How do you know if you have AIDS?
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS/HIV, is a serious health condition caused by the HIV virus that targets the immune system. The HIV virus weakens the immune system by destroying white blood cells, which play a critical role in the body’s defense against infections. This leads to the development of AIDS, the most advanced stage of HIV.
The most prominent symptoms of AIDS include sudden and abnormal weight loss, night sweats, diarrhea and high fever. The disease is triggered by the HIV virus and although there is currently no definitive cure, modern medicine has made it possible to control HIV and AIDS with medicines. This allows patients to manage the effects of the virus and maintain their quality of life. However, it is important that HIV-infected individuals receive regular treatment and closely monitor their health. So, what is AIDs? What causes AIDS? You can find the details in our article.
What is AIDS/HIV?
AIDS, known in English as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is a serious immune system problem caused by the HIV virus. AIDS weakens the immune system by targeting cells that are critical to the body’s defense mechanism. This increases the risk of serious infections and diseases such as cancer. In this disease, also abbreviated as AIDS/HIV, the body becomes unable to defend itself due to the collapse of the immune system.
Early detection of HIV infection is vital both for the success of treatment and for preventing the transmission of the virus to others. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the symptoms, transmission routes and prevention methods of AIDS. Education and awareness-raising play a key role in preventing the spread of this disease. It is crucial in the fight against AIDS/HIV that everyone has the necessary information to protect themselves from the virus and protect their health.
What are the symptoms of AIDS?
The HIV virus can go unnoticed for many years after it enters the body, often causing no obvious symptoms. The virus begins to multiply immediately after entering the body and gradually weakens the immune system. However, once the virus level exceeds a certain point, the first symptoms of AIDS begin to appear. These symptoms may not affect daily life much, so they are often overlooked. So what are the symptoms of AIDS?
In the early stages of AIDS, a person may experience mild symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, intermittent diarrhea, white patches in the mouth and frequent illnesses. Because these symptoms are too general to suggest AIDS, the disease often goes unrecognized and continues to progress.
In the later stages of the disease, more serious symptoms such as involuntary rapid weight loss, prolonged diarrhea, night sweats, recurrent fever, deep white sores in the mouth, pink, red or purple patches on the skin, and respiratory illness. Cognitive problems, such as forgetfulness, also start to appear at this stage. These symptoms indicate that the immune system is severely weakened and HIV has entered the AIDS stage.
How is AIDS transmitted?
AIDS is transmitted when bodily fluids of people infected with the HIV virus enter the body of people who have not been in contact with the virus. The most effective body fluids for this spread include blood, semen, vaginal secretions and breast milk. So, how is AIDS transmitted?
Sexual Transmission: 80-85% of HIV infections occur through unprotected sexual intercourse. The virus, which is found in the semen of an HIV-positive man or in the vaginal secretions of an HIV-positive woman, enters through body mucous membranes whose integrity is compromised during sexual intercourse. This method of transmission can occur between anyone who has unprotected sex (female to male, male to female, female to female and male to male). Even a single unprotected sexual intercourse with an HIV-positive person can lead to the development of HIV infection.
Blood Borne Transmission: HIV is found in the blood of infected individuals. Healthy people who come into contact with this blood are at risk of infection. This transmission usually occurs through injury with sharps that have come into contact with infected blood or through contact of blood with skin or mucous membranes. Healthcare workers are particularly at risk for this type of transmission.
Mother to Baby Transmission: An HIV-infected mother can transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy, at the time of delivery or after delivery through breastfeeding. Therefore, it is vital that HIV-positive mothers take special precautions during pregnancy and childbirth.
How is AIDS diagnosed?
AIDS/HIV is diagnosed with an HIV test, which detects antibodies or specific parts of the virus in the blood. The immune system of an individual who has come into contact with the virus usually responds within 3 to 8 weeks and antibody levels in the blood rise rapidly. However, in some cases it can take up to 6 months for these antibodies to reach detectable levels. Since this can make early diagnosis of the disease difficult, tests that examine antigens and antibodies together are more preferred.
This makes it possible to detect the disease as early as the 3rd week of contact with the virus. The first step in diagnosing AIDS is an ELISA test. If the result of this test is negative, it is assumed that HIV infection is not present. However, if the ELISA test is positive, the test is repeated. If the test is positive again, a Western blot test is used for confirmation. If this confirmatory test is also positive, the person is diagnosed with AIDS/HIV.
How is AIDS treated?
The main goal of AIDS treatment is to preserve CD4 cells, which begin to decline when the virus enters the body. In order to stabilize the number of these immune cells and stop the progression of HIV, a treatment protocol consisting of at least three different drugs is usually used.
Which drugs are used in the treatment is determined by the doctor, depending on the resistance of the virus to these drugs. If the patient follows this treatment plan meticulously and takes his/her medication regularly, it is possible to control AIDS/HIV to a large extent and slow the progression of the disease.
Play Soundcloud
Read PDF File
AIDS/HIV FAQ
(Frequently Asked Questions)
When HIV progresses to the AIDS stage, the body is faced with severe symptoms. At this stage, it is common for a person to experience rapid and involuntary weight loss, to sweat heavily during the night and to struggle with recurrent high fevers. At the same time, extreme fatigue can make even daily activities difficult. Symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, white patchy sores in the mouth and genitals, skin rashes and chronic diarrhea also occur at this stage. The first symptoms of AIDS indicate that the immune system is severely weakened and the body’s capacity to protect itself is reduced.
Although a permanent and definitive cure for AIDS has not yet been found, the symptoms of the disease can be alleviated with medication. At the same time, quality of life can be improved and the fatal effects can be prevented. Although these treatments do not completely eradicate the disease, they can keep AIDS under control for life. Treatment aims to slow the progression of the disease by supporting the immune system.
If AIDS is not treated and controlled with medicines, the immune system is severely weakened. This can make a person vulnerable to deadly diseases such as infections and cancer. This can lead to an increased risk of death as the disease progresses.