HIV infection is a viral disease. Do not confuse it with AIDS - (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). However, although these are different concepts, they are inextricably linked, since AIDS is the final and most severe stage of infection.
What is HIV infection?
It got its name in honor of the pathogen - the human immunodeficiency virus. The action of this retrovirus is directed to the human immune system, due to which characteristic symptoms and conditions appear. The disease is anthroponic, that is, it is transmitted only from person to person, while not every contact with an infected person is dangerous. With tactile interactions, kisses it is impossible to transmit HIV. Whether this disease is treated is difficult to say. Scientists have been solving this problem for many years, but at the moment no way has been invented to completely free from the virus. It is possible to carry out maintenance therapy, which will stop the development of the disease and prevent it from going into AIDS for many years. This significantly prolongs the life of the patient, but he still remains a source of infection.
Etiology
Immunodeficiency virus is transmitted directly from person to person, and its distribution is different. First of all, sexual contact should be called a method of acquiring HIV infection . The maximum amount of virus is found not only in the blood, but also in semen and vaginal secretions. Unprotected intercourse makes the risk of infection high enough, although there is evidence that a single intercourse leads to the introduction of the virus into the body only in rare cases. The likelihood of infection increases at times in the presence of microdamage on the skin and mucous membranes. It is these minor injuries that become the entrance gate to infection. Both men and women are susceptible to the virus, while the sexual orientation of the partners does not play a role, since HIV is transmitted through homosexual contacts.
In second place is contact with the blood of an infected person. Most often, drug addicts become infected in this way when using the same syringe with the infected. It is possible to introduce infection into the body and with careless handling of medical instruments. In this way, the healthcare provider can become infected with HIV from the patient. In the past, cases of transfusion of infected blood to patients were quite common. At the moment, strict measures have been introduced to verify donors and extracts of donated blood for 5 months, followed by re-checking it for the presence of the virus. This significantly reduced the likelihood of transmission through transfusion, but sometimes such cases, unfortunately, occur.
Another way is to infect the child from the mother. The transmission of the virus is possible both during gestation and during breastfeeding. However, if the mother knows that she has HIV, special treatment and refusal to breastfeed can prevent the child from becoming infected.
What should I do if contact with the virus does occur? Next, it will be examined if HIV is treated early.
What happens when a virus enters the body?
A thorough study of pathogenesis allowed us to answer the basic question regarding HIV - is the infection treated? The detrimental effect of the causative virus is associated with its effect on T-helpers - cells that are directly involved in the formation of the immune response. HIV causes the programmed death of these cells, which is called apoptosis. Rapid virus reproduction accelerates this process, as a result, the number of T-helpers decreases to such a level that the immune system becomes unable to fulfill its main function - protecting the body.
Is HIV treated?
Therapy in HIV-infected people is aimed only at reducing the reproduction of the virus and prolonging life. Patients can lead a full life due to the influence of special drugs on the process of HIV reproduction. Is pathology treated at any stage? Unfortunately not.
Infected people are forced to take strong antiretroviral drugs throughout their lives . This is the only way to avoid the rapid transition to the terminal stage - AIDS. In this case, the treatment plan should be changed periodically, since prolonged use of certain drugs leads to a mutation of the virus, as a result of which it becomes resistant to them. The solution to the problem is the periodic replacement of drugs.
A supplement to medical treatment is a healthy lifestyle. Patients are advised to give up bad habits, exercise and eat right.
Forecast
In general, it is unfavorable. The answer to the question: “Is HIV completely treated?” Should not be forgotten. This is an incurable disease at the moment that requires constant supportive care. However, the development of pharmacology and medical technology can extend the life of such patients and even gives them the opportunity to have children.
Emergency prevention
The relevant question is: is HIV treated in the early stages? All people, especially medical workers, should be informed that infection can be prevented at the initial stage. Any contact with a suspicious biological fluid (blood, semen and vaginal secretion) requires immediate emergency prevention, which means short-term use of antiviral drugs to prevent infection. It is carried out in specialized medical centers, but from the moment HIV enters the bloodstream, it should not take more than 24 hours.
How not to get infected?
In order to answer this question, we should recall the main transmission routes. First of all, promiscuous unprotected sexual intercourse is dangerous. You should be careful when choosing a partner, which will reduce the risk of infection to a minimum. To prevent infection, health workers must comply with the rules for handling instrumentation and body fluids. And another measure to reduce the risk of HIV transmission is drug prevention. People need to know if HIV is being treated. This will force them to take all necessary measures so as not to become infected with this terrible disease.
Pregnancy and HIV
Infection can be transmitted from mother to child, but this can be avoided if a woman is informed about her condition - HIV infection. Is the disease treated in a child? Conducting antiretroviral therapy at certain stages of pregnancy avoids infection of the baby. In addition, after birth, these drugs are prescribed for the baby for a certain period of time. However, one should not forget that the infection can be transmitted with breast milk. The child should eat only artificial milk mixtures.
HIV infection is a dangerous disease, because, despite the treatment, the patient is a source of HIV throughout life. However, you should not completely avoid contact with such a person, making him an outcast, because this is a full member of society. The virus is not transmitted through touch, kisses, clothes; airborne droplets are also excluded. It is only necessary to avoid sexual intercourse and contact with blood.