HIV is a virus that was discovered not so long ago. When it enters the bloodstream, it affects only one type of cell - white blood cells. They are responsible for human immunity. Thus, HIV causes severe immunodeficiency in the patient, which is why the body cannot resist fungal, viral and oncological pathologies, which in most cases cause the death of an AIDS patient.
Many people panic when they find out that they have HIV infection. How long one can live with such a disease and how long they have left is the main question for such patients. On numerous forums where this diagnosis is discussed, there is no accurate information about HIV infection. How long you can live from such information is also not entirely clear. Statistics from the last 10 years can only provide approximate data, which indicates that on average, after infection HIV person lives fifteen years.
Despite this, the real picture of the life expectancy of people with this virus is highly individual and depends on many factors. This is how some people live full life have been living with HIV for more than thirty years and feel quite healthy (there is even recorded confirmation of this, where a man lived his entire life with HIV and died at an old age). Other patients die within the first five years after contracting the virus, suffering from many complications and consequences of the disease.
Thus, even if a patient directly asks a doctor a question about what HIV infection is and how long he or she can live with it, no doctor will be able to answer accurately, because everything is individual and depends on the person’s lifestyle, opportunistic pathologies, and also the morale of the patient.
Thanks to modern techniques treatment, a sick person can contain the virus in the body. This therapy is called antiretroviral therapy and is prescribed to all patients with HIV.
Every year, new, improved drugs appear on the market, thanks to which therapy is progressing positively and showing top scores. If a patient voluntarily refuses to take HIV medications, this will lead to the rapid spread of the virus in the body, which will ultimately contribute to the development last stage of this infection called AIDS.
In this state, the patient’s immune system will no longer be able to withstand any external negative influences, so even the slightest cold with a tendency towards pneumonia can easily lead to the death of a person. Moreover, in the absence of treatment, a patient’s HIV infection declines. immune status, therefore, fungal and oncological pathologies can occur in the body, which, by the way, in most cases lead to the death of the patient.
For this reason, if a person does not regularly take prescribed medications and carry out supportive treatment, it will take five to ten years from the moment of infection to death. This largely depends on the amount of virus that entered the body initially and the state of the patient’s immune system (if a person suffers from additional pathologies, That death he will get AIDS faster).
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How long do people live with HIV infection if it is treated?
HIV infection, like tuberculosis or hepatitis, is very difficult to treat and has high rate mortality. A particularly difficult situation is observed when the primary infection occurred in a child at birth or in an adult (a large amount of the virus can be acquired through a transfusion of contaminated blood). In this case, the patient will not live long.
Many people are interested in the question of how many people live with HIV infection those patients who undergo curative therapy. According to doctors’ comments, such patients significantly prolong their lives, because thanks to taking antiviral drugs from HIV, they manage to maintain their immunity and keep the virus itself under control. Moreover, in many ways, how many people live with HIV infection depends on correctly selected medications and compliance with medical advice.
How long people live with HIV infection will also depend on how well a particular patient responds to therapy. This treatment, first of all, is aimed at a direct impact on the virus and protecting a person from the development of AIDS. Thus, if the patient takes his treatment seriously and takes all prescribed medications, he can live with HIV for decades. On average, people with this diagnosis (taking medications) live thirty years from the moment of infection.
You should know that so far scientists have not been able to invent a vaccine against HIV, since this virus has a high form of mutagenicity, therefore, even with the most bad conditions it can change RNA. This makes it resistant to almost all drugs. If we consider in detail the benefits of HIV treatment and its connection with the long life of the patient, then it must be said that thanks to such therapy, the number of useful cells of the immune system in the body increases, so the suppression of the virus occurs constantly.
In addition, life expectancy will largely depend on the doctor’s experience, correctly selected medications and test results. Because of medicines from HIV are constantly updated and improved, the average life expectancy of patients with this diagnosis is Lately increased by another eight years, which indicates a slow but sure path to the invention of a drug that can cure HIV.
Moreover, according to researchers, the quality and overall duration of people with HIV is constantly increasing, so it can be argued that people with this virus live about the same as long as people with diabetes.
To maintain a stable condition, a patient with HIV needs to regularly take prescribed medications, undergo tests and undergo a follow-up examination with a doctor. Also, if there is the slightest deterioration in health, a person should immediately report this to the observing doctor. To live happily with HIV, a person needs to reconsider his views and habits in many ways. First of all, accept your diagnosis and not get hung up on it, because constant fears and the expectation of “something bad” will not have any benefit for the body, but on the contrary, will lead to prolonged depression
, suicidal tendencies and neurosis. If a person with HIV reacts calmly or at least with understanding to his illness, then this will have a positive effect on his condition, because millions of people live with HIV, create families and even give birth to children. bad habits, which have a detrimental effect on the immune system. We are talking about smoking, drinking alcohol and drugs. An HIV-infected person should forget about these things forever, if he, of course, wants to prolong his life.
This is not at all difficult to do, especially if the patient understands that he really does not need it and makes the right choice.
It is very important in such a state to observe dietary food(abstain from fatty, fried, sweet, salty foods). The basis of the diet should be vegetables and fruits, juices, cereals, boiled meat, fish and soups. Many scientists recommend that their patients conduct active image life to keep the body in shape. Thanks to this, you can really extend your life years. These may be lengthy hiking, swimming, cycling and much more. The main thing is not to sit on the couch at home, but to move and be physically active.
Quite a lot important role plays in case of HIV infection psychological support sick person's loved ones. Unfortunately, most relatives and friends distance themselves from an HIV-infected person, afraid to even talk to him. This is due, first of all, to a lack of understanding of the disease and stupid phobias. In fact, a person with HIV really needs support and kind words from people close to him. This can not only set him up positively, but also instill faith in life itself.
And the leader of a mutual aid group for HIV-positive women in the Kyiv branch of the Network. She openly lives with HIV, helps women accept their status and cope with depression, and conducts trainings for doctors, social workers and patients. Vera told us about her personal experience and conditions in the fight against the HIV epidemic in Ukraine.
About personal
Since learning of my HIV status 16 years ago, I have gone through fear, discrimination and depression. Then the diagnosis was a real stigma for me: in small town There were no HIV activists or social workers; there was nowhere to get help and information.
Doctors stated that my child would not be able to be healthy, and that I myself would live no more than 5 years. Some simply wrapped a pen in paper for me to sign, did not allow me to enter the office, and wrote the word “HIV” in red on the medical card so that everyone could see it. At that moment, I felt like an outcast, and I couldn’t even think that I would ever be able to talk openly about my illness.
Doctors stated that my child would not be able to be healthy, and that I myself would live no more than 5 years.
Now internally I feel free and calm. Of course, I want a cure to appear and for us all to recover. But for now I live like all people with chronic diseases.
About accepting HIV status
When people learn about their status, they experience extreme stress. The main thing that interests them is whether they will live. But without quality information and support, stress becomes chronic nature and, as a result, depression, self-stigma and self-discrimination are born. It is important to understand that HIV is a controlled virus. A person will live long, happily and fulfilled if he wants it, and by taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), you can build a family, give birth to healthy children, and realize all your plans and dreams.
A person will live long, happily and fulfilled if he wants it. By taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), you can build a family, give birth to healthy children, and realize all your plans and dreams.
Without support and fundamental knowledge about HIV and ART, a person may refuse treatment. But this does not mean that he is not ready to have sex, spreading the infection further. First thing to do HIV infected person— register with the AIDS center, diagnose the state of your immunity, receive treatment and advisory support.
Acceptance of status occurs when the patient stops denying his illness and takes control of it. All people have different psychotypes, and women often take longer to accept their HIV status. They have more guilt and fears because gender role, assigned in our society: from time immemorial, it was the woman who was responsible for the health of the family; she gives birth and experiences personal guilt if the child is not healthy. Without receiving quality information and support, she may give up on the future, and in a state or depression, she sometimes simply does not have the determination and strength to act.
About HIV treatment and fear
Antiretroviral therapy is the main help and “magic wand” for HIV-infected people, but if it is imposed, the patient will simply take the pills and throw them down the toilet. Women who do not want to take treatment are often recommended to our group. They find different reasons for this.
Websites and forums of AIDS dissidents make a negative contribution. A person learns about his HIV status, dives into the Internet and finds there great amount misinformation. The psyche is currently determined to perceive it as truth, because the first stages of accepting any diagnosis are denial and anger.
I believe in God and respect believers, but among them there are people who try not to communicate with social workers, believe in healing, do not get tested and do not take ART.
I believe in God and respect believers, but among them there are people who try not to communicate with social workers, believe in healing, do not get tested and do not take ART. Unfortunately, many of them then end up in hospital with stage 4 HIV, when without intensive care no longer possible. Some of them can no longer be saved.
Many people are simply afraid of “chemistry”, which they will have to take for the rest of their lives. It is important to convey to patients that if side effects, they can always be eliminated.
About stigma and discrimination against HIV-infected people
To stop the epidemic, all people living with HIV must take ART. But the barrier to treatment is stigma and discrimination, including from health workers. We cannot guarantee that the doctor will treat the person with tolerance, because there is no quality information about HIV in either schools or institutes, including medical ones.
You should not tell the doctor directly “I am HIV-infected”: this will determine whether you will be treated now. necessary help. But the conversation should take place on equal terms: “Yes, I have HIV, I am taking therapy and I hope that you know what it is. And if you don’t know, I’m ready to tell you.”
You should not tell the doctor directly “I am HIV-infected”: this will determine whether you will receive the necessary help now.
Of course, today in Ukraine there is no such appalling ignorance towards HIV-infected people as there was 16 years ago. But the USAID/RESPECT results show that stigma exists, and the rate of its decline is very slow: over 6 years the rate fell from 82% to 76%. If a person lives in a village, he will almost certainly have to face discrimination and disclosure of status. Often in such cases, patients have to change their place of residence and completely destroy their way of life.
People need to be educated not only big cities, but also in villages, because there they are more vulnerable. Fortunately, today there is a USAID RESPECT project implemented by the PLHIV Network. It is aimed at educating doctors and nurses, teaching them to provide assistance to people living with HIV and treat them with an open mind.
About mutual support for HIV-positive women
47% of newly diagnosed HIV-infected people are women, and in age group From 14 to 25 years old, the majority of girls are 75%. That is why it is necessary to create gender-oriented programs and provide consultations on sexual and reproductive health.
Self Help Group HIV-infected women“Kiyanka+” has existed for 3 years, and now there are more than 100 women in it. Participants see others with the same problem, hear stories of their success, stories about children and loved ones. The girls understand that one day they will have the strength to move on, and they will be able to achieve this themselves.
47% of newly diagnosed HIV-infected people are women, and in the age group from 14 to 25 years old, the majority are girls - 75%.
When talking to women, I don’t say: “I’m HIV-positive, I have two healthy children, an uninfected husband, I work, everything is great for me.” This is a component of help, but this approach alone will not help: fears and misinformation will not go away from the mind. It is important to understand the need and problem of a particular woman, to solve it at the informational, psychological, and physical levels.
Recently, the number of people with HIV infection has been increasing in our country. How long can an adult or child live with this disease? What type of life can a person with HIV infection lead? The answers to these questions can be found in this article.
How long can you live with HIV infection?
An exact answer to this question does not exist. Some patients can live for several years, others live up to old age. The life expectancy of people with HIV infection depends on many factors, which include:- presence of bad habits;
- food quality;
- immunity;
- presence of concomitant diseases;
- stage of HIV infection;
- taking medications for treatment of this disease.
On average, people live with HIV from 10 to 40 years.
Life expectancy without treatment
Sometimes people with HIV infection, instead of turning to specialists and getting drug treatment, are looking for ways to combat this virus using folk remedies and others unconventional ways. Often, it is untimely access to specialists that leads to a reduction in the life expectancy of patients with HIV infection. Because timely therapy will help slow down the development of the virus in the body and significantly improve the quality and length of life.If, if you suspect infection with this virus, you do not take the necessary medications to prevent the development of HIV infection, the disease goes into the second stage, which can be either asymptomatic or with the manifestation of the first signs of the disease. Most often, HIV infection is detected at this stage.
Basically, the disease enters the second stage from several weeks to one year. If treatment is not started at this stage, a chronic stage occurs, which is characterized by an asymptomatic course. Depending on the patient's immunity, can last from several months to several years, everything is quite individual.
The next stage is characterized by the development of diseases that are quite life-threatening, such as oncology, diseases nervous system. Without treatment at this stage, the patient will have several months left.
In order to prevent the progression of the virus, if infection is suspected or confirmed, you should immediately contact specialists to receive the necessary medical assistance.
Life expectancy with drug therapy
IN in this case, the course of the disease depends on exactly what stage the virus was detected and how timely treatment began. Therapy is aimed at eliminating symptoms characteristic of HIV infection, preventing the rapid development of the disease and strengthening the patient’s immunity.When selecting medications, test data, health status and lifestyle are taken into account. Based on the above information, specialists select a set of medications and check the effectiveness of therapy. If for some reason the treatment does not bring results, then new drugs are selected.
Since the virus can mutate, it is very important not to miss scheduled consultations with your doctor so that he can correctly select the necessary medications.
With timely and properly selected treatment, a person with HIV infection can lead an almost normal life and live to a ripe old age, but therapy should be carried out throughout the patient’s life.
Life expectancy of children
The life expectancy of children with this disease also directly depends on timely treatment, health status and stage of the disease. If you follow all the recommendations of your doctor, a child with HIV infection can live a full and long life.Lifestyle with HIV infection
Because the this disease significantly weakens immune system, you should not only take special medications, but also carefully monitor your lifestyle. A properly selected diet can significantly improve your quality of life. Fine balanced diet And sufficient quantity useful substances will help the body suppress the virus.
You should carefully monitor your weight, as more late stages, experts note its significant loss. You should eat small meals every 3-4 hours. Experts recommend slightly increasing the calorie content of the foods you eat. You should only add to your diet quality food and avoid rotten vegetables and fruits, as well as stitched products. When preparing meat and fish dishes You should be especially careful to ensure that the dish is completely ready for use.
It is advisable to avoid too hot or, conversely, too cold drinks or dishes. You should also avoid dehydration and drink 1.5-2 liters of water per day. If you have no appetite, you must adhere to fractional meals, eat at least a small amount of food every couple of hours.
It is necessary to treat not only food well before cooking and consumption, but also kitchen utensils and dishes. Because poorly washed kitchen utensils can become breeding grounds various bacteria, which can be quite dangerous for a person with HIV infection. To do this, cutting boards and knives should be divided according to their intended purpose: for meat, fish, vegetables, bread. After cooking, you must immediately clean all pots, and after eating, utensils and plates.
WITH special attention people with this disease should treat their diet accordingly in public places. HIV infection is not transmitted by everyday means(see about ), but non-compliance sanitary standards in establishments Catering may harm the body of people with the above disease.
To improve your well-being, you should also do moderate physical exercise, but only after prior consultation with your doctor. Because people with HIV often lose weight, to avoid severe exhaustion, it is not recommended to exercise if you have lost significant weight.
If there are no problems with uncontrolled weight loss, then you can engage in light sports. This could be running, aerobics, yoga, moderate exercise in the gym. Contraindications to the above activities include:
- digestive disorders;
- increased sweating during sleep;
- disturbances in the functioning of the heart and nervous system;
- swelling;
- migraine;
- menstrual irregularities.
Bad habits such as drinking narcotic substances or alcoholic beverages, have a destructive effect on the body, and in the case of a person with HIV infection, these substances can stimulate the development of the disease, and drug therapy will be powerless.
Drugs, especially injected ones, significantly reduce the body's endurance, especially in the presence of HIV infection. Therefore, it is advisable to completely abandon the use of these substances. If you cannot get rid of this addiction on your own, you should contact special centers, where competent specialists will provide the necessary assistance.
Alcohol, especially in small quantities and rarely, often does not accelerate the development of the disease. But some drugs that are used for therapy in the presence of HIV infection are not compatible with alcoholic drinks. Therefore, in order to avoid undesirable consequences, it is necessary to consult with your treating specialist.
In the case of alcohol abuse, people with the above disease have a particularly increased risk of developing diseases caused by alcohol.
You should also refuse or, in as a last resort, minimize the number of cigarettes, since nicotine puts additional stress on the patient’s heart and blood vessels. Experts also suggested that smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of HIV infection in the newborn.
If you have the above disease, if the patient feels well and is regularly seen by a doctor, you should also not refuse vacations and travel. But you should especially carefully monitor the quality of the food you eat and drinking water and avoid swimming on wild beaches. It is also necessary to carefully study possible viruses and diseases that may occur at your destination. Before traveling, you should consult with your doctor about methods of preventing various diseases.
Before sunbathing, you must remember to protect your skin from excessive ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, it is recommended to use special creams, protect your head from overheating and wear high-quality Sunglasses. If you want to sunbathe, you should also pay attention to the presence of diseases that, when staying on the beach, can cause undesirable consequences.
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 severe depression protective properties body, which can lead to a number of problems. This list includes secondary infections, malignant formations and so on.
The disease can take different shapes. 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 contributes to 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 passing 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 related infectious diseases- This is 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, much has been written scientific works, 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.
Incubation (1) | This period lasts from 3 weeks to 3 months. IN incubation period It is clinically impossible to detect this disease. |
Primary manifestations (2) | This stage can take several forms; it is already possible to clinically detect HIV infection. |
Stage 2.1 | It occurs without any symptoms. It is possible to detect the virus because antibodies are produced. |
Stage 2.2 | It is called "acute", but it does not cause secondary diseases. There may be some symptoms that may be confused with those of other diseases. |
Stage 2.3 | This is another type of “acute” HIV infection; it contributes to the occurrence of side diseases that can be easily treated (sore throat, pneumonia, candidiasis, and so on). |
Subclinical stage (3) | At this moment it happens gradual decline immunity, as a rule, there are no symptoms of the disease. Increase possible lymph nodes. Average duration stage is 7 years. However, there have been cases where the subclinical stage lasted more than 20 years. |
Secondary diseases (4) | There are also 3 stages (4.1, 4.2, 4.3). Distinctive feature- weight loss, bacterial, fungal and viral infections. |
Terminal stage (5) | Treatment of HIV infection at this stage does not lead to any positive results. This occurs due to irreversible damage internal organs. The person dies a few months later. |
Thus, with the correct and timely treatment, proper nutrition and lifestyle you can live a full life long life(up to 70-80 years old).
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 of this period, most likely, the latent stage will begin. It leads to the development of immunodeficiency. Now they are dying immune cells. You can notice signs of the disease on the body - swollen 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 correct treatment can significantly improve the patient’s condition and makes it possible to live a full and happy life.
Diagnostics
Why is disease diagnosis needed? Of course, to set the 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 he gave 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 itself for a long time didn’t show it at all. 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 influence on the immune system, without treatment you will soon have to wait for a whole string 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 have a detrimental effect on life cycle pathogen. That is, under the influence of antiretroviral drugs, the virus cannot fully develop in the human body.
A feature of HIV infection is its rapid adaptation to 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 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 in medical institution, to which you are geographically attached, this doctor is not available, then feel free to contact your local hospital.
You can list all your complaints to an infectious disease specialist, and he will prescribe special blood tests. Next will be carried out dispensary observation. This 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, it is used A complex approach. 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 avoid such a serious disease as AIDS. Follow them and be healthy!
The situation regarding HIV infection remains extremely unfavorable both in Russia and in other countries. Young, sexually active people are at significant risk of infection active people, because even a single unprotected sexual contact can lead to infection. As a result, the statistics of HIV infections in Russia reflect only their steady increase. In addition, today in our country there are many children living with HIV infection who were born from HIV-infected women. Therefore, each of us needs to have at least minimal information on how to protect ourselves during close contacts with HIV-infected people. Let's discuss how to live with an HIV-infected person?
Having received information about his HIV positivity, a person finds himself in complete disarray and does not know how to live further. He naturally begins to think about possible discrimination, unemployment, the need to change his personal and sexual life, friendships and family relationships. Relatives and friends at this stage can provide a person with the most important moral support.
Safety
Once again, it is worth recalling that you can become infected with HIV only through contact with blood, semen or vaginal discharge. Other body fluids (vomit, urine, feces, tears and saliva) are not dangerous unless they contain blood.
In everyday life, you can become infected with HIV only by using a shared toothbrush and shaving utensils, and only if the mucous membranes oral cavity bleed, because brushing teeth and shaving is accompanied by the smallest violations skin integrity.
HIV infection is not transmitted by talking, shaking hands, ordinary kisses, or hugs. Ordinary furnishings, etc. are also completely harmless.
How to create conditions for completely safe housing with an HIV-infected person?
In an apartment where a person infected with HIV lives, it is necessary to systematically carry out wet cleaning. It is best to do this every day and use any household cleaning products.
If furniture, furnishings or floors are dirty biological fluids organism, they must be thoroughly disinfected. To do this, you must first put on rubber gloves, and then:
Remove contamination using a paper towel. Next, it must be placed in a plastic bag or soaked in any disinfecting solution for about an hour. Then you can throw the napkin in the trash;
Wipe the area of contamination with a damp cloth soaked in a disinfectant solution, or thoroughly rinse hot water with some household detergent intended for surface treatment or for washing;
Wash off the remaining disinfectant or detergent with plain clean water;
The cloth that was used for treatment must be soaked in a disinfectant for about an hour or boiled for half an hour. Also, for the purpose of disinfection, you can soak it for a couple of hours in a solution of some kind. detergent for washing.
As for rubber gloves, after use it is advisable to soak them for an hour in the same disinfecting solution or for a couple of hours in a solution of homemade detergent intended for washing.
After such manipulation, hands must be washed with soap and thoroughly dried with a towel. If there is any damage to the skin, be sure to cover it with an adhesive bandage before starting cleaning.
All family members must strictly adhere to the rules of personal hygiene: systematically wash their hands, take a shower, and use exclusively individual toothbrushes, combs and razors. For home treatment, only disposable syringes can be used.
Careful care of those areas of the body that are exposed is extremely important. high risk microbial infection (behind the inguinal folds, armpits, perineum, genitals).
When injecting narcotic substances, it is necessary to follow basic preventive measures - use only disposable syringes and in no case throw them away after injection.
During sexual intercourse, protective measures should also be observed: use female or male condoms. And if they are damaged, it is necessary to carry out immediate preventive treatment using special means: solutions of chlorhexidine or miramistin.
All used bandages, various napkins, hygiene bags and disposable syringes require disinfection or destruction.
It is extremely important to maintain cleanliness in common areas - baths, showers and toilets.
Of course, both patients and their family members should follow all the advice and instructions of doctors. It is therefore extremely important to complete the prescribed course of anti-retroviral and antibacterial treatment, even after discharge from a medical institution.
If the condition of an HIV-infected person worsens or he develops some kind of illness, he should immediately seek medical help.
Of course, proper and balanced nutrition plays an important role.
It is worth noting that rubber gloves when caring for a person with HIV are necessary only when coming into contact with his body’s secretions, which can be potentially dangerous. This applies to blood, sperm, etc.
In general, all patients with HIV infection and their family members need to follow all doctors’ recommendations and do not hesitate to ask any questions about living together.