspicious if there was a dangerous situation: unprotected casual sexual contact, blood transfusion, and so on. Test systems do not detect antibodies in the blood.

• The second stage - primary manifestations

  The body's immune response to the introduction, reproduction and massive spread of HIV. The first symptoms appear within the first three months after infection; they may precede seroconversion. Duration is usually 2-3 weeks (rarely several months).

  Flow options

• 2A - Asymptomatic There are no manifestations of the disease. There is only the production of antibodies.

• 2B - Acute infection without secondary diseases It is observed in 15-30% of patients. It occurs as an acute viral infection or infectious mononucleosis.

• Increased body temperature 38.8C and above is a response to the introduction of the virus. The body begins to produce an active biological substance - interlekin, which “gives a signal” to the hypothalamus (located in the brain) that there is a “stranger” in the body. Therefore, energy production increases and heat transfer decreases.
• Enlarged lymph nodes- reaction of the immune system. In the lymph nodes, the production of antibodies by lymphocytes against HIV increases, which leads to working hypertrophy (increase in size) of the lymph nodes.
• Skin rashes in the form of red spots and compactions, small hemorrhages up to 10 mm in diameter, prone to merging with each other. The rash is located symmetrically, mainly on the skin of the torso, but sometimes on the face and neck. It is a consequence of direct damage by the virus to T-lymphocytes and macrophages in the skin, which leads to disruption of local immunity. Therefore, there is subsequently an increased susceptibility to various pathogens.
• Diarrhea(frequent loose stools) develops due to the direct effect of HIV on the intestinal mucosa, which causes changes in the local immune system and also impairs absorption.
• Sore throat(sore throat, pharyngitis) and oral cavity due to the fact that HIV affects the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose, as well as lymphoid tissue (tonsils). As a result, swelling of the mucous membrane appears, the tonsils become enlarged, which causes a sore throat, painful swallowing and other symptoms characteristic of a viral infection.
• Enlarged liver and spleen associated with the reaction of the immune system to the introduction of HIV into the body.
• Sometimes autoimmune diseases develop(psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and others). The cause and mechanism of formation are not yet clear. However, most often these diseases occur in later stages.
• 2B - Acute infection with secondary diseases

  It is observed in 50-90% of patients. It occurs against the background of a temporary decrease in CD4 lymphocytes, so the immune system is weakened and cannot fully resist “strangers.”

  Secondary diseases occur caused by microbes, fungi, viruses: candidiasis, herpes, respiratory tract infections, stomatitis, dermatitis, sore throat and others. As a rule, they respond well to treatment. Then the state of the immune system stabilizes, and the disease moves to the next stage.

• The third stage is long-term widespread enlargement of the lymph nodes

  Duration - from 2 to 15-20 years, since the immune system inhibits the reproduction of the virus. During this period, the level of CD4 lymphocytes gradually decreases: at approximately a rate of 0.05-0.07x109/l per year.

  There is only an increase in at least two groups of lymph nodes (LNs) that are not connected to each other for three months, with the exception of the inguinal ones. The size of the lymph nodes in adults is more than 1 cm, in children - more than 0.5 cm. They are painless and elastic. Gradually, the lymph nodes decrease in size, remaining in this state for a long time. But sometimes they can increase again and then decrease - and so on for several years.

• Stage four - secondary diseases (pre-AIDS)

  Develops when the immune system is depleted: the level of CD4 lymphocytes, macrophages, and other cells of the immune system drops significantly.

  Therefore, HIV, having practically no response from the immune system, begins to multiply intensively. It affects more and more healthy cells, leading to the development of tumors and severe infectious diseases - opurtonic infections (the body can easily cope with them under normal conditions). Some of them occur only in HIV-infected people, and some - in ordinary people, only in HIV-positive people they are much more severe.

  The disease can be suspected if there are at least 2-3 diseases or conditions listed at each stage.

  Has three stages

  1. 4A. Develops 6-10 years after infection with a CD4 lymphocyte level of 350-500 CD4/mm3 (in healthy people it ranges from 600-1900CD4/mm3).
     • Losing body weight up to 10% of initial weight in less than 6 months. The reason is that the viral proteins invade the body’s cells, suppressing protein synthesis in them. Therefore, the patient literally “dries out before our eyes,” and the absorption of nutrients in the intestines is also impaired.
     • Repeated damage to the skin and mucous membranes by bacteria (ulcers, boils), fungi (candidiasis, lichen), viruses (herpes zoster)
     • Pharyngitis and sinusitis (more than three times a year).

1. 4B. Occurs 7-10 years after infection with a CD4 lymphocyte level of 350-200 CD4/mm3.

   Characterized by diseases and conditions:

   • Loss of body weight more than 10% in 6 months. There is weakness.
   • Increase in body temperature to 38.0-38.5 0 C for more than 1 month.
   • Chronic diarrhea (diarrhea) for more than 1 month develops as a result of both direct damage to the intestinal mucosa by the virus and the addition of a secondary infection, usually mixed.
   • Leukoplakia is the growth of the papillary layer of the tongue: white thread-like formations appear on its lateral surface, sometimes on the mucous membrane of the cheeks. Its occurrence is a bad sign for the prognosis of the disease.
   • Deep lesions of the skin and mucous membranes (candidiasis, lichen simplex, molluscum contagiosum, rubrophytia, lichen versicolor and others) with a protracted course.
   • Repeated and persistent bacterial (tonsillitis, pneumonia), viral (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Bar virus, herpes simplex virus) infections.
   • Repeated or widespread shingles caused by the varicella zoster virus.
   • Localized (non-spread) Kaposi's sarcoma is a malignant skin tumor that develops from the vessels of the lymphatic and circulatory system.
   • Pulmonary tuberculosis.

1. 4B. Develops 10-12 years after infection when the CD4 lymphocyte level is less than 200 CD4/mm3. Life-threatening diseases arise.

   Characterized by diseases and conditions:

   • Extreme exhaustion, lack of appetite and severe weakness. Patients are forced to spend more than a month in bed.
   • Pneumocystis pneumonia (caused by a yeast-like fungus) is a marker of HIV infection.
   • Often recurrent herpes, manifested by non-healing erosions and ulcers on the mucous membranes.
   • Protozoal diseases: cryptosporidiosis and isosporosis (affect the intestines), toxoplasmosis (focal and diffuse brain lesions, pneumonia) - markers of HIV infection.
   • Candidiasis of the skin and internal organs: esophagus, respiratory tract, etc.
   • Extrapulmonary tuberculosis: bones, meninges, intestines and other organs.
   • Common Kaposi's sarcoma.
   • Mycobacterioses that affect the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, central nervous system and other internal organs. Mycobacteria are present in water, soil, and dust. They cause disease only in HIV-infected people.
   • Cryptococcal meningitis is caused by a fungus that is present in the soil. It usually does not occur in a healthy body.
   • Diseases of the central nervous system: dementia, movement disorders, forgetfulness, decreased ability to concentrate, slowed thinking abilities, gait disturbance, personality changes, clumsiness in the hands. It develops both due to the direct impact of HIV on nerve cells for a long time, and as a result of complications that develop after illness.
   • Malignant tumors of any location.
   • Damage to the kidneys and heart caused by HIV infection.

• Fifth stage - terminal

  Develops when the CD4 cell count is below 50-100 CD4/mm3. At this stage, all existing diseases progress; treatment of secondary infections is ineffective. The patient’s life depends on HAART, but, unfortunately, it, as well as the treatment of secondary diseases, are ineffective. Therefore, patients usually die within a few months.

  There is a classification of HIV infection according to WHO, but it is less structured, so mostly specialists prefer to work according to Pokrovsky’s classification.

The given data on the stages and their manifestations of HIV infection are averaged. Not all patients go through the stages sequentially, sometimes “skipping” through them or staying at a certain stage for a long time.

Therefore, the course of the disease can be quite long (up to 20 years) or short-lived (cases of fulminant course are known, when patients died within 7-9 months from the moment of infection). This is associated with the characteristics of the patient’s immune system (for example, some have few CD4 lymphocytes or initially reduced immunity), as well as the type of HIV.

HIV infection in men

HIV infection in women

Women have a slightly higher risk of developing malignant tumors on the cervix.

In addition, in them, inflammatory processes of the female genital organs occur more often (more than three times a year) than in healthy women, and are more severe.

HIV infection in children

Treatment of HIV infection

Moreover, these drugs are so effective that with proper treatment, CD4 cells grow, and HIV itself is difficult to detect in the body even with the most sensitive methods.

To achieve this you The patient must have self-discipline:

• taking medication at the same time
• compliance with dosage and diet
• continuity of treatment

Main directions of treatment

• Prevent and delay the development of life-threatening conditions
• Ensure longer preservation of the quality of life of infected patients
• With the help of HAART and prevention of secondary diseases, achieve remission (absence of clinical symptoms)
• Emotional and practical support for patients
• Providing free drugs

First stage

No treatment is prescribed. However, if there was contact with an HIV-infected person, then chemoprophylaxis is recommended in the first three days after contact.

Second stage

2A. No treatment unless the CD4 count is less than 200 CD4/mm3

2B. Treatment is prescribed, but if the CD4 lymphocyte count is more than 350 CD4/mm3, it is withheld.

2B. Treatment is prescribed if the patient has manifestations characteristic of stage 4, but with the exception of cases when the level of CD4 lymphocytes is more than 350 CD4/mm3.

Third stage

HAART is prescribed if the CD4 lymphocyte count is less than 200 CD4/mm3, and the HIV RNA level is more than 100,000 copies, or the patient actively wishes to begin therapy.

Fourth stage

Treatment is prescribed if the CD4 count is less than 350 CD4/mm3 or the HIV RNA number is more than 100,000 copies.

Fifth stage

Treatment is always prescribed.

On a note

HAART is prescribed to children regardless of the stage of the disease.

These are the existing standards for the treatment of HIV infection today. But recent studies have shown that starting HAART earlier produces better results. Therefore, it is likely that these recommendations will be revised soon.

Medicines used to treat HIV

• Nucleoside inhibitors of viral reverse transcriptase (Didanosine, Lamivudine, Zidovudine, Abacovir, Stavudine, Zalcitabine)
• Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (Nevirapine, Ifavirenz, Delavirdine)
• Viral protease (enzyme) inhibitors (Saquinavir, Indinavir, Nelfinavir, ritonavir, nelfinavir)

However, a new drug will soon hit the market - Quad, which promises to radically change the lives of people living with HIV. Because it works faster, it has fewer side effects. In addition, it solves the problem of HIV drug resistance. And patients will no longer have to swallow handfuls of pills. Because the new medicine combines the effects of several drugs to treat HIV infection, and is taken once a day.

Prevention of HIV infection

There is probably not a person who disagrees with this statement. This also applies to HIV/AIDS. Therefore, most countries are implementing various programs to reduce the rate of spread of this infection.

However, we will talk about what everyone can do. After all, it doesn’t take much effort to protect yourself and your loved ones from this plague.

Preventing HIV/AIDS among people at increased risk

• The surest way is to have one sexual partner whose HIV status is known.

• Engage in casual sexual intercourse (vaginal, anal) only using a condom. The most reliable are latex ones with standard lubricant.

But the likelihood of infection is still reduced to almost zero if you use a condom correctly: you must put it on before sexual intercourse, make sure that there is no air left between the latex and the penis (there is a risk of rupture), and always use a condom in accordance with the size.

Almost all condoms made from other materials do not protect against HIV at all.

Intravenous drug use

Drug addiction and HIV often go hand in hand, so the most reliable way is to stop taking intravenous drugs.

However, if you still choose this path, you must take precautions:

• Individual and single use of sterile medical syringes
• Preparation of solution for injection in sterile individual containers

• using a self-insemination kit (HIV-negative partner)

• sperm purification followed by insemination (both partners are HIV positive)

• in vitro fertilization

Taking medications:

• HAART (if necessary) for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes depending on the stage of pregnancy
• multivitamins
• iron supplements and others

It is important to take all the necessary tests on time: determine the viral load, CD4 cell level, smears, and so on.

Medical staff

There is a risk of infection if the activity involves penetration through natural barriers (skin, mucous membranes) and manipulations during which they come into contact with biological fluids.

Prevention of infection

• use of protective equipment: glasses, gloves, mask and protective clothing

• promptly dispose of the used needle in a special puncture-proof container

• contact with HIV-infected biological fluid - chemoprophylaxis - taking complex HAART according to the regimen

• contact with a suspected infected body fluid:
  • skin injury (puncture or cut) - the bleeding does not need to be stopped for a few seconds, then treat the injury site with 700C alcohol

• contact with biological fluid on undamaged areas of the body - wash with running water and soap, then wipe with 700C alcohol

• contact with eyes - rinse with running water

• in the mouth - rinse with 700C alcohol

• on clothes - remove them and soak them in one of the disinfectants (chloramine and others), and wipe the skin underneath with 70% alcohol

• for shoes - wipe twice with a rag soaked in one of the disinfectant solutions

• on walls, floors, tiles - pour disinfectant solution for 30 minutes, then wipe

How is HIV transmitted?

Methods of transmission of the virus

• Unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-infected person (heterosexual and homosexual contacts). Most often - in people who are promiscuous. The risk increases with anal sex, regardless of sexual orientation.

• When using intravenous drugs: sharing a non-sterile syringe or container for preparing a solution with an HIV-infected person.

• From an HIV-infected woman to her child during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.

• When healthcare workers come into contact with contaminated biological fluid: contact with mucous membranes, injections or cuts.

• Blood transfusions or organ transplants from HIV-infected people. Of course, the donor organ or blood is tested before medical procedures. However, if it falls during the window period, the test produces a false negative result.

Where can you donate blood for HIV?

There are two types of free blood donation for HIV infection:

• Anonymous The person does not give his name, but is assigned a number by which you can find out the result (for many this is more comfortable).

• Confidential Laboratory staff become aware of the person's first and last name, but they maintain medical confidentiality.

• at any regional AIDS center

• in a city, regional or district clinic in anonymous and voluntary testing rooms, where blood is drawn to detect HIV infection.

In addition, you can get tested at a private medical center, which is equipped with special equipment, but most likely for a fee.

Depending on the capabilities of the laboratory, the result can be obtained on the same day, after 2-3 days or after 2 weeks. Considering that testing is stressful for many people, it is better to clarify the timing in advance.

What should you do if you test positive for HIV?

• course of the disease itself

• what research still needs to be done?

• how to live with this diagnosis

• what treatment to take if necessary, and so on

Must be determined:

• CD4 cell level

• presence of viral hepatitis (B, C, D)

• in some cases, p-24-Capsid antigen

How can you avoid becoming infected with HIV?

• when coughing or sneezing
• for insect or animal bites
• through shared tableware and cutlery
• during medical examinations
• when swimming in a pool or pond
• in the sauna, steam room
• through a handshake, hug and kiss
• when using a shared toilet
• in public places

Who are HIV dissidents?

Their beliefs are based on the following:

• HIV has not been identified clearly and indisputably

In fact, there are plenty of photographs taken under an electron microscope.

• Patients die faster when treated with antiviral drugs than from illness

  This is partly true, since the very first drugs did cause a large number of side effects. However, modern medicines are much more effective and safer. In addition, science does not stand still, inventing more effective and safe means.

• Considered a global conspiracy of pharmaceutical companies

  If this were so, then pharmaceutical companies would disseminate information not about the disease itself and its treatment, but about some kind of miracle vaccine, which, by the way, does not exist to this day.

• They say that AIDS is a disease of the immune system, not caused by a virus

  They say it is a consequence of immunodeficiency that developed as a result of stress, after strong radiation, exposure to poison or strong drugs, and some other reasons.

  Here we can contrast the fact that as soon as an HIV-infected patient starts taking HAART, his condition improves significantly.

  All these statements mislead patients, therefore they refuse treatment. Whereas, when started on time, HAART slows down the course of the disease, prolonging life and allowing HIV-infected people to be full-fledged members of society: to work, give birth to healthy children, live in a normal rhythm, and so on. Therefore, it is so important to detect HIV in time and, if necessary, start HAART.

Good day, dear readers!

In today's article we will look at such a serious disease as HIV infection, and everything connected with it - causes, how it is transmitted, first signs, symptoms, stages of development, types, tests, tests, diagnosis, treatment, medications, prevention and other useful information. So…

What does HIV mean?

HIV infection in children

HIV infection in children is in many cases accompanied by developmental delays (physical and psychomotor), frequent infectious diseases, pneumonitis, encephalopathy, hyperplasia of the pulmonary lymphatics, and hemorrhagic syndrome. Moreover, HIV infection in children acquired from infected mothers is characterized by a more rapid course and progression.

The main cause of HIV infection is infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. The cause of AIDS is also the same virus, because AIDS is the last stage of development of HIV infection.

is a slowly developing virus belonging to the family of retroviruses (Retroviridae) and the genus of lentiviruses (Lentivirus). It is the word “lente” translated from Latin that means “slow”, which partially characterizes this infection, which develops quite slowly from the moment it enters the body until the last stage.

The size of the human immunodeficiency virus is only about 100-120 nanometers, which is almost 60 times smaller than the diameter of a blood particle - an erythrocyte.

The complexity of HIV lies in its frequent genetic changes during the process of self-reproduction - almost every virus differs from its predecessor by at least 1 nucleotide.

In nature, as of 2017, 4 types of virus are known - HIV-1 (HIV-1), HIV-2 (HIV-2), HIV-3 (HIV-3) and HIV-4 (HIV-4), each of which differs in genome structure and other properties.

It is HIV-1 infection that plays a role in the disease of most HIV-infected people, therefore, when the subtype number is not indicated, 1 is implied by default.

The source of HIV is people infected with the virus.

The main routes of infection are: injections (especially injection drugs), transfusions (blood, plasma, red blood cells) or organ transplantation, unprotected sexual contact with a stranger, unnatural sex (anal, oral), trauma during childbirth, feeding a baby with breast milk (if the mother is infected), trauma during childbirth, the use of undisinfected medical or cosmetic items (scalpel, needles, scissors, tattoo machines, dental and other instruments).

For HIV infection and its further spread throughout the body and development, it is necessary that the infected blood, mucus, sperm and other biomaterials of the patient enter the human bloodstream or lymphatic system.

An interesting fact is that some people have an innate defense against the human immunodeficiency virus in their bodies, so they are resistant to HIV. The following elements have such protective properties: the CCR5 protein, the TRIM5a protein, the CAML protein (calcium-modulated cyclophilin ligand), as well as the interferon-inducible transmembrane protein CD317/BST-2 (“tetherin”).

By the way, the CD317 protein, in addition to retroviruses, also actively counteracts arenaviruses, filoviruses and herpesviruses. The cofactor for CD317 is the cellular protein BCA2.

HIV Risk Groups

• Drug addicts, mainly injecting drug users;
• Sexual partners of drug addicts;
• Persons who are promiscuous, as well as those who engage in unnatural sex;
• Prostitutes and their clients;
• Donors and people in need of blood transfusion or organ transplantation;
• People suffering from sexually transmitted diseases;
• Doctors.

The classification of HIV infection is as follows:

Classification by clinical manifestations (in the Russian Federation and some CIS countries):

1. Incubation stage.

2. The stage of primary manifestations, which, depending on the course options, can be:

• without clinical manifestations (asymptomatic);
• acute course without secondary diseases;
• acute course with secondary diseases;

3. Subclinical stage.

4. The stage of secondary diseases caused by damage to the body by viruses, bacteria, fungi and other types of infection that develop against the background of weakened immunity. Downstream it is divided into:

A) body weight decreases by less than 10%, as well as frequently recurring infectious diseases of the skin and mucous membranes - pharyngitis, otitis media, herpes zoster, angular cheilitis ();

B) body weight decreases by more than 10%, as well as persistent and often recurring infectious diseases of the skin, mucous membranes and internal organs - sinusitis, pharyngitis, herpes zoster, fever or diarrhea (diarrhea) for a month, localized Kaposi's sarcoma;

C) body weight is significantly reduced (cachexia), as well as persistent generalized infectious diseases of the respiratory, digestive, nervous and other systems - candidiasis (trachea, bronchi, lungs, esophagus), Pneumocystis pneumonia, extrapulmonary tuberculosis, herpes, encephalopathy, meningitis, cancer tumors (disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma).

All options for the course of the 4th stage have the following phases:

• progression of pathology in the absence of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART);
• progression of pathology during HAART;
• remission during or after HAART.

5. Terminal stage (AIDS).

The above classification largely coincides with the classification approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Classification by clinical manifestations (CDC - US Center for Disease Control and Prevention):

The CDC classification includes not only the clinical manifestations of the disease, but also the number of CD4 + T-lymphocytes in 1 μl of blood. It is based on the division of HIV infection into only 2 categories: the disease itself and AIDS. If the following parameters meet criteria A3, B3, C1, C2 and C3, the patient is considered as having AIDS.

Symptoms according to CDC category:

A (acute retroviral syndrome) – characterized by an asymptomatic course or generalized lymphadenopathy (GLAP).

B (AIDS-associated complex syndromes) - may be accompanied by oral candidiasis, herpes zoster, cervical dysplasia, peripheral neuropathy, organic lesions, idiopathic thrombocytopenia, leukoplakia or listeriosis.

C (AIDS)-can be accompanied by candidiasis of the respiratory tract (from oropharynx to lungs) and/or esophagus, pneumocystosis, pneumonia, herpetic esophagitis, HIV-enemyption, isosporosis, histoplasmosis, mycobacteriosis, cytomegalovirus infection, cryptocydiasis, coccyidia, coccyidia, and coccydoids, and coccyxia coccyxia uterus, sarcoma Kaposi, lymphoma, salmonellosis and other diseases.

Diagnosis of HIV infection

Diagnosis of HIV infection includes the following examination methods:

• Anamnesis;
• Visual examination of the patient;
• Screening test (detection of blood antibodies to infection using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay - ELISA);
• A test confirming the presence of antibodies in the blood (blood testing using the immune blotting method (blot)), which is carried out only if the result of the screening test is positive;
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR);
• Tests for immune status (counting CD4 + lymphocytes - performed using automatic analyzers (flow cytometry method) or manually using microscopes);
• Viral load analysis (counting the number of HIV RNA copies per milliliter of blood plasma);
• Rapid tests for HIV - diagnosis is made using ELISA on test strips, agglutination reaction, immunochromatography or immunological filtration analysis.

Tests alone are not enough to diagnose AIDS. Confirmation occurs only with the additional presence of 2 or more opportunistic diseases associated with this syndrome.

HIV infection - treatment

Treatment of HIV infection is possible only after a thorough diagnosis. However, unfortunately, as of 2017, officially, adequate therapy and medications that would completely eliminate the human immunodeficiency virus and cure the patient have not been established.

The only modern treatment for HIV infection today is highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), which is aimed at slowing the progression of the disease and stopping its transition to the AIDS stage. Thanks to HAART, a person’s life can be extended for several decades; the only condition is lifelong use of appropriate medications.

The insidiousness of the human immunodeficiency virus is also its mutation. So, if anti-HIV medications are not changed after some time, which is determined based on constant monitoring of the disease, the virus adapts and the prescribed treatment regimen becomes ineffective. Therefore, at different intervals, the doctor changes the treatment regimen, and with it the medications. The reason for changing the drug may also be the patient’s individual intolerance to it.

Modern drug development is aimed not only at achieving the goal of effectiveness against HIV, but also at reducing side effects from them.

The effectiveness of treatment also increases with changes in a person’s lifestyle, improving its quality - healthy sleep, proper nutrition, avoiding stress, an active lifestyle, positive emotions, etc.

Thus, the following points can be highlighted in the treatment of HIV infection:

• Drug treatment of HIV infection;
• Diet;
• Preventive actions.

Important! Before using medications, be sure to consult your doctor for advice!

1. Drug treatment of HIV infection

At the beginning, we must immediately remind you once again that AIDS is the last stage of the development of HIV infection, and it is at this stage that a person usually has very little time left to live. Therefore, it is very important to prevent the development of AIDS, and this largely depends on timely diagnosis and adequate treatment of HIV infection. We also noted that the only method of treating HIV today is considered to be highly active antiretroviral therapy, which, according to statistics, reduces the risk of developing AIDS to almost 1-2%.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)– a method of treating HIV infection based on the simultaneous use of three or four drugs (tritherapy). The number of drugs is related to the mutagenicity of the virus, and in order to bind it at this stage for as long as possible, the doctor selects a complex of drugs. Each of the drugs, depending on the principle of action, is included in a separate group - reverse transcriptase inhibitors (nucleoside and non-nucleoside), integrase inhibitors, protease inhibitors, receptor inhibitors and fusion inhibitors (fusion inhibitors).

HAART has the following goals:

• Virological – aimed at stopping the reproduction and spread of HIV, which is indicated by reducing the viral load by 10 times or more in just 30 days, to 20-50 copies/ml or less in 16-24 weeks, as well as maintaining these indicators for as long as possible;
• Immunological – aimed at restoring the normal functioning and health of the immune system, which is due to the restoration of the number of CD4 lymphocytes and an adequate immune response to infection;
• Clinical – aimed at preventing the formation of secondary infectious diseases and AIDS, which makes it possible to conceive a child.

Medicines for HIV infection

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors– the mechanism of action is based on the competitive suppression of the HIV enzyme, which ensures the creation of DNA, which is based on the RNA of the virus. It is the first group of drugs against retroviruses. Well tolerated. Side effects include: lactic acidosis, bone marrow suppression, polyneuropathy and lipoatrophy. The substance is excreted from the body through the kidneys.

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors include abacavir (Ziagen), zidovudine (Azidothymidine, Zidovirine, Retrovir, Timazid), lamivudine (Virolam, Heptavir-150, Lamivudine-3TC ", "Epivir"), stavudine ("Aktastav", "Zerit", "Stavudin"), tenofovir ("Viread", "Tenvir"), phosphazide ("Nikavir"), emtricitabine ("Emtriva"), as well as complexes abacavir + lamivudine (Kivexa, Epzicom), zidovudine + lamivudine (Combivir), tenofovir + emtricitabine (Truvada) and zidovudine + lamivudine + abacavir (Trizivir).

Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors– delavirdine (Rescriptor), nevirapine (Viramune), rilpivirine (Edurant), efavirenz (Regast, Sustiva), etravirine (Intelence).

Integrase inhibitors— the mechanism of action is based on blocking the viral enzyme, which is involved in the integration of viral DNA into the genome of the target cell, after which a provirus is formed.

Integrase inhibitors include dolutegravir (Tivicay), raltegravir (Isentress), and elvitegravir (Vitecta).

Protease inhibitors— the mechanism of action is based on blocking the viral protease enzyme (retropepsin), which is directly involved in the cleavage of Gag-Pol polyproteins into individual proteins, after which the mature proteins of the human immunodeficiency virus virion are actually formed.

Protease inhibitors include amprenavir (“Agenerase”), darunavir (“Prezista”), indinavir (“Crixivan”), nelfinavir (“Viracept”), ritonavir (“Norvir”, “Ritonavir”), saquinavir-INV (“ Invirase"), tipranavir ("Aptivus"), fosamprenavir ("Lexiva", "Telzir"), as well as the combination drug lopinavir + ritonavir ("Kaletra").

Receptor inhibitors— the mechanism of action is based on blocking the penetration of HIV into the target cell, which is due to the effect of the substance on the coreceptors CXCR4 and CCR5.

Receptor inhibitors include maraviroc (Celsentri).

Fusion inhibitors (fusion inhibitors)— the mechanism of action is based on blocking the last stage of the introduction of the virus into the target cell.

Among the fusion inhibitors, one can highlight enfuvirtide (Fuzeon).

The use of HAART during pregnancy reduces the risk of transmission of infection from an infected mother to a child to 1%, although without this therapy the percentage of infection of the child is about 20%.

Side effects from the use of HAART medications include pancreatitis, anemia, skin rashes, kidney stones, peripheral neuropathy, lactic acidosis, hyperlipidemia, lipodystrophy, as well as Fanconi syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome and others.

The diet for HIV infection is aimed at preventing the patient from losing weight, as well as providing the body’s cells with the necessary energy and, of course, stimulating and maintaining the normal functioning of not only the immune system, but also other systems.

It is also necessary to pay attention to the certain vulnerability of an immune system weakened by infection, so protect yourself from infection with other types of infection - be sure to follow the rules of personal hygiene and cooking rules.

Nutrition for HIV/AIDS should:

2. Be high in calories, which is why it is recommended to add butter, mayonnaise, cheese, and sour cream to food.

3. Drink plenty of fluids, it is especially useful to drink decoctions and freshly squeezed juices with plenty of vitamin C, which stimulates the immune system - decoction, juices (apple, grape, cherry).

4. Be frequent, 5-6 times a day, but in small portions.

5. Water for drinking and cooking must be purified. Avoid eating expired foods, undercooked meat, raw eggs, and unpasteurized milk.

What can you eat if you have HIV infection:

• Soups - vegetable, cereal, with noodles, meat broth, maybe with the addition of butter;
• Meat - beef, turkey, chicken, lungs, liver, lean fish (preferably sea);
• Cereals – buckwheat, pearl barley, rice, millet and oatmeal;
• Porridge - with the addition of dried fruits, honey, jam;
, and zinc, therefore, special attention should be paid to them when consuming food. In addition, we would like to remind you once again that it stimulates the immune system, which is very important in the fight against infection.

What not to eat if you have HIV infection

If you have the human immunodeficiency virus, you must completely abstain from alcoholic beverages, smoking, weight loss diets, highly allergenic foods, and sweet carbonated drinks.

3. Preventive measures

Preventive measures for HIV infection that must be followed during treatment include:

• Avoiding repeated contact with infection;
• Healthy sleep;
• Compliance with personal hygiene rules;
• Avoiding the possibility of infection with other types of infection -, and others;
• Avoiding stress;
• Timely wet cleaning in the place of residence;
• Avoidance of prolonged exposure to sunlight;
• Complete cessation of alcoholic beverages and smoking;
• Good nutrition;
• Active lifestyle;
• Holidays at sea, in the mountains, i.e. in the most environmentally friendly places.

We will look at additional HIV prevention measures at the end of the article.

Important! Before using folk remedies against HIV infection, be sure to consult your doctor!

St. John's wort. Pour well-dried chopped herbs into an enamel pan and fill it with 1 liter of soft purified water, then put the container on the fire. After the product boils, cook the product for another 1 hour over low heat, then remove, cool, strain and pour the broth into a jar. Add 50 g of sea buckthorn oil to the decoction, mix thoroughly and set aside in a cool place to infuse for 2 days. You need to take the product 50 g 3-4 times a day.

Licorice. Pour 50 g of chopped into an enamel pan, fill it with 1 liter of purified water and place on the stove over high heat. After bringing to a boil, reduce the heat to minimum and simmer for about 1 hour. Then remove the broth from the stove, cool it, strain, pour into a glass container, add 3 tbsp. spoons of natural, mix. You need to drink 1 glass of the decoction in the morning, on an empty stomach.

or not is a question that worries millions of people around the world. It is worth noting that hundreds of scientists are working to find a vaccine or cure for this disease. Did they manage to find a miracle cure that makes HIV curable today? Unfortunately, no one can give a positive answer to this question yet. When talking about whether HIV can be treated, you should pay attention to the fact that there is no talk of complete elimination yet. However, modern medicine has made great progress in this matter.

Will HIV be cured soon?

To answer the question of whether it will be possible to cure HIV in the near future, we should consider the most important discoveries of recent years in the field of immunodeficiency virus research. Perhaps they will shed light on this issue. What studies, the results of which were recently published, are we talking about:

Have you ever been cured of HIV?

The question of whether there are cases of cure for HIV worries many. People look for such information on the Internet, on forums and websites. But this is not entirely correct. For such information, it is better to refer to statistics from the WHO or the Ministry of Health, if we are talking about data for Russia. Both organizations cannot answer the question of whether HIV and AIDS are curable. The fact is that they have no recorded data on miraculous cases of relief from this terrible disease. But on forums and websites there are fierce debates about whether HIV can be treated or not. A separate category consists of AIDS dissidents who completely deny the existence of this terrible disease. These people believe that talk about whether HIV infection can be cured forever is pointless. After all, the immunodeficiency virus is a smart move by the world’s ruling elite, with the help of which money is laundered and so on. Although there is a lot of official evidence that the disease actually exists. This is evidenced by the high mortality threshold and the consequences that the virus leads to at the stage of secondary manifestations. AIDS dissidents are considered dangerous because they discourage some infected people from taking medications and preventative measures.

People often write on religious forums that HIV is completely curable. They declare that prayer, coming to faith and cleansing from all mortal things helped them get rid of a terrible fatal illness. Believing in it or not is a personal matter for everyone. However, official medicine urges people to take all precautions and trust only trusted sources regarding whether it is possible to be cured of HIV infection forever.

Relatively recently, a foreign scientific publication published information that several cases of complete elimination of the immunodeficiency virus have been recorded. At the same time, we are not talking about people who were tested on new drugs and vaccines. It’s just that at a certain point, several cases of complete recovery from HIV infection were recorded in positive patients. This happened to Europeans, and some scientists have found a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. The fact is that a gene was found in the body of Caucasian people that is responsible for the fight against virus cells. With its help, they are even developing a vaccine against this terrible disease. It is quite possible that the complete treatment of HIV, or rather its amazing disappearance, is directly related to some modification of this genome, with the help of which the virus was destroyed in the body of previously infected people.

Why HIV is not curable: what reasons are voiced by scientists and medical experts?

At the end of 2015, American scientists were able to find an answer to the question of why the immunodeficiency virus cannot be cured. This discovery made it possible to give a negative answer to the question of whether HIV and AIDS can be cured forever from the body. The fact is that we learned to suppress the virus itself ten years ago, but sooner or later it makes itself felt again. We are talking about situations when the body's immune response weakens. It turned out that along with the virus, a special protein enters the body, the presence of which was previously unknown. It completely blocks the work of a certain protein, which is responsible for the production of substances that suppress virus-infected cells. This study may further help find the answer to the question of how to cure HIV.

Modern medicine also has its own educated guesses on this matter. Experts believe that AIDS and HIV can be treated and suppressed up to a certain point. This is an acute stage that lasts only a few weeks. During this time, it is not possible to completely destroy infected cells. During this period, the virus is suppressed. This is followed by a long asymptomatic stage. It is characterized by the absence of any manifestations. Whether HIV infection can be cured or not during this period is clear thanks to modern diagnostic methods. After all, disease cells are detected at this moment, but do not manifest themselves in any way. They literally eat into the genetic tissue, after which they “fall asleep” for a certain time. A sharp exacerbation occurs before the onset of the stage of secondary manifestations. The body, which gets used to the fact that the virus cells are inactive, does not have time to cope with their rapid spread. Antibodies are produced slowly, and the consequences of the disease become irreversible.

In search of an answer to the question of whether HIV infection is completely curable, scientists tried to prescribe antiretroviral therapy to patients during the latent asymptomatic period. But this did not bring any results. The virus cells showed absolute resistance to any ART drugs.

Among these is HIV – this infection has already claimed and continues to claim the lives of many people. Because of this, the immunodeficiency virus has become known as a modern plague, and many people wonder whether HIV can be cured. Diagnosing the disease at the initial stage allows you to take the necessary measures in time and supplement the treatment prescribed by the doctor with folk remedies.

How can you become infected and how does it manifest itself?

When HIV enters the body, it may not make itself felt for a long time, but in the meantime, infection of cells occurs at incredible speed. The virus “attacks” the immune system, suppressing the work of cells responsible for detecting any infection that has entered the body. With HIV, the body becomes unable to resist pathogenic bacteria, which leads to various ailments. Anyone who carries HIV becomes susceptible not only to the most dangerous microorganisms, but even to those with which a healthy person can easily “get along.”

The final stage of HIV infection is AIDS. And when asked whether AIDS can be cured, any doctor will answer that the patient has no chance of recovery. AIDS today cannot be treated - a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome dies due to the fact that the immune system affected by the virus cannot withstand the emerging diseases.

You can become infected with HIV through sexual contact, during a blood transfusion, from giving an injection or using unsterile medical instruments, and the virus can also be transmitted from mother to unborn child. HIV is not so easy to detect, but early detection of the disease requires testing, which is especially important for people who are at risk. HIV can also be detected by the following symptoms, which are more indicative of the duration of the disease:

• increased sweating during sleep;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• increased body temperature;
• feeling of constant fatigue;
• weight loss for no particular reason;
• feeling of pain;
• the appearance of dark red spots on the skin.

Until now, representatives of modern medicine have not been able to find a miracle cure to destroy the terrible virus. HIV therapy is based on its temporary suppression, which can significantly prolong the patient’s life. And treatment of HIV with folk remedies at home is aimed at increasing immunity. An adequate immune response helps control viral replication.

Herbal treatment

HIV can be treated at home with decoctions and tinctures of medicinal plants:

1. A decoction of St. John's wort has a suppressive effect on the virus. 6 tbsp. 1 liter of dry herb, pour 1 liter of boiling water and boil over low heat for 1 hour. After cooling, strain the liquid and add 50 g of sea buckthorn oil. Shake well and leave for 2 days. Afterwards drink 0.5 cups 4 times a day.
2. Licorice decoction allows you to completely destroy the virus. Pour 50 g of root into 0.5 liters of water and simmer for 1 hour over low heat. After straining, add 3 tbsp to the resulting healing liquid. l. honey Take 1 glass before meals. Duration of therapy is 3 months. The decoction perfectly strengthens the immune system and normalizes blood composition.
3. You can make a tincture based on licorice. First, pour 100 g of roots with water, and after a day grate them. Then pour 0.5 liters of vodka over the crushed licorice roots and leave for 10 days in a dark place. Take 2 times a day, 5 drops dissolved in a small volume of water. Duration of therapy is 3 months.
4. To normalize blood counts, an alcoholic tincture of calendula is used. You can prepare it yourself (the flowers of the plant are infused with 70% alcohol in a ratio of 1:10) or purchase it ready-made at the pharmacy. The regimen for taking this remedy is as follows: take 2 drops in the morning on an empty stomach, 1 drop every hour, and 2 drops before bed. After 3 days of taking it, take a break of 1 day. Then drink the tincture again according to the 3-day schedule. The duration of therapy should be 5 months.
5. You can use a decoction of a mixture of Chinese cucumber, nettle and chamomile. First, bring the Chinese cucumber filled with water to a boil, add nettle leaves to the broth. Leave for 7 minutes, strain and add chamomile flowers. Leave in a warm place for several days. Take 1 time per day after meals.

Treatment with bee products

Healing the disease with the help of propolis and honey consists of gradually destroying HIV, purifying the blood and saturating it with essential microelements. All these measures are aimed at increasing the protective functions of the body. But before starting such therapy, it is important to balance your diet and eliminate bad habits. You need to eat at a strictly defined time, the interval between meals should not exceed 4 hours, food must be chewed with special care and it is forbidden to eat food after 19 hours. The diet must include vegetables, fruits, rye bread, seafood, milk and cottage cheese. It is better to replace sugar with honey.

An effective remedy in treating the disease is an alcohol solution of propolis. Place 100 g of crushed propolis in a glass container and pour 0.5 liters of 96% alcohol. Shake the mixture for 30 minutes, and then put it in a dark place for 5 days, also shaking it periodically. Then strain the tincture through cheesecloth and take 1.5 hours before meals and drops dissolved in 0.5 glass of warm water before bedtime.

Children and patients for whom alcohol tincture is contraindicated can use aqueous extract of propolis. Pour 100 g of crushed propolis into 100 ml of distilled water, simmer in a water bath for a couple of hours and strain. Take 1 tsp. extract.

You can prepare the following healing mixture: put 50 ml of sea buckthorn or corn oil and 50 ml of alcohol tincture of propolis into a 0.5 liter jar and, stirring, fill the container to the top with honey. Mix everything well. Take 1 tsp. 1 hour before meals and before bedtime.

You can take 0.5 cups of warm water with 4 tsp after meals and before bedtime. apple cider vinegar and 1 tsp. honey For 7 days, add 1 drop of iodine to the mixture every day. Starting next week, add iodine twice a week. After eating and before going to bed, chew a small amount of honeycomb. In the first, fourth and fifth weeks of such therapy, it is necessary to wrap the body with damp linen cloth, and then go to bed and cover yourself warmly. So you need to lie down for an hour, then take a cool shower, and then dress warmly. In the second and third weeks of therapy, perform these steps twice. During treatment, it is very useful to consume honey - you need to eat at least 150 g of it per day. But this useful natural product can only be used by those people who do not have individual intolerance.

How to warn?

It is too difficult to cure a disease; it is much easier to prevent its occurrence. To do this, it is necessary to adhere to a number of preventive measures:

• maintain personal hygiene;
• have a permanent sexual partner;
• exclude intimate relationships with people who may be carriers of HIV (this could be drug addicts, girls of easy virtue);
• require in clinics that medical staff use well-treated instruments and new gloves when examining each patient.

All these methods will help prevent such a terrible virus from entering the body, which disrupts the functioning of the immune system and causes AIDS. But if HIV was detected based on the test results, then special attention should be paid to concomitant diseases that can lead to serious consequences. HIV treatment must be carried out continuously, complementing therapy with a proper lifestyle, a balanced diet, exercise and the prevention of stressful situations.

Hello, dear friends. I am a fifth generation doctor. My father and I discovered a cure for AIDS within three months.

Hello, kudos to you if so! Well, tell me, you will do a good deed.

Tell me how to cure it, people really need it

If you know how to treat, for God's sake, tell me

Tell me how to cure HIV for good?

Write if it’s not difficult for you.

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• Digestive 48
• Blood 45
• Reproductive 37
• Nervous 34
• Musculoskeletal 25
• Excretory 21

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Currently, society knows several thousand diseases, but HIV infection can easily be considered one of the most dangerous.

In the 21st century, this disease has become a real plague, a kind of invasion that is quite difficult to fight.

Unfortunately, this scourge affects not only adults, but also very young children, pregnant women, young people and even the elderly.

We can conclude that all people are equal before HIV and absolutely everyone can become infected with it. Therefore, any person suffering from this virus asks a fair question: is it possible to treat HIV with folk remedies?

HIV infection. What is this?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. In this disease, all cells of the immune system are affected. If the immune system gradually begins to weaken, then the virus slowly but surely moves into the stage of a much worse disease - AIDS.

A sick body is unable to fight viruses and infections because it has lost its protective functions. It is safe to say that a disease of this kind requires timely medical intervention.

Procedures specially designed for this and disease prevention must support the entire body, since the body cannot independently protect itself from the occurrence of tumors and other equally dangerous diseases.

Penetrating into a person’s blood, the virus can “hide” for a long time, without making itself felt, since it remains in the incubation period from 2-3 months to a couple of years.

At the end of this time, the virus begins a period of active reproduction, gradually infecting and destroying all immune cells of the human body.

If the virus is not detected at an early stage, then its destructive effect directly leads to an already fatal disease - AIDS.

Information about HIV infection first became known to the public around 1981. Then the world saw 3 articles in the newspaper, which described in detail the rather strange symptoms of the disease.

Experts could observe such a phenomenon for the first time, since before this time, diseases associated with the immune system had never been encountered before. After this article, symptoms of the disease were discovered in drug addicts and people suffering from hemophilia.

Many people suffering from HIV sincerely believe that this disease can be overcome with the help of medicinal plants. Unfortunately, this is a very dangerous misconception.

Why? The fact is that full treatment should be carried out exclusively under the strict supervision of doctors. In addition, the patient is required to regularly take prescribed medications for a long time.

But nevertheless, it will be very useful to supplement such treatment with plants that cleanse the body and strengthen the immune system. You just have to discuss this issue with your attending physician.

Many people are deeply mistaken in thinking that HIV infection will inevitably lead to death.

According to experts, if the patient follows all precautions and uses medications prescribed by doctors for prevention, it is quite possible to avoid death.

Infected people can live to old age and even give birth to offspring, although it is not at all recommended for them to do this.

How is HIV infection transmitted?

Like any infection or virus, HIV has its own routes of infection. So, it is transmitted through:

Common Misconceptions

The good news is that the immunodeficiency virus does not enter the body of a healthy person through airborne droplets. Believing this misconception, many people are wary of any contact or even conversations with people infected with HIV.

However, we can safely say that the virus does not have the ability to be transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by breathing.

In addition, the virus cannot be transmitted through the use of shared objects. Therefore, you can immediately eliminate the risk of infection through this route.

Some people erroneously claim that the virus is carried into healthy bodies by various insects, such as mosquitoes. However, the truth is that insect bites do not pose any threat of HIV infection.

Treatment of HIV at home

Currently, it is possible to improve health and even slow down the progression of a deadly disease, AIDS, not only with medications, but also with proven folk remedies.

However, I would like to immediately note that absolutely any alternative treatment for HIV cannot be compared with antiretroviral therapy, which means it can only be used in combination with medications and with the permission of a specialist.

In order to find out exactly what and how to treat HIV infection at home, it will not be enough to simply find recipes and try them on yourself through trial and error. Let us remind you that treatment with folk remedies should be carried out strictly under the supervision of a doctor.

What are the benefits of using certain medicinal herbs for HIV infection? Healing plants can have a noticeable positive effect on the general condition of the entire immune system.

Regular use of proven folk methods will help not only strengthen the immune system, but also suppress the viability of the merciless virus, which is the number one task for people suffering from immunodeficiency.

Below are some of the most effective, but at the same time simple folk recipes for HIV infection.

You can prepare a powerful remedy to strengthen the functioning of the immune system - this is banana kvass, prepared on the peel.

To prepare it, wash and dry thoroughly with a napkin about three cups of finely chopped ripe banana skins. After that, transfer them to a large 3-liter jar. Add 1 glass of sugar and one teaspoon of natural sour cream to them. Mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.

Then completely fill the jar with the banana peel with warm, clean water, up to your shoulders. Cover the neck of the jar with gauze and tie it tightly. Place this composition in a warm place, perhaps near a battery.

The preparation time for kvass is 2 weeks. At the end of this period, pour out one liter for the next preparation, and you can safely drink the rest.

Herbal treatment for HIV is also widely used. St. John's wort decoction has proven itself to be one of the most effective decoctions for HIV infection, since this plant can suppress the symptoms of immunodeficiency.

To prepare it you will need 100 g of carefully crushed dry St. John's wort, 50 g of sea buckthorn oil and 1 liter of clean water. First you need to bring water to a boil, add St. John's wort herb and simmer over low heat for an hour.

Then you should strain the broth, add sea buckthorn oil and stir everything well. The resulting mixture should be infused for several days. The decoction should be consumed 4 times a day, with a dosage of half a glass.

As strange as it may sound, the most common green tea, which many people drink every day, helps prevent the development of AIDS.

This is explained by the fact that it contains cahetins, a substance that helps inhibit the replication of the virus. It is enough to consume 1-2 cups of this pleasant drink per day in order to significantly slow down the progression of this disease.

Traditional medicine in the treatment of HIV infection (AIDS) cannot give 100% results, however, in combination with properly selected antiviral therapy, it can significantly prolong the patient’s life and make it much better.

Can HIV be treated with hydrogen peroxide?

Nowadays, hydrogen peroxide has become one of the most common alternative methods for treating various diseases. However, you need to remember that this remedy is not a panacea for all diseases, so it must be taken in the correct doses and only on the recommendation of a doctor.

Some believe that peroxide completely kills HIV and try to overcome it with the help of this liquid. However, this is a cruel misconception. After all, everything is based on the fact that our modern medicine has still not found an effective way to treat such a serious disease.

Interestingly, studies were specifically conducted in the United States to learn more about the results of treating HIV with hydrogen peroxide.

As a result of such tests, they came to the conclusion that HIV-infected people experienced noticeable relief after the procedures with peroxide and the disease slowly receded. Therefore, we can conclude that reviews of the treatment of HIV infection with hydrogen peroxide are very mixed.

Treatment with hydrogen peroxide was actively promoted by Professor I. P. Neumyvakin. Neumyvakin did not use any special methods in HIV treatment. He came up with three simple ways to use the medicine and distributed them generously.

These are oral, external and intravenous infusion. The last method is considered the most dangerous of all. It is not recommended to use this method on your own at home, since it will require both medical knowledge and special tools.

Features of treatment of ARVI in HIV-infected people

ARVI begins in exactly the same way as in other people not infected with HIV infection. At first, simple nasal congestion, barely noticeable malaise, a slight sore throat and other similar signs of illness should be a cause for concern.

How dangerous is ARVI with HIV? A common cold that develops against the background of immunodeficiency can contribute to the development of tracheitis, bronchitis, and pneumonia.

With this disease, it is necessary to ensure sufficient fluid intake into the body, especially if signs of hyperthermia are observed.

ARVI occurs quite often among AIDS patients. It manifests itself with its usual symptoms, but appears due to severely reduced immunity.

How dangerous is tuberculosis for people with HIV?

An HIV-infected person suffers from a weak immune system, which means the tuberculosis bacillus can easily penetrate inside the body.

An infected person can very quickly become infected with any form of tuberculosis if he is in the same room as someone who has this disease.

Treatment of tuberculosis for HIV infection is quite long, which requires adherence to a strict regimen established by the attending physician. Therefore, we can conclude that people with AIDS and HIV may be at risk.

Within a year, up to 10% of infected people become infected with tuberculosis in the absence of treatment. If tuberculosis is treated in a timely manner, tuberculin bacilli cease to be released, so the infected person is no longer contagious and is absolutely safe for others.

Features of treatment of cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV

Toxoplasmosis is an infection that is the main cause of damage to the central nervous system in people with AIDS.

With HIV infection, the following symptoms of toxoplasmosis can be observed:

• persistent headache;
• fever;
• confusion;
• severe weakness;
• possible paralysis of one side of the body;
• speech disorders;
• loss of sensation in the limbs;
• loss of vision.

HIV prevention

When having sexual contact with an HIV-infected person, the only way to prevent possible infection is to use a condom.

The risk of contracting an infection is present in the following cases:

• for any type of sexual contact;
• when vaginal discharge or sperm gets into the oral cavity, mucous membranes, or damaged, injured skin (cuts, wounds).

The only method of preventing HIV infection in people addicted to drugs is treatment for such addiction and the use of individual syringes and needles.

For HIV-infected parents, the best way to prevent HIV in an unborn child is the regular use of antiviral drugs during pregnancy, or complete abstinence from natural breastfeeding after the birth of the baby.

During medical procedures, the main method of prevention remains the use of disposable instruments for injections. When it comes to blood donation, only careful testing of this blood can reduce the risk of infection.

Since doctors have not yet come up with a vaccine against HIV infection, it is imperative to carry out timely prevention of this terrible disease.

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Is it possible to completely cure HIV?

Whether HIV can be cured or not is a question that worries millions of people around the world. It is worth noting that hundreds of scientists are working to find a vaccine or cure for this disease. Did they manage to find a miracle cure that makes HIV curable today? Unfortunately, no one can give a positive answer to this question yet. When talking about whether HIV can be treated, you should pay attention to the fact that there is no talk of complete elimination yet. However, modern medicine has made great progress in this matter.

Will HIV be cured soon?

To answer the question of whether it will be possible to cure HIV in the near future, we should consider the most important discoveries of recent years in the field of immunodeficiency virus research. Perhaps they will shed light on this issue. What studies, the results of which were recently published, are we talking about:

• Zinc fingers. In 2016, a discovery was made at one of the universities of Pennsylvania, thanks to which scientists announced that they knew how to cure HIV. They invented a genome that actively fights virus cells. Cure from HIV using an artificially derived genome, which some scientists have already begun to call designer, is possible due to the fact that it suppresses viral cells at breakneck speed. That is why it came to be called zinc fingers. This means that in the near future the question of whether AIDS can be treated can be answered positively.
• Gene scissors. At the end of 2015, material was published about how HIV infection can be cured forever. Scientists from Germany were able to extract from the body of an infected person a molecule that is responsible for the infection of healthy tissues by the immunodeficiency virus. Attempts to do this over several decades have been unsuccessful. Based on long-term studies of this molecule, it was possible to develop a vaccine, with the help of which doubts about whether AIDS and HIV can be cured forever will disappear. The new drug was called gene scissors. It has one significant difference from all other drugs and vaccines that have been developed recently. With its help, it is possible not to suppress the infection, but to cut it out of the body. In other words, the number of infected tissues does not decrease; they are simply eliminated. Are HIV and AIDS currently being treated with this drug? Not yet. Today it is being tested on a group of volunteers. The first testing showed excellent results. Of all those infected, a positive effect was noted in approximately seventy percent. Perhaps it is thanks to this drug that the answer to the question of how to cure HIV will become known.
• New antiviral drug. Scientists from France have developed a new antiviral drug that suppresses the immunodeficiency virus so much that it will not manifest itself for a long time. In this case, we are not talking about how to cure HIV from the body forever. The innovative drug only helps to keep the number of cells within the upper limit of normal. Very little time has passed since the first studies of the drug, but the results showed brilliant results. For now, it is impossible to say whether HIV infection can be cured with its help. It is also impossible to state how long the latent period will last. However, the forecasts in this regard are positive. It is believed that the average life expectancy of those infected after taking this drug will be increased to several decades. Further development of an antiviral drug should lead to the fact that patients can be completely cured of HIV.

Have you ever been cured of HIV?

The question of whether there are cases of cure for HIV worries many. People look for such information on the Internet, on forums and websites. But this is not entirely correct. For such information, it is better to refer to statistics from the WHO or the Ministry of Health, if we are talking about data for Russia. Both organizations cannot answer the question of whether HIV and AIDS are curable. The fact is that they have no recorded data on miraculous cases of relief from this terrible disease. But on forums and websites there are fierce debates about whether HIV can be treated or not. A separate category consists of AIDS dissidents who completely deny the existence of this terrible disease. These people believe that talk about whether HIV infection can be cured forever is pointless. After all, the immunodeficiency virus is a smart move by the world’s ruling elite, with the help of which money is laundered and so on. Although there is a lot of official evidence that the disease actually exists. This is evidenced by the high mortality threshold and the consequences that the virus leads to at the stage of secondary manifestations. AIDS dissidents are considered dangerous because they discourage some infected people from taking medications and preventative measures.

People often write on religious forums that HIV is completely curable. They declare that prayer, coming to faith and cleansing from all mortal things helped them get rid of a terrible fatal illness. Believing in this or not is a personal matter for everyone. However, official medicine urges people to take all precautions and trust only trusted sources regarding whether it is possible to be cured of HIV infection forever.

Relatively recently, a foreign scientific publication published information that several cases of complete elimination of the immunodeficiency virus have been recorded. At the same time, we are not talking about people who were tested on new drugs and vaccines. It’s just that at a certain point, several cases of complete recovery from HIV infection were recorded in positive patients. This happened to Europeans, and some scientists have found a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. The fact is that a gene was found in the body of Caucasian people that is responsible for the fight against virus cells. With its help, they are even developing a vaccine against this terrible disease. It is quite possible that the complete treatment of HIV, or rather its amazing disappearance, is directly related to some modification of this genome, with the help of which the virus was destroyed in the body of previously infected people.

Why HIV is not curable: what reasons are voiced by scientists and medical experts?

At the end of 2015, American scientists were able to find an answer to the question of why the immunodeficiency virus cannot be cured. This discovery made it possible to give a negative answer to the question of whether HIV and AIDS can be cured forever from the body. The fact is that we learned to suppress the virus itself ten years ago, but sooner or later it makes itself felt again. We are talking about situations when the body's immune response weakens. It turned out that along with the virus, a special protein enters the body, the presence of which was previously unknown. It completely blocks the work of a certain protein, which is responsible for the production of substances that suppress virus-infected cells. This study may further help find the answer to the question of how to cure HIV.

Modern medicine also has its own educated guesses on this matter. Experts believe that AIDS and HIV can be treated and suppressed up to a certain point. This is an acute stage that lasts only a few weeks. During this time, it is not possible to completely destroy infected cells. During this period, the virus is suppressed. This is followed by a long asymptomatic stage. It is characterized by the absence of any manifestations. Whether HIV infection can be cured or not during this period is clear thanks to modern diagnostic methods. After all, disease cells are detected at this moment, but do not manifest themselves in any way. They literally eat into the genetic tissue, after which they “fall asleep” for a certain time. A sharp exacerbation occurs before the onset of the stage of secondary manifestations. The body, which gets used to the fact that the virus cells are inactive, does not have time to cope with their rapid spread. Antibodies are produced slowly, and the consequences of the disease become irreversible.

In search of an answer to the question of whether HIV infection is completely curable, scientists tried to prescribe antiretroviral therapy to patients during the latent asymptomatic period. But this did not bring any results. The virus cells showed absolute resistance to any ART drugs.

Is it possible to cure HIV infection in the early stages?

Can HIV be completely cured in its early stages? This question cannot yet be answered positively. The measures that were taken to get rid of the disease at the initial stage can be called colossal. To restore immunity, they tried to transplant bone marrow into patients. In order for the blood composition to be optimal and successfully fight the immunodeficiency virus even in the acute stage, lymphocytes were injected into the infected. But all these measures turned out to be meaningless. The small positive effect that was at the initial stage was very quickly eliminated. Antibodies began to be produced slowly again, and the virus cells attacked the body with renewed vigor.

In this regard, unfortunately, it is still impossible to say with certainty that the immunodeficiency virus can be completely destroyed. We can only wait and hope that a cure will be found soon.

In this article we will consider the question: “Can HIV infection be cured?” You will learn about the types, diagnosis and prognosis of this pathology. Let's start with the fact that the disease is possible when the body is infected with the immunodeficiency virus. HIV infection is dangerous because the patient experiences a strong suppression of the body's protective properties, which can lead to a number of problems. This list includes secondary infections, malignant tumors, and so on.

The disease can take different forms. HIV infection is detected in the following ways:

• antibody detection;
• detection of viral RNA.

Treatment is currently provided in the form of a complex of special antiretroviral drugs. The latter are able to reduce the reproduction of the virus, which promotes a speedy recovery. You can learn more about everything that was said in this part by reading the article to the end.

HIV infection

In order to answer the main question (“Can HIV infection be cured?”), you need to understand what kind of disease it is. One thing that can be said about this virus is that it progresses very slowly, and the entire threat comes from the cells of the human immune system. For this reason, the immune system is slowly but surely suppressed. As a result, you can “earn” acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (popularly called AIDS).

The human body ceases to resist and protect itself from various infections, resulting in diseases that do not develop in a person with a normal immune system.

Even without medical intervention, a person infected with HIV can live up to 10 years. If the infection has acquired the status of AIDS, then the average life expectancy is only 10 months. It is also important to point out that when undergoing a special treatment course, life expectancy increases significantly.

The following are factors that affect the rate at which the infection develops:

• state of the immune system;
• age;
• strain;
• presence of concomitant diseases;
• nutrition;
• therapy;
• medical care.

In older people, HIV infection develops more rapidly; insufficient medical care and concomitant infectious diseases are another reason for the rapid development of the disease. So, can HIV infection be cured? It is possible, but it takes a lot of time for the treatment process itself and even more for rehabilitation.

Classification

HIV infection is considered the plague of the 21st century, but virologists already know that there is no single causative agent of this disease. In this regard, many scientific works are being written, which may subsequently give results and allow us to answer in detail the question: “What are the types of HIV infection?”

What is known so far? The types of terrible disease differ only in the location of the source in nature. That is, depending on the region, there are types: HIV-1, HIV-2, and so on. Each of them spreads in a specific area. This regional division allows the virus to adapt to local unfavorable factors.

In science, the most studied type of HIV-1 is, but how many of them there are is a question that remains open. This happened because there are many blank spots in the history of the study of HIV and AIDS.

Stages

Now we will try to understand the question of how many people live with HIV infection. To do this, we will look at the stages of the disease. For convenience and better clarity, we will present the information in the form of a table.

Thus, with proper and timely treatment, proper nutrition and lifestyle, you can live a full, long life (up to 70-80 years).

Symptoms

Now we will talk in more detail about the symptoms that accompany this disease.

Early symptoms of HIV infection:

• fever;
• rashes;
• pharyngitis;
• diarrhea.

At later stages, some other diseases may appear. They arise as a result of decreased immunity. These include:

• angina;
• pneumonia;
• herpes;
• fungal infections and so on.

After this period, the latent stage will most likely begin. It leads to the development of immunodeficiency. Now immune cells are dying. On the body you can notice signs of the disease - inflamed lymph nodes. It is also important to note that each organism is individual; the stages may occur in the order given above, but some steps may be missing. The same can be said about symptoms.

HIV in children

In this section you will find out whether HIV infection in children can be cured. First, let's talk about the causes of infection. These include:

• infection in the womb;
• use of unprocessed medical instruments;
• organ transplantation.

Regarding the first point, the probability of transmitting the infection is 50%. Treatment during pregnancy is a condition that significantly reduces the risk of infection. Now about the risk factors:

• lack of treatment;
• premature birth;
• natural childbirth;
• uterine bleeding;
• taking drugs and alcohol during pregnancy;
• breast-feeding.

Considering these factors, you can reduce the risk to 10-20 percent. Treatment for HIV infection is certainly necessary. At this stage of medical development, there is no medicine that completely eliminates HIV. However, proper treatment can significantly improve the patient’s condition and make it possible to live a full and happy life.

Diagnostics

Why is disease diagnosis needed? Of course, to make a final and accurate diagnosis. If your fears are confirmed, you should immediately go to the doctor. There is no need to hesitate here: the sooner you start treatment, the fewer problems there will be in the future. Under no circumstances should you self-medicate.

It is also important to know that many diseases can be hidden under the mask of HIV infection, which can be eliminated quite quickly with the help of medicine. In which country is HIV treatment treated? In all cases, you just have to go to a special institution where you need to get tested. When you receive an answer in your hands, if the result is positive, do not hesitate, go to a specialist.

To confirm the diagnosis, you need to undergo a rapid test to detect infection. If it gives a positive result, then further research is carried out in the laboratory, where the stage is detected using ELISA or PCR methods.

Express test

A rapid test for HIV infection is currently the most common method that allows you to identify the disease at home yourself. Remember, until recently it was necessary to donate blood from a vein, but now you go to the pharmacy and find out the result 5 minutes later. You can also order a rapid HIV test via the Internet.

The test requires just a drop of blood from your finger. Don’t forget that you need to wash your hands, for a puncture it is better to use a “doll” (purchased at a pharmacy), wipe your finger with alcohol. The HIV test is a real breakthrough in diagnosing this disease. The thing is that HIV may not manifest itself at all. The infection penetrates the cells and begins to destroy them, and when there are few healthy ones left, the body is no longer able to resist. This stage is called AIDS, and this disease is very dangerous.

• wash your hands with soap;
• wipe dry;
• open the package with the dough;
• massage the finger you will be piercing, treat it with alcohol;
• make a puncture and place your finger over the blood reservoir;
• drop 5 drops of solvent into a special container;
• We wait 15 minutes.

Treatment

Treatment of HIV infection is carried out using special antiretroviral drugs. It is necessary to start treatment as early as possible, this helps to delay the development of AIDS. Many people ignore treatment because the virus has not shown itself for a long time. This should not be done, because sooner or later the body will give up. It should be remembered that the virus has the most negative impact on the immune system; without treatment, you will soon have to wait for a whole series of serious and unpleasant diseases.

To prevent the development of AIDS, doctors try to suppress the virus. From the first day of detection of the disease, the patient must take special antiviral drugs that adversely affect the life cycle of the pathogen. That is, under the influence of antiretroviral drugs, the virus cannot fully develop in the human body.

A feature of HIV infection is rapid adaptation to an unfavorable environment. For this reason, after taking the same medicine for a long time, the virus gets used to it and adapts to it. Then doctors resort to a trick - combining antiviral drugs. This is necessary so that it is impossible to develop resistance to them.

Drugs

In this section we will talk about what drugs are used to treat HIV infection. It was previously mentioned that therapy is carried out using antiretroviral drugs. In total, there are 2 types of them:

• reverse transcriptase inhibitors;
• protease inhibitors.

The standard treatment regimen involves taking two drugs of the first type and one of the second. They are prescribed only by a qualified, experienced doctor. The first type includes the following drugs:

• "Epivir."
• "Retrovir".
• "Ziagen".

The second type includes:

• "Norvir."
• "Ritonavir."
• "Invirase".

Do not self-medicate; take medications in the dosage and according to the regimen prescribed by your doctor.

Is it possible to be completely cured?

So, can HIV infection be completely cured? At the moment, no remedy has yet been developed that would get rid of the virus 100%. However, medicine does not stand still; perhaps a miracle drug for HIV infection will soon be developed.

Currently, medicine will help those infected to live a long and happy life by maintaining their health with antiviral drugs.

Which doctor should I contact?

A doctor who treats HIV infection is an infectious disease specialist. If you suspect immunodeficiency, you should contact this specialist. Where can I find it? Reception should be carried out in each clinic. If the medical institution to which you are geographically attached does not have this doctor, then feel free to contact the regional hospital.

You can list all your complaints to an infectious disease specialist, and he will prescribe special blood tests. Further clinical observation will be carried out. This is a mandatory part if the diagnosis is confirmed.

It is also important to know that there are anonymous AIDS centers everywhere. Help and initial consultation with an infectious disease specialist can also be obtained there.

Forecasts

How long do people live with HIV infection? If treated, it is possible to live up to 80 years with this disease. The earlier you start treatment, the easier it is to prevent the development of AIDS, which is the cause of death in this disease.

There is currently no drug that eliminates HIV infection 100%. The average life expectancy of HIV-infected people is 12 years. But it is worth remembering that a lot depends on your efforts.

Prevention

Above we described how HIV-infected people are treated in Russia, and now we will name the main preventive measures. In Russia, as in other countries, an integrated approach is used. The main means of therapy are antiviral drugs.

• lead a safe and orderly intimate life;
• be sure to treat sexually transmitted diseases;
• avoid contact with other people's blood;
• use disposable sealed syringes (do not use if packaging is damaged).

These simple rules will help you avoid such a serious disease as AIDS. Follow them and be healthy!