Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a violation of the normal functioning of the human immune system that develops under the influence of HIV infection. The clinical picture of this disease has various manifestations. What is AIDS, everyone should know today. The main sign by which the presence of this disease can be determined is a CD4 + blood test to determine the number of T lymphocytes. This analysis indicates the degree of suppression of the immune system by the immunodeficiency virus. The content of CD4 cells in human blood with a negative indication of HIV infection can be from 600 to 1800 cells / ml of blood. The AIDS stage begins with a CD4 + test reading below 200 cells / ml blood. At different periods of life, depending on the state of health, this indicator may be different.
The number of CD4 cells drops 2 or 3 weeks after infection of the patient. As the body resists, this indicator rises again, but already to a level below the original indicator. This level, which is the control point of CD4, stabilizes within 3 to 6 months from the time of infection. The question of what HIV and AIDS can be answered as follows: these are different degrees of damage to the body's resistance. The degree of damage to the immune system characterizes the level of T-lymphocytes, the average annual drop of which in an infected person is 50 cells / mm3. In most people, the immune system effectively controls HIV, the targeted treatment of which is not required for many years.
At the stage of AIDS - the maximum damage to the protective functions of the body - a large number of opportunistic infections and the presence of tumor diseases are found in HIV-infected patients. The question of what AIDS is, one can unequivocally answer: this is the last stage of the defeat of the immune system, which is so weakened that any disease very quickly reaches the ultimate goal of its development. A person with AIDS becomes easy prey for various viruses and bacteria, he can die from a common cold or die in a matter of days, contracting an infection. Vivid symptoms of AIDS include sudden weight loss, weakness, chills, fever, increased sweating at night, and an increased level of cancers. If in the early stages of HIV infection a person may not have guessed for years that he is infected, then at its terminal stage the patient understands well what AIDS is.
HIV primarily affects immune cells such as T-lymphocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages. Infected cells inevitably die over time, due to their direct destruction by the virus and the gradual destruction of cells by CD8 + T-lymphocytes. The population of CD4 + T-lymphocytes is gradually reduced, which leads to a decrease in cellular immunity, and when their content reaches a critical level, the human body becomes an easy prey for opportunistic infections. Today, everyone should understand what AIDS and HIV are, and always be on the lookout for mortal danger.
The source of HIV is an infected person. Infection occurs through contact of the body’s fluid with the patient. The source may be blood, vaginal secretions, semen and breast milk. Thus, HIV infection can occur through sexual contact (vaginal, oral and anal), when using the same syringe with an infected patient, during blood transfusion, as well as from a sick mother to a child at the time of birth and feeding. Therefore, you should never forget what AIDS is, what its consequences may be, and observe maximum cleanliness in relation to the listed items. You should always be vigilant, but do not need to show excessive anxiety in everyday life. HIV is not transmitted by shaking hands, with blood donation, from sharing food with an infected person, through insect bites and by bathing in the same water bodies.