How to find out if a person is sick with AIDS. How to understand if you have HIV without leaving your computer screen

08.07.2019

To find out if a person is sick with AIDS, you need to understand the causes of its occurrence, symptoms.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus is very dangerous, because it destroys the body's defense system. She can no longer resist various infections, bacteria.

AIDS transmission options

This virus can only be transmitted through the blood. For example, when unprotected, during childbirth from an infected mother to a child, during blood transfusions (if blood was infected). This happens only in rare cases. If a person needed blood immediately and it was transfused directly from the donor to the patient.

This dangerous virus is never transmitted through:

Houseware,
Handshake,
Visiting common areas
Insect bites and animals.

AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. This is the most severe stage of the course of the disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus. Many people think that HIV and AIDS are one and the same disease. Only this is not entirely true. HIV can exist in the body for a long time, without showing any symptoms. The person will feel good and look pretty healthy. Many years can pass before HIV enters the stage of AIDS. To avoid this, you need to carefully monitor your health. If you have been diagnosed with HIV, treatment should begin immediately.

Can the disease be cured?

Everyone should know that this virus is not completely cured. You can only suspend the course of the disease, which will allow a person to exist normally and live for many more years if you carefully approach his treatment. No one is safe from HIV. Any disease, even as simple as the flu, can turn into HIV if there was an incorrect treatment or there was none at all.

HIV infection affects the immune system, which makes it vulnerable to various types of viruses and infections.

To resist the disease, you need to visit a doctor and find out at what stage the disease is in order to begin treatment.

A person can understand that he has AIDS only in the most extreme cases. Because the virus usually behaves asymptomatically. Only in the acute stage of the disease can you understand that you are infected with AIDS.

The first, but minor signs of the disease

The very first signs of the disease are blurry and it is very difficult to understand the disease. A person develops redness on the skin in the form of small spots, suffers from diarrhea, a taste of iron appears in the mouth, increases, up to 38 degrees of the body and lasts about several weeks.

A person usually does not pay attention to these symptoms, because they are easily confused with the flu or a common cold. They pass very quickly. And this can only mean that the infection spreads further. If it is an HIV infection.

The human immunodeficiency virus can exist in the body asymptomatically even up to 12 years. This is the time during which HIV degenerates into the stage of AIDS if treatment has not been prescribed.

If signs appear in the form of inflammation of the lymph nodes, then they occur throughout the body:

In the groin
On the neck.

It is difficult not to notice them, but some still do not notice or do not want to notice.

The main ones are quite often occurring diseases: tuberculosis, pneumonia, herpes, cytomegalovirus infection and many others. These diseases lead to very serious consequences, even death. This stage of the disease is called AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

In severe cases of the course of the disease, the patient cannot even care for himself. This is done by his family at home.

Despite the fact that a cure for HIV has not yet been invented, a person can postpone the development of AIDS for a long time if he finds out about his illness in time and will fully comply with all the doctor's recommendations.

HIV can be determined at home only by certain symptoms, but an accurate diagnosis can only be made after a blood test

Among the most dangerous infections can be called human immunodeficiency virus. Many have heard about HIV, since such an infection is quite widespread. If immunodeficiency develops, the quality of life, as well as its duration, significantly deteriorates. At the same time, timely treatment can significantly extend life, slowing down the defeat of the immune system. HIV can be determined at home only by certain symptoms, but an accurate diagnosis can only be made after a blood test. Any virus entering the body harms it, which is determined by examining the composition of the blood. Consider how to determine HIV based on the manifestation of primary symptoms and how further research is conducted.

When considering how to recognize HIV, it should be noted that certain symptoms indicate the growth of the virus in the body and damage to the immune system. The more striking symptoms include the following points:

When considering how to detect AIDS, we note that the period of symptoms is short. After a short period during which the virus manifests itself, an inactive form of pathogen behavior occurs. That is why it is quite important to consult a doctor on time for a blood test. In the event of the onset of the last stage of the disease, treatment will already be ineffective, up to this point there is a likelihood of infection of sexual partners or other people around.

Risk group

The above list of symptoms determines that they can occur with the development of other diseases. Therefore, many do not pay attention to symptoms, considering it a sign of mild malaise or the development of another disease. Check the cause of the symptoms should be people from a certain risk group. It includes:

Also considering the question of how to detect AIDS, we note that from the moment of infection to the manifestation of the response of the body, about one month passes. During this period, analyzes will show a false negative result. That is why if there was a case that could cause infection, you will have to wait about one month for analysis: earlier detection is possible, but there is a high risk of receiving a false-negative result.

Application of the PCR diagnostic method

How to get tested for HIV? When considering this issue, it can be noted that testing in specialized centers is carried out anonymously, the procedure is carried out in ordinary large clinics, which have the necessary equipment. The test consists in taking a blood sample from a vein and determining the presence or absence of antibodies. We also note that the used immunobolt method allows only to detect antibodies, and gives only a positive or negative answer. If the answer was yes, you can re-examine after a while in order to eliminate the likelihood of error.

The most accurate test method can be called PCR diagnostics. It is used in the following cases:

If there is any doubt about the result when conducting a blood test using other methods.
To determine the genotype of the virus: distinguish between HIV-1 and HIV-2.
To control the exerted viral load on the body.
To predict the course of the disease.

PCR diagnostics is based on the study of DNA, which allows you to get more accurate information about the state of the body. It is not carried out in all medical institutions, since expensive equipment and specialists who can conduct the test are required. When visiting, the doctor should clarify that you can get a more accurate result during an additional study.

In conclusion, we note that from the moment of infection to the last stage of the development of the virus, which is called AIDS, several years pass, with proper treatment and a healthy lifestyle, for decades. When considering how to determine the development of AIDS, we note that it does not have its own symptoms, it can manifest itself with various complications. That is why, after infection, a person should constantly visit a specialized center to take tests that can determine the effectiveness of the treatment and the stage of HIV development. Also, timely treatment of concomitant diseases can improve the quality of life and increase its length. Therefore, you should follow the recommendations of doctors and constantly monitor your health.

To find out if a person is sick with AIDS, you need to understand the causes of its occurrence, symptoms.

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This virus is very dangerous, because it destroys the body's defense system. She can no longer resist various infections, bacteria.

This virus can only be transmitted through the blood. For example, during unprotected intercourse. during childbirth from an infected mother to a child, with blood transfusions (if blood was infected). This happens only in rare cases. If a person needed blood immediately and it was transfused directly from the donor to the patient.

This dangerous virus is never transmitted through:

Houseware,
Handshake,
Visiting common areas
When coughing
Insect bites and animals.

HIV infection affects the immune system, which makes it vulnerable to various types of viruses and infections.

To resist the disease, you need to visit a doctor and find out at what stage the disease is in order to begin treatment.

The very first signs of the disease are blurry and it is very difficult to understand the disease. The person develops redness on the skin in the form of small spots, diarrhea suffers, a taste of iron appears in the mouth, and lymph nodes enlarge. body temperature rises to 38 degrees and lasts about several weeks.

The human immunodeficiency virus can exist in the body asymptomatically even up to 12 years. This is the time during which HIV degenerates into the stage of AIDS if treatment has not been prescribed.

If signs appear in the form of inflammation of the lymph nodes, then they occur throughout the body:

It is difficult not to notice them, but some still do not notice or do not want to notice.

The main symptoms of AIDS are quite often occurring diseases: tuberculosis, pneumonia, herpes, cytomegalovirus infection and many others. These diseases lead to very serious consequences, even death. This stage of the disease is called AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

In severe cases of the course of the disease, the patient cannot even care for himself. This is done by his family at home.

Attention, only TODAY!

Everyone should know the HIV status, regardless of whether there was a risk of infection. More often, infection occurs during sexual intercourse, less often during blood transfusion, medical operations, from mother to child. The disease is not transmitted by domestic means.

There are specialized centers where you can not only anonymously pass tests for the detection of infection, but also receive highly qualified psychological assistance. It doesn’t matter if this is voluntary surrender, or mandatory (for certain categories of citizens), everyone is afraid to learn about HIV. even if you are sure that there is no risk of infection.

A personalized analysis can be taken at any public or private clinic. Specialists use express tests in emergency cases, when, for example, an emergency operation is indicated to a person, but there is no time to conduct a full examination.

How to recognize HIV infection using ELISA. This is a serological laboratory test method, which is based on the determination of antibodies to the virus in the blood. If the analysis showed a positive result, it is carried out again. Several positive tests are an indication for further research.

Confirmation Test - Immunoblotting

How can I find out my HIV status for free? To do this, contact a specialized center. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay followed by immunoblot is not necessary to pay.

For Western blotting, the patient’s blood is examined - specialists also detect antibodies to the virus, but this study gives more reliable results.

How much can you learn about HIV status by immunoblot? A feature of the disease is the “window period” - this is a period of time from 3 to 6 months (each patient has different ways) when the pathogen cannot be detected.

At this time, even if a negative result is obtained, patients who were at risk of infection are sent for re-examination.

How long are the tests and how much can I learn about HIV if antibodies are detected? The waiting time for the result depends on the workload of the laboratory and on the duration of the test. On average, patients wait about 2 weeks for immunoblot results, but studies can take up to a month.

How to find out if you have AIDS - a quantitative method for determining

Since HIV is a virus carrier, more often the initial stage goes without symptoms. With an increase in viral load and a decrease in immune status, pronounced symptoms can be noted that indicate a possible transition of infection into the disease - AIDS.

How to find out if you have AIDS if your HIV status is positive? This question can be solved only with the help of one study - the method of polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

PCR is suitable for qualitative and quantitative determination of the virus, that is, it is possible to detect the presence of the virus in the body and its quantitative characteristics.

Since it is possible to find out that a person has HIV, thanks to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immune blotting, it is possible to predict the further course of the virus carrier and the approximate time of manifestation of the clinical picture using PCR.

This method makes it possible to detect HIV 2-3 weeks after infection, and after how much can you recognize AIDS? From HIV infection to AIDS, it can take from several years to 15, depending on the initial viral load and the patient’s health status. In the case of type 2 strain, the clinical picture develops more slowly.

A PCR test is performed for about a week - given the processing of the results, in 10 days everything will be ready. The method is highly sensitive, therefore errors are practically excluded.

Symptoms of the disease. How to find out if a person has HIV or AIDS?

Immediately or after half a month or a month after infection, symptoms may appear that resemble the flu or SARS - this is how the immune system reacts to a foreign viral organism.

The following symptoms appear:

Fever;
Chronic weakness
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

Since it is impossible to recognize an HIV-infected person by such symptoms, one should not be afraid of all people with a possible influenza virus.

While the concentration of the virus in the body is small, no other symptoms should be observed. But this pathogen over time almost completely "inactivates" the immune system, and the body is not able to fight other pathogenic microorganisms.

How to recognize an HIV-infected person:

Frequent fever
Increased sweating;
Deterioration of the dermis (peeling, rash, fungal lesions);
Herpes virus activation (rash in the anogenital zone, in the mouth.

Such symptoms occur with a large viral load, when the number of CD4 cells (lymphocytes) decreases.

How to recognize a person with AIDS:

Damage to the nervous system - memory impairment, apathy, epileptic seizures, atrophy of brain tissue with the possible appearance of malignant tumors;
Pulmonary form - the development of pneumocystis pneumonia;
Intestinal form - protracted, severe diarrhea, which threatens dehydration and requires treatment;
Damage to the skin and mucous membranes - non-healing wounds, ulcers.

AIDS patients live no more than three years. To delay the destruction of the immune system, antiretroviral therapy is needed.

If during pregnancy a woman finds out that she is HIV-infected, with the help of effective diagnostics, therapy and highly qualified specialists, a healthy baby can be born.

The whole world has been desperate to defeat Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome for almost thirty years now, since the start of the WHO Global AIDS Program in 1987. At the same time, HIV infection was first diagnosed with a citizen of the USSR. The mere fact that everyone knows about this disease carries a definite plus: nowadays it’s difficult to catch HIV without doing anything reprehensible. Therefore, the first stage of getting rid of anxiety is to think and clearly understand whether you belong to a risk group.

Who are you?

Three quarters of AIDS patients acquire the virus with unprotected sex. Moreover, with homosexual sex, this probability increases many times. If this does not apply to you, congratulations: you fell out of the riskiest group.

Drug addicts make up the second large-scale risk group - from 11% to 17% of patients (in Russia even more). If you had contact with non-sterile syringes, then it’s best not to read the article further, but go check now!

Next are the children of infected parents, victims of negligent doctors (especially many patients with hemophilia suffered) and so on. All of the above is definitely not about you? Then you can breathe, if not with relief, then at least with half relief.

What's the matter?

As you probably know, AIDS does not destroy a person himself, but through hired killers, that is, various extraneous diseases kill the body that AIDS left without immune defense. In this fact lies the main difficulty in recognizing whether you have AIDS or a common cold. Nevertheless, over the years of observation, doctors have identified a number of external manifestations of HIV infection.

In men, some signs of the onset of immunodeficiency are not as obvious as in women, or even completely absent. And yet there are common elements. Try to mentally answer the following ten questions:

1. Do you often have fever attacks?
2. Do you complain of a rash, herpes, lichen?
3. Do you feel an increase in lymph nodes in the neck, as well as in the armpits or groin?
4. Constant fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea - is that about you?
5. Does your skin experience fungal infections?
6. Do you complain of candidiasis (burning of the penis, white plaque in the same places, painful sex and urination)?
7. One of the most obvious faithful AIDS companions is Kaposi’s sarcoma. Do you have strange, even painless, tumors?
8. Do you observe light spots on the tongue, in the oral cavity?
9. Do you experience suspicious, non-dietary and sports-related weight loss?
10. Wounds, even the smallest, take too long to heal?

If you answer at least a third of these questions in the affirmative, we would already be in your place to check. And point 7 is already enough to pass an AIDS test immediately.

Of course, people who look completely healthy can be HIV positive. Only a certified test will give a guarantee. However, if you have no symptoms, and you are not a risk group, then you can sleep soundly and think only about the good. But know: if you check, you are guaranteed to sleep twice as tight!

The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This virus weakens the body's ability to resist infectious diseases and malignant tumors.

One can talk about the development of AIDS in a person infected with HIV with the appearance of a number of infections or cancer, as well as with a drop in the number of CD4 class lymphocytes below 200 μl (normal for healthy people 800-1000 μl).

The only accurate way to detect HIV is through a blood test. Most tests evaluate certain signs of the presence of the virus.

For this, a small blood sample is taken from a vein, which is examined in special laboratories. Other methods for detecting HIV include urine and saliva tests. Moreover, the study of urine is not very sensitive.

Symptoms of HIV Infection

In some people, flu-like symptoms may occur 1-2 months after infection. Usually they pass within a week or a month. HIV infection can proceed for many years in disguise, without causing any suspicious signs.

As the disease progresses, symptoms of a fungal infection appear in the tongue and in the mouth (the so-called thrush). Women can develop severe inflammatory diseases of the pelvic organs or fungal lesions of the genitals.

AIDS Symptoms

Signs of HIV becoming AIDS include:

prolonged, persistent fever;
sweating during sleep;
constant fatigue (not related to stress or lack of sleep);
persistent malaise;
weight loss;
swollen lymph nodes (in the groin, on the neck, in the armpits).

Amid AIDS

People with AIDS especially often develop the following AIDS-related diseases and conditions:

kaposi's sarcoma is a skin tumor that looks like dark purple spots;
headaches and mental disorders due to fungal infections or tumors of the brain and spinal cord;
shortness of breath and difficulty breathing amid pulmonary infections;
dementia (dementia);
chronic diarrhea;
severe malnutrition.

HIV treatment

Medicine has gone a long way since the diagnosis of HIV infection was tantamount to a death sentence. Many modern methods of treatment can significantly slow down, and in some cases completely stop the development of HIV infection.

After confirming the HIV infection, the doctor prescribes a treatment regimen that consists of several drugs. The combination of different types of anti-HIV drugs is sometimes called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART (since HIV belongs to the family of retroviruses).

Unfortunately, it is not so simple for patients to follow the HAART regimen. Medications should be taken every day at exactly the same time. In addition, there are a variety of side effects, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weight gain. But, most importantly, if the drugs are taken incorrectly, then the virus may mutate, or mutate, and will cease to respond to treatment.

If the disease has already passed into AIDS, then drugs are included in the treatment regimen for the treatment or prevention of AIDS-related diseases.

Avoid HIV infection

The best way to protect yourself is to avoid dangerous activities that carry a risk. You can never understand if a person is healthy just by looking at him. Always protect yourself.

Use condoms for any sexual intercourse with an unknown partner.
Use grease only on a water-soluble basis. Grease can reduce condom strength.
When injecting drugs or drugs, the needles should be disposable.
Do not abuse alcohol. The drunk person often forgets about safety.