How to learn about AIDS at home. The first signs of AIDS. Famous people who know exactly how to get AIDS and do not hide their diagnosis

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is what infection with the immunodeficiency virus (HIV) leads to. The condition is characterized by a severe drop in T4 lymphocytes, helpers that help the body fight infections and suppress cells that grow out of control.

Immunity drops. The first signs of AIDS often invisible, in such cases, regular HIV testing helps to learn about the disease.

AIDS: how does HIV infection spread, what threatens it and is there a treatment?

The disease is transmitted in several ways: with any kind of intimacy not protected by a condom (vaginal, oral, anal), ingestion of infected blood (through needles, transfusion, accidental contact with wounds), through sexual fluids (semen, vaginal secretion), from mother to during pregnancy, during childbirth or lactation.

Spreading HIV through saliva, hugs or tears is not possible.

Signs of AIDS in an HIV-infected person do not appear immediately: it can take decades from the moment of infection before the disease enters the terminal phase. During these years, the infection will multiply itself and suppress more and more cells of the immune system, which leads to the development of concomitant diseases.

People do not die from AIDS: death is caused by concomitant diseases that develop against the background of a weakened immune system.

Modern medicine is not able to cure HIV infection, but recently developed powerful drugs can significantly slow down the course of the disease.

Antretroviral therapy is aimed at suppressing the activity and reproduction of viral cells, which allows you to save more T4 lymphocytes.

The virus continues to be investigated in search of a way to completely destroy it. The only thing that prevents a global epidemic is the promotion of safe sex and the use of clean syringes.

Stages of AIDS: how does the disease develop?

In the Russian Federation and the CIS countries, the stages of development of AIDS from HIV infection are classified by the method of V. I. Pokrovsky (developed in 1989):

I. Incubator stage- the period of waiting for the first reaction of the body to HIV infection, its duration is unpredictable.

II. Primary manifestations in three forms: acute febrile, asymptomatic or persistent generalized lymphadenopathy.

III. Latent stage- the period of gradual destruction of T4-lymphocytes, can last both 2 years and 20 years - the exact time is individual.

IV. Manifestations of secondary diseases- the period of the first signs of AIDS: the total body weight decreases; the central nervous system is affected; cells give in to uncontrolled growth (oncology, Kaposi's sarcoma); fungi, viruses, bacteria actively develop on the skin, mucous membranes, respiratory organs, etc.

V. Terminal stage- secondary diseases are irreversible, their treatment does not give results, the patient is diagnosed with AIDS.

How does AIDS and HIV manifest itself?

The first signs of HIV infection occur in stage II. In the acute febrile form, very non-specific symptoms are observed (reminiscent of the flu):

• pain in muscles, joints, eyes, head, throat;
• painful enlargement of the cervical, axillary and inguinal lymph nodes;
• signs of intoxication (diarrhea, vomiting, nausea);
• drowsiness, weight loss, malaise, fever (often no more than 37.5°);
• rashes on the skin or mucous membranes (sores);
• possible serous meningitis (headaches, dislike of light).

The acute febrile form occurs in 50-70% of cases. The rest of the patients are asymptomatic, its duration can reach 10 years.

After the acute phase, in 90% of cases the disease goes into a "mode" without symptoms, in 10% there is a sharp deterioration in the condition and accelerated development of HIV.

The first signs of AIDS

The first symptoms of AIDS, arising from the maximum loss of lymphocytes due to HIV infection, appear at stage IV.

It all starts with the activation of infections that are considered normal inhabitants of the human body. With a healthy immune system, these infections are not capable of causing disease.

During the first phase AIDS is observed:

• less than 10% weight loss;
• development of candidal stomatitis (thrush in the mouth);
• white plaques appear on the sides of the tongue;
• the chickenpox virus causes shingles;
• often manifested by the herpes virus;
• sinusitis, otitis, pharyngitis and other otolaryngological diseases occur;
• blood clotting (thrombocytopenia) decreases, causing small skin hemorrhages, bleeding gums.

During the second phase advanced AIDS, weight loss reaches 10% or more, other secondary diseases join the above infections:

• intestinal helminthiasis;
• pneumonia, tuberculosis of various organs;
• atypical infections from mycobacteria, mycobacteremia;
• severe neurological disorders develop (encephalopathy, dementia);
• oncological diseases (kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer, lymphomas);
• infection with citalomegavirus, papillomavirus;
• toxoplasmosis and other serious diseases.

Sudden weight loss, long-term diarrhea, fever for a week or more, enlargement of all lymph nodes - having noticed the first signs of AIDS, you should immediately seek medical help. You should also be tested for antibodies to HIV if there are signs of thrush in the oral cavity and large rashes of herpes.

How to determine outwardly by a person whether he has AIDS or not?

Oh, if it were easy to determine whether a person is outwardly ill, this problem would not threaten humanity. The saddest thing is that after inception, a week or two in a person, small signs appear in the form of a chill temperature, after which a latent phase begins, which can last 10 years. The number of HIV symptoms in men does not differ significantly from the number of HIV symptoms in women.

One of the hallmarks is a rash. As a rule, these are areas of colorless skin. It usually appears within one week to one month after infection.

Other signs include loss of appetite and fatigue. One of the most striking symptoms is an increase in lymph nodes in the groin, on the neck and under the arms. They gradually become swollen and hard. You should be attentive to this particular symptom, because it is easy to miss it: the lymph nodes do not give any pain signals and do not cause any discomfort. It should be noted that swollen lymph nodes are present not only in HIV, but also in other diseases.

Signs of HIV in women include pelvic infections. Unfortunately, women do not always have symptoms of HIV infection.

As HIV progresses, women can also experience symptoms such as white or any other suspicious spots in the mouth, frequent bouts of fever, which include heavy night sweats, as in men, swollen lymph nodes (glands) in the groin, armpits or neck, constant fatigue, and decreased appetite and diarrhea.

Men and women have many similar signs of HIV infection. There are only minor differences. Although the detection of AIDS in women is easier, because there are clearer signs than in men.

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How to determine outwardly by a person whether he has AIDS or not?

It is impossible to say 100% about the presence of AIDS by the appearance of a person. However, there are still a number of signs indicating that a person has such a serious disease.

AIDS greatly changes the appearance of the patient. Watch the person. Some of the main signs of AIDS infection are:

Unreasonable bouts of fever;
- drastic weight loss
- constant fatigue and malaise;
- frequent diarrhea.

Pay attention to the human skin. Very often, in people infected with AIDS, spots, ulcers, warts, and numerous blisters appear on the surface of the skin. Also often with AIDS, patients suffer from fungal diseases, the nails acquire a pronounced yellow color and exfoliate.

When the brain is damaged by AIDS, the patient's bad mood stabilizes, memory worsens, movements become awkward. At the last stage of the disease, the patient becomes unable to perform the simplest actions.

If you notice the above symptoms in a person, then immediately send him to a doctor. It will be possible to establish the disease only after laboratory tests.

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You can't tell if a person has AIDS by looking at them.

Even special analyzes can be wrong.
First, HIV infection itself can be asymptomatic for many years. And people can look healthy.
Secondly, at the stage of development of the AIDS disease (the final stage of HIV infection), a person falls ill with many other diseases (in fact, he eventually dies from them). And the person will look according to these diagnoses. If the person is coughing, thin, pale, you can certainly suspect asthma, tuberculosis, or pneumonia. But to distinguish independent pneumonia from AIDS-induced pneumonia is unrealistic.
Thirdly, even if we take the external signs of the disease, then these will simply be signs of illness and poor health. And to determine outwardly whether it is AIDS, or cancer, or tuberculosis, or hepatitis, or another disease, or a whole complex, will not work.

By external signs, you can sometimes determine that a person is sick. But it is unrealistic to determine for sure that this is AIDS (or another disease).

With the current global spread of HIV, each person must know basic information about this disease: about the ways of infection, about the manifestation of HIV infection, the characteristics of the course of the disease in the body, how long after infection it becomes possible to diagnose.

If a person suspects that they have an infection, then a medical opinion based on test results is required to exclude or confirm the diagnosis. But it is possible to test for HIV infection yourself at home. She will be discussed further.

Infection with HIV infection inevitably leads to AIDS and death. If a person had only one case of unprotected sexual contact with an unverified partner, this is already a reason to check himself for the presence of the immunodeficiency virus. Many people have an acute question of how to get tested for HIV while maintaining the guarantee of security and anonymity. One of these ways is to conduct a home rapid HIV test on your own.

A quick test done at home can detect the fact of HIV infection about 4 weeks after the virus enters the body. Diagnostics determines the presence of an antigen and which appear already during the incubation period. During the so-called "window", signs of infection practically do not appear. But a person is already a carrier, and people in close contact with him can become infected with the virus from him. Only after the disease enters the acute phase do the first symptoms appear, which can show a blurred picture of the disease. Only an advanced analysis can detect the presence of antibodies and confirm the diagnosis.

Pregnant women, people with cancer, and people with colds may have antibodies that are similar in structure to AIDS antibodies. made at home, such people can give a positive result. Therefore, to make an accurate diagnosis, you need where it will be checked with special markers.

Where to get a rapid test

Most often, HIV infection is found after it depresses the immune system, so it is important to periodically conduct preventive checks to rule out the diagnosis. If there is a need to determine the presence of AIDS without violating anonymity, an excellent solution to the problem would be to buy a test system with subsequent testing at home.

Buying an express test is not difficult, as they are sold in almost all pharmacies. For those people who, for a number of reasons, do not have the desire or opportunity to make a purchase at a pharmacy, there is an opportunity to purchase a test system via the Internet with home delivery. To check for an infection, you can use tests to analyze saliva or blood.

Which rapid HIV test is better to buy

As soon as rapid HIV tests became available for sale to the public, it became possible to test for AIDS on one's own at home. Rapid HIV tests are of two types:

• Tests for the analysis of arterial blood;
• Tests for analysis using saliva.

The methodology for using different types of diagnostics is also different. Home Express testing using blood requires a more thorough approach, but their result is almost 100% reliable.

First of all, you need to purchase a home diagnostic kit, which includes: a test strip (hermetically sealed), ready-made reagents or a container, separately packed reagents, one napkin with a disinfectant solution, a finger prick scarifier, a disposable tube for biomaterial sampling (a pipette or test tube).

To carry out home express diagnostics, you need to step by step follow all the steps indicated in the instructions for use:

1. All test items must be at room temperature;
2. Test - the strip must be carefully unpacked, placed horizontally (you need a flat surface);
3. Prepare a container with reagents (if necessary, mix the reagents);
4. Wash your hands thoroughly, wipe your hands with a napkin with a disinfectant solution;
5. Unpack the scarifier, carefully massage the ring finger of the left hand, make a puncture with the scarifier;
6. Using a pipette or test tube, take arterial blood from a finger, wipe the wound, stop the blood;
7. Drop a few drops of blood from a test tube onto the solution, wait for the right time, dip the express strip in accordance with the instructions;
8. Get the test result in 15-30 minutes.

Saliva examination systems have the following equipment: a spatula for collecting scraping material and a special strip soaked in reagents. All items are sterile and sealed in sealed bags.

To conduct home diagnostics, it is enough to wash your hands, then unpack the spatula (stick) and collect biomaterial from the upper and lower jaws. Then the collected saliva is applied to the test strip and after 15-30 minutes you can already get the result of the analysis.

Early detection of the human immunodeficiency virus, even at the stage of infection, makes it possible to prolong the life of an infected person. So HIV analysis is carried out after the incubation period, when the affected antibodies are actively spread throughout the body.

Need to understand , that if you get a positive result at home, you need to get tested for HIV infection, because tests done at home sometimes give a false result.

False positive results can show blood diagnoses, as they may have antibodies to the immunodeficiency virus, in diabetics and people with cancer. In such cases, the diagnosis of the presence of HIV is made only with the help of a complete special blood test.

The danger of spontaneous unprotected sexual intercourse is that there is a possibility of infection with the HIV virus. After the infection enters the body, a person for a long time does not even assume that he is a carrier of the virus. The last stage of HIV infection turns into AIDS and is fatal to humans. Under the influence of a destructive virus, a complete dysfunction of the immune system occurs, so even colds threaten life. In order to prolong life, it is necessary to detect the virus in the body in a timely manner, so every man should be aware of the main signs of HIV.

Attention! Statistics say that a year after the diagnosis of AIDS is confirmed, in 50% of cases a man dies. With active therapy, life expectancy can be extended to a maximum of 2-3 years.

Before you worry about the presence of an infection in the body, you need to find out how it occurs in order to protect yourself from possible infection. The main ways are during the operation, when the instruments were not sufficiently sterilized or during sex without the use of barrier contraceptives. It is worth noting that it is impossible to acquire the HIV virus through household contact or through kissing or touching.

Despite the low percentage, the likelihood of infection is still present if a man uses the same toothbrush as the carrier of the virus. Please note that among those infected with this disease, there are a lot of drug addicts. This is explained by the use of one syringe for the introduction of drugs. You can also prick yourself with a needle in public places for recreation.

Carefully! Do not walk barefoot on the beach, be careful when you sit on a bench or on a lawn in the park. It is possible that a used needle may remain there.

It has been established that the virus is dangerous for a man at any age, but mostly homosexuals during an active sexual life (21-45 years old) fall into the risk group. At the same time, the risk of penetration of the virus into the body can be increased if stressful situations are regularly observed or the man is simultaneously ill with additional ailments. Many years after acquiring the virus, a man may look quite healthy, but at the same time he is already a carrier of the virus.

Specificity of infection in men

Depending on the individual characteristics of the organism, the first symptoms after infection may make themselves felt after a week, or may not appear at all for ten years.

After the virus enters the body, a detrimental effect on the immune system occurs by destroying T-lymphocytes that perform protective functions. But, despite this, the virus can be in the cells in an inactive state for two to ten years.

As a result of HIV infection, the immune system is weakened, therefore it cannot even resist helminths and other simple infections. If the presence of the virus in the body was nevertheless confirmed in the patient, then, first of all, the intake of possible medications should be reviewed, the nervous system stabilized and the metabolism returned to normal. If immunomodulators are used, then the general condition of the carrier of the virus will improve significantly, and the manifestations of the disease will be eliminated.

Note! The virus is detrimental to the immune system, so no immunomodulatory drugs are able to restore it, therefore, after a few years, HIV will turn into AIDS.

Video: Features of the symptoms of HIV infection in men and women

Stages and symptoms of HIV

Symptoms of the disease

The infected person does not immediately realize that the HIV virus is activated in his body. Then, depending on the stage of development of the process, the first alarming signs appear. On average, it takes from three weeks to three months to notice uncharacteristic symptoms.

For example, many men begin to show acute symptoms after a few months. An infected person may present with complaints of fever, mild chills, a sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. All these signs are misleading, therefore, in order to block the symptoms, men begin to take antiviral drugs. But, it is not taken into account that during this period, during palpation, you can feel an enlarged liver which is not typical of the common cold. This should be the motivation to immediately consult a doctor for a general diagnosis of the body.

Over time, a man develops a disorder of the stool, and rashes are visible on the skin. A secondary infection can make you think about the presence of a dangerous virus in the body, which manifests itself in the form of candidiasis and herpes, often affecting the oral cavity.

The duration of the acute phase is determined by six weeks, then the infection in the body will continue to develop in an asymptomatic form. In this case, it is possible to understand that pathological changes occur in the body only by enlarged lymph nodes. After entering the body of the virus, the man becomes a carrier and infects all sexual partners with whom condoms are not used.

Attention! It has been established that HIV is transmitted directly through blood, semen and even vaginal discharge, so the virus can be acquired during unprotected intercourse and through medical instruments.

The first thing that can scare a man is enlarged lymph nodes, up to one centimeter in diameter. They are the very first messengers of pathological changes.

Then the doctor can feel for an enlarged spleen and liver, and in a further conversation find out that the patient began to be disturbed by increased night sweats of the body, weight loss, periodic fever, reminiscent of a pre-cold. Also, a man can talk about the following complaints:

• the occurrence of diarrhea;
• rashes in the oral cavity, resembling ulcers;
• manifestations of herpes.

Attention! The active development of the virus in the body leads to the defeat of cellular immunity, therefore, pathologies of the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and nervous system are very often detected.

What causes the symptoms of HIV infection?

Most carriers report a tendency to damage the liver and respiratory tract. Based on this, the body cannot resist pneumocystis, cytomegalovirus, and tuberculosis bacteria. Also, hepatitis B and C are of particular danger with weakened immunity. The patient may note the following complaints:

1. Unreasonable feeling of fear.
2. Painful syndrome in the region of the heart muscle.
3. Unmotivated fear.
4. Cardiopalmus.
5. Attacks of asthenia.

Under the influence of the virus, significant changes occur in the nerve cells, provoking the appearance of various symptoms. For example, the following should not be ignored:

• constant feeling of powerlessness;
• low level of physical activity;
• uncharacteristic irritability;
• headache attacks;
• sleep disturbance;
• general weakness in the body.

The emotional state of a person begins to be reflected in visual signs, for example, there is a sudden reddening of the skin of the face or blanching. In addition, the heart rate is significantly accelerated, there is increased blood pressure. Additionally, muscle spasm of the gastrointestinal tract, a feeling of anxiety, and breathing is characterized by a lack of air.

Note! If the virus cells have infected the brain, then the carrier will suffer from frequent headaches, asthenia, followed by sleep disturbance.

Video - Stages and symptoms of HIV

Stages of virus development

Stage name	a brief description of
Latent (hidden)	Depending on how much the immune system was affected after infection, the incubation period may end in a couple of months, or it may drag on for a year or two. At this stage, the immunodeficiency virus is actively spreading through the cells of the body, but the immune system is still able to resist the infection. Upon completion of this stage, HIV antibodies are produced, which warns that the virus is moving to a new stage of development.
Symptomatic	It is characterized by a noticeable manifestation of symptoms that impair the quality of life. The liver and lymph nodes suffer, their sizes increase. A man notices a deterioration
The stage of occurrence of secondary ailments	Since HIV infection is detrimental to the immune system, which has been repeatedly mentioned, there is a high probability of damage to the body by various dangerous diseases, such as hepatitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. This stage of the disease is characterized by irreversible processes occurring in the body.
Last final	Ten years later, HIV enters the most dangerous stage, which is defined in medicine as AIDS. A year later, and at best two, men with such a diagnosis die.

Carefully! If a man refuses to use barrier contraception, he must be aware that if a woman is an HIV carrier, then infection will occur almost one hundred percent.

Rash in an HIV carrier

One of the most characteristic signs of the active development of the virus is a rash on the body. At first, a man can attribute the rash to an allergic reaction of the body, so the visit to the doctor will be postponed. After a detailed diagnosis, the specialist can send the patient for tests that determine HIV. Several types of rash are diagnosed.

How the symptoms of HIV manifest themselves and the opinion of people and a specialist can be found in the video.

Video - Symptoms and treatment of HIV infection

The appearance of secondary diseases of the third stage

At this stage, there is a rapid defeat of all internal organs. The course of the virus can be complicated by an additional infection or by the development of an oncological process. At this stage, the disease does not stay for more than two years, since the last stage comes - AIDS. But, before the carrier of the virus, such pathological manifestations begin to activate:

• herpes infection;
• seborrheic manifestations;
• thrush in the oral cavity;
• fungal infection;
• occurrence of shingles.

The defeat of the above infection proceeds with complications and with thrush in the mouth, severe bleeding of the gums can be observed. The body becomes so weakened that pharyngitis or bronchitis is delayed for several months.

Symptoms of the last stage

The danger of HIV infection is that a few years later, a carrier of the virus is diagnosed with a new, already fatal diagnosis of AIDS. During this period, the man is completely weakened, and his internal organs and systems are destroyed. In this case, death can even be from a banal SARS. Therefore, urgent therapy is required, eliminating the main symptoms and slightly prolonging life. If left untreated, a patient diagnosed with AIDS cannot live more than one year.

At the final stage, the virus provokes the development of additional dangerous ailments (sarcoma, tuberculosis, oncology). In addition, the brain suffers greatly from the virus, and as a result, the patient's intellectual abilities noticeably decrease, and memory deteriorates.

It must be remembered that the main risk group is people who are sexually promiscuous, homosexuals, drug addicts. It is also very important during the planning of a child to undergo all the necessary tests, since one of the ways of HIV transmission involves infection from mother to baby.

What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV can weaken the immune system to the point where the body begins to develop what are known as opportunistic diseases, which a healthy immune system can usually deal with.

AIDS is usually diagnosed several years after contracting HIV, when a person develops one or more very serious illnesses.

If left untreated, HIV infection can lead to AIDS.

HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. HIV is a virus that suppresses the immune system, and AIDS is a complex of diseases that cause an HIV-positive person against a background of reduced immunity.

Symptoms of HIV Infection

In most cases, the onset of HIV infection is completely asymptomatic. The duration of the period of development of HIV infection in the body is highly dependent on various factors, including the general health of an HIV-positive person. For example, many people do not develop any symptoms after becoming infected with HIV. Others develop flu-like symptoms a few days after being exposed to the virus, or even a few weeks later. This is fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes in the neck. These symptoms usually go away on their own after a few weeks. It may take years before a person notices any change in how they feel, but during this entire period they can infect their partner.

When the immune system is weakened, an HIV-infected person may experience the following symptoms:

• Loss of energy.
• Weight loss.
• Frequent fever and sweating.
• Chronic fungal infections.
• Persistent skin rash and peeling of the skin.
• Short-term memory loss.
• Herpetic eruptions in the mouth, genitals or anus.

The most common symptoms of AIDS include:

• Cough and shortness of breath.
• Convulsions and lack of coordination.
• Difficulty or painful swallowing.
• Mental symptoms such as confusion and forgetfulness.
• Persistent diarrhea.
• Loss of vision.
• Nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting.
• Weight loss and extreme fatigue.
• Violent headaches with stiff neck.
• Coma.

AIDS patients often develop various cancers, such as Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer, and tumors that originate from lymphoid tissue, called lymphomas. Kaposi's sarcoma causes round, brown, reddish, or purple lumps on the skin or in the mouth. After the diagnosis of AIDS, on average, patients live for another 2-3 years.

HIV test
The fact of infection after contact with the virus can be established after 25 days - 3 months (in some cases up to six months) using a special test - a blood test that detects antibodies to the virus. The period between the entry of the virus into the body and the formation of antibodies to it in the blood is called the window period.