HIV Symptoms and Prevention

 

HIV Symptoms and Prevention

HIV reaches the clinical latency stage after about a month. This period can extend anything from a few years to several decades.

During this time, some people may have no symptoms, while others may have minor or nonspecific symptoms. A nonspecific symptom is one that is not associated with a specific disease or condition.

The following are examples of vague symptoms:

aches and pains, including headaches

lymph nodes swollen

fevers that come and go sweating, during night

fatigue

nausea

vomiting

diarrhea

slimming down

rashes on the skin

recurring yeast infections in the mouth or vaginal area

pneumonia

shingles

HIV is still transferable throughout this stage, even if there are no symptoms, and can be transmitted to another person.

A person will not know if they have HIV unless they are tested. It's critical to get tested if someone has these symptoms and suspects they've been exposed to HIV.

At this stage, HIV symptoms may come and go or progress fast. With treatment, this advancement can be significantly delayed.

Chronic HIV can endure for decades with consistent use of antiretroviral therapy, and if treated early enough, it is unlikely to progress to AIDS.

Prevention

Preventing spread Of hiv / aids is an important step toward bringing the HIV pandemic to an end. Since the early days of AIDS in the 1980s, NIAID-funded researchers have attempted to identify preventative methods to keep people healthy. Today, a variety of HIV prevention approaches are available for use in combination or alone, and scientists are working to create and improve cutting-edge technologies and procedures that may be used to prevent HIV in a variety of populations around the world.

HIV and AIDS are diagnosed in a variety of ways.

If symptoms persist and no other explanation can be determined, a doctor may suspect HIV.

If you've been exposed to HIV, your immune system will try to eradicate the virus by producing antibodies. HIV antibodies or antigens can be detected in urine, saliva, or blood using assays.

A positive ELISA test must be confirmed by a positive HIV DNA or RNA test before an HIV infection may be diagnosed. This can be done with a PCR test.

Antibodies or antigens for HIV normally appear in the blood within three months. If you suspect you've been exposed to HIV but don't test positive:

Retake the test. After a few weeks, a second test may be performed to ensure you are not infected.

Meanwhile, if you have the virus, take actions to prevent it from spreading.

Stop having sexual interaction with other people. If you do have sex, make it as safe as possible.

Needles, syringes, cookers, cotton, cocaine spoons, and eyedroppers should not be shared.

Vaccine Research and Development

Vaccination has historically been the most effective technique of protecting individuals from infectious diseases. While there are a variety of methods for preventing HIV infection, the development of a safe and efficient HIV vaccine remains critical to putting an end to the Aids pandemic for good.

Scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health are working on an HIV vaccine from two perspectives: an empirical approach that quickly moves vaccine candidates into human testing, and a theoretical approach that designs vaccine candidates based on knowledge of the immune response to HIV infection.

Medication

One of NIAID's most notable achievements is the creation of multiple antiretroviral medications to treat HIV/AIDS, transforming what was once a lethal disease into a tolerable chronic condition for patients. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is aiming to develop novel and more effective therapeutic products, pharmacological classes, and combinations, as well as safe and effective therapies for harmful co-infections and consequences.