AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome)

What is Aids ?

AIDS is an immune system disorder in which the body's ability to defend itself is greatly diminished. When human immunodeficiency virus (HIV, the virus that causes AIDS) invades key white blood cells called T lymphocytes and multiplies, causing a breakdown in the body's defense system, eventually leading to overwhelming infection and / or cancer - and, ultimately, to death. 

Most deaths among people with AIDS are not caused by AIDS itself, but by one of the many infections or cancers to which the syndrome makes the body vulnerable. Essentially, AIDS is experienced as a series of various illnesses which come about by the initial HIV infection.

Risk factors for AIDS.

The more factors present, the greater the risk. They include the following:

• Overuse of certain drugs, especially antibiotics and steroids.
• High-risk sexual activity
• Substance abuse, including the use of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, amyl nitrate, marijuana, and other recreational drugs, especially intravenous drug use.
• Preexisting herpes infection, hepatitis, and / or mononucleosis.
• Preexisting sexually transmitted disease, especially syphilis.
• A diet high in processed foods, refined sugars, and fat.
• Infection with yeast (Candida albicans) and / or parasites.

What are the symptoms of AIDS ? 

Many people who are infected with HIV are not even aware that they have it. While some people experience a mild flulike illness within two to four weeks of exposure to the virus, it generally takes at least two to five years before any symptoms of HIV infection appear.

The length of time between an initial HIV infection and a positive diagnosis of AIDS has been estimated to be between two and ten years or more.

The virus does not lie dormant during this time. It immediately attacks the immune system.

In many cases, the first symptoms of HIV and AIDS are nonspecific and variable. One of the most common is a tongue coated with white bumps. This is oral thrush, or candidiasis. Candidiasis indicates a compromised immune system. Intestinal parasites are another common problem.

Other possible symptoms include:

• Prolonged, unexplained fatigue.
• Swollen glands (lymph nodes)
• Unexplained fever lasting more than ten days
• Excessive sweating (especially at night)
• Mouth lesions, inclusing thrush and painful, swollen gums.
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Changes in bowel habits, including constipation.
• Frequent diarhea
• Symptoms of a specific opportunistic infection
• Tumor (Kaposi's sarcoma)
• Skin rashes or lesions of various types
• Unintentional weight loss
• General discomfort or uneasiness (malaise)
• Headache

Additional symptoms that may be associated with HIV and / or AIDS include:

• Speech impairment
• Memory loss
• Joint swelling, joint stiffness, joint pain, bone pain or tenderness
• A lump or lumps in the groin
• Blurred vision 
• Genital sores
• Muscle atrophy
• Decreasing intellectual function
• Unusual or strange behaviour
• Anxiety, stress, tension
• Generalised itching
• Sensitivity to light
• Decreased vision or blindness, blind spots in the field of vision
• Chest pain

No one should assume he or she is infected with HIV just because he or she has one or more of the above symptoms. These symptoms can be related to many illnesses, so being tested for HIV is the only way to be sure.

Testing HIV-positive does not mean that one has AIDS. It means that one has been exposed to HIV, as shown by the presence of the virus antibodies in the blood.  A confirmed positive HIV test result is often the earliest indication that the person may eventually develop AIDS. The medical criteria for a diagnosis of full blown AIDS are quite specific. They require the presence of one or more of the following infections or cancers known to be associated with HIV infection. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these include:

• Pneumoncystitis carinii pneumonia
• Candidal esophagitis, esophagitis from herpes simplex or cytomegalo virus
• Cryptosporidiosis of the intestine for more than four weeks.
• Primary lymphoma of the central nervous system.
• Kaposi's sarcoma
• Herpes simplex ulcers, extensive in location, lasting for more than one month.
• Toxoplasmosis of the brain

While this list is not all-inclusive, these are the more common AIDS-defining illnesses. Pneumocystitis carinii pneumonia alone accounts for over 50 percent of initial AIDS-defining conditions.

Anyone with HIV or AIDS can make a major contribution to his or her survival and quality of life by getting into an early treatment program, especially a program where immune enhancement is encouraged.  People with HIV or AIDS need higher than normal amounts of all nutrients because malabsorption is a common problem. Nutritionists can help you improve your nutrition and lifestyle to support you.