HIV/AIDS is a STD which is caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system and makes the body vulnerable to other diseases. AIDS is the last stage disorder caused by HIV infection. This disorder destroys the human immune system which might lead to other life- threatening diseases such as cancer. If diagnosed with HIV, one must necessarily maintain a healthy dietary regime because the nutrients one derives go on to contribute to the development of the immune system, thus providing resistance to the side effects of the HIV medicines.

The early symptoms of HIV/AIDS appear within a few weeks after sexual contact. The early symptoms include a headache, pain in the muscles and the joints, rashes and inflamed lymph nodes. The early symptoms tend to disappear within 2 to 3 weeks. The next set of symptoms might appear after a few years which might be persistent. The symptoms include fatigue, loss of body weight, inflated lymph nodes, fever and sweat during the night.

If you are diagnosed with HIV, you should:

Try to maintain a daily diet containing vegetables, legumes, and fruits which provide you energy.
Try to include a little bit of fat, carbohydrates (at least 3 servings of vegetable per day), calcium (dairy products) and low-fat protein sources (generally 80-150 gram per day of fish, skinned chicken, low-fat cheese etc.) in your everyday meal.
Maintain a daily calorie intake of 17-25 calories per pound depending on whether the person is losing weight.
Vitamins and minerals are particularly necessary to repair the cells damaged by the HIV virus. 
So, it is necessary to intake foods such as eggs, milk, peanuts, green vegetables, meat, beans and broccolis on a regular basis, if you have been diagnosed with HIV.

If you are suffering from HIV, you must maintain the following food safety measures:

You should try to restrict the intake of fat
Restrict your alcohol intake
You should try to avoid fast foods
You should also limit your regular sugar intake and should avoid foods with extra sugar

HIV/AIDS: Diet, Nutrition and Food Safety You Must Follow

4 Effects of HIV on the Body

HIV, which is short for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, penetrates your body and directly attacks your immune system. In this process, the virus weakens your body's natural defense mechanism against diseases and infections. A compromised immune system makes the body prone to minor infections, which healthy people would generally overcome. The virus itself doesn't cause any physical symptoms. It only serves to ease the entry of other bacteria and viruses into the body.

The following are some of the ways HIV affects your body:

1. Immune system

The human immunodeficiency virus destroys CD4 cells, the white blood cells that help the immune system ward off foreign substances. If left unchecked, HIV can develop into AIDS. During such time, the virus may damage the immune system to an extent that it wouldn't be able to ward off minor infections that a healthy immune system would. A person with HIV could thus suffer from fever, chills, sweats, shortness of breath, white spots in the mouth, fatigue, skin rash and weight loss from time to time.

2. Respiratory system

As HIV develops into AIDS, the body can contract infections such as pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), tuberculosis and Kaposi's sarcoma. These conditions lead to serious respiratory problems. PCP is found to be one of the most common infections among people with HIV. 85% of the people would develop the infection if the condition is left untreated.

3. Skin problems

As in healthy individuals, many skin conditions can also occur in people with HIV or AIDS. But a compromised immune system heightens the condition and causes difficulty in treatment. Dermatitis, psoriasis, and hives are common conditions. They are also prone to a rare type of skin cancer known as Kaposi's sarcoma.

4. Gastrointestinal System

Gastrointestinal disorders are the most common ailments for people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. Problems faced include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. 50% of the people suffering from HIV encounter gastrointestinal disorders at some point of their illness.



4 Effects HIV has on the Body

HIV infection and AIDS (commonly referred to as HIV/AIDS) are caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). HIV is transmitted sexually and through exchange of body fluids, such as blood. The HIV attacks our defense system (immune system) giving opportunity to many illnesses to attack the body. These infections (called opportunistic infections) range from common cold and diarrhea to life-threatening illnesses including uncommon pneumonias and cancers. The type, range and intensity of opportunistic infections vary with the severity of the HIV infection and the extent to which our immunity is compromised. 

AIDS is the last stage disorder of the HIV infection. Though there is no complete cure for the HIV-infection till date - despite thousands of scientists across the world working on it, spending countless hours of research involving billions of dollars - there has been tremendous progress in medicare improving the quality of life of the HIV-infected, in extending their life-span to almost normal levels and in preventing mother-child transmission. 

The key factors in extending the life-span, and in keeping good immunity and good health are 

balanced and nutritious diet

regular physical exercise

correct, consistent and lifelong use of the prescribed medicines

periodic medical checkups

staying psychologically positive and strong

good family support and

good lifestyle habits.

The last one involves maintaining good personal hygiene, avoiding smoking (active as well as passive), alcohol, recreational drugs, unhygienic and disease-prone environments and sedentary life style. Those who follow these will guidelines certainly have better prognoses. 

Diet:

A nutritious diet is of utmost importance to the HIV-infected, as adequate nutrition contributes to the development of the immune system, prevents malnutrition and wasting, achieves and maintains optimal body weight and strength, enhances the body s ability to fight opportunistic infections, helps delay the progression of HIV, improves the effectiveness of drug treatments, and improves the quality of life. 

Ensure that the food contains adequate macronutrients, that is, carbohydrates, proteins and fat, otherwise the patient may end up with - protein-energy malnutrition, manifesting itself in the weight loss and wasting that is typical of AIDS patients.

As per WHO, an HIV-infected person has additional nutrient requirements: 10-15 percent additional energy intake and 50 to 100 percent increase in protein intake as compared to a non HIV-infected person.

Consuming micronutrients (especially Vitamins A, B6 and B12, iron and zinc) is important for building a strong immune system and fighting infections.

Try and maintain a daily diet containing rice/roti, vegetables, legumes, and fruits which provide you energy and micronutrients. Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol.

Eat at least two servings of fish each week. Oily fish, which contain omega-3 fatty acids, are best. If you cannot eat fish, you can also get omega-3 fats from omega-3 eggs, walnuts, flax seeds.

Better avoid fast foods.

Living with HIV/AIDS: Diet, Nutrition, and Food Safety

Sadly, there is no known cure for hiv. However, it can be controlled through medication. Hiv or the human immunodeficiency virus attacks the body's immune system and over time leaves it vulnerable to a number of other diseases. In its most advanced stages, it can lead to aids. Hence, it is essential to control this virus in its early stages.

Hiv treatment is known as antiretroviral therapy or art. This involves taking a series of hiv medicines on a daily basis. Art can help hiv patients live a longer, healthier life and can also reduce the risk of hiv transmission.

The first step towards getting treated for hiv is to get tested. This can be easily done at your nearest health center and the results will be kept confidential. With hiv prevention is better than cure and hence, if you have more than one sexual partner, you must insist on them getting tested as well.

As soon as you test positive for the virus, start the treatment. Do not wait till you start feeling sick. Art can be taken by anyone at any stage of the condition. If you are pregnant, breast feeding or have been diagnosed with early hiv infection, this is all the more important.

Hiv medication works by preventing the hiv cells from multiplying and thus reduces the amount of hiv cells in the body. A low level of hiv cells gives the immune system a chance to recover and strengthen itself. A lowered hiv count also reduces chances of transferring the virus to another person.

Art involves following a regimen of a number of medicines. There are 25 hiv medicines that can be grouped under six drug classes depending on how they affect hiv cells. These include:

1. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
2. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
3. Protease inhibitors
4. Fusion and entry inhibitors
5. Pharmacokinetic enhancers and
6. Integrase strand transfer inhibitors

Usually, a person is prescribed 3-4 hiv medicines from a minimum of 2 drug classes. A number of factors go into deciding what form of hiv treatment is most suitable to a patient. This includes the person's individual needs, symptoms presented, potential drug interactions and possible side effects. Convenience of following the regimen and costs are also taken into account while prescribing a form of treatment to a hiv patient.

Once treatment is started, art can be proven to be effective within 3-6 months by lowering the number of hiv cells in the body.

HIV/AIDS - How Can It Be Treated?


- hiv testing in pregnancy should be done early so as standard care can be taken for the pregnant women.


- this hiv testing must be repeated in the third trimester, usually before 36 weeks of gestation. This should be done in women with hiv-seronegative and also in pregnant women who are at a high risk of developing hiv infection.


- expedited hiv tests should be performed at the time of delivery and labor and this is a must in women who have not been documented for hiv. The results of the test should be available in one hour of the test and the testing should be available 24 hours. In case the results are positive then, infant postnatal antiretroviral and intrapartum drug prophylaxis should be started immediately.


- women who have not been able to be tested for hiv at the time of labor and delivery are suggested expedited screening for hiv. Their screening can be done immediately postpartum or their babies should undergo screening. In case the infant and mother, both are positive, then infant antiretroviral drug prophylaxis should be started immediately. These mothers should avoid breastfeeding their babies, until the supplemental hiv tests are negative. In infants with positive hiv, prophylaxis should be discontinued and antiretroviral drug therapy should be started.


- in case of acute hiv infection during pregnancy, that is in the intrapartum period, or during breast feeding, initial testing can be performed with an antigen/antibody combination immunoassay. If the supplemental test is negative, then an additional test which is the virologic test (dna, rna) are necessary for the diagnosis of the hiv infection.
- if the mother is hiv positive then this information must be documented in the infant's medical record and also communicated to the infants care provider.
The knowledge of an antenatal maternal hiv infection allows the:
- women with hiv infection to get the correct antiretroviral therapy along with prophylaxis for the infections which might occur due to the immunocompromised state of the body. This also prevents and decreases the risk of transmission to their partners.
- when there is provision for antiretroviral therapy for the mother during pregnancy and labor along with antiretroviral drug prophylaxis for the baby there is less risk of perinatal transmission of the hiv.
- the hiv infected women should be counseled for a cesarean delivery. The option of an elective cesarean reduces the perinatal transmission of the hiv.
- the hiv women should be counseled about the risk of breastfeeding.

Identification and Management of Perinatal HIV Treatment

For nearly 30 years, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) have been shrouded in myths and misconceptions. In some cases, these mistaken ideas have prompted the very behavior that cause more people to become HIV positive. Here are the top five myths about HIV, along with the facts to dispute them.

Myth No. 1: I can get HIV by being around people who are HIV-positive.

The evidence shows that HIV is non communicable and does not spread through touch, tears, sweat or saliva. You cannot catch HIV by:

    Breathing the same air as someone who is HIV-positive
    Touching a toilet seat or doorknob handle after an HIV-positive person
    Drinking from a water fountain
    Hugging, kissing, or shaking hands with someone who is HIV-positive
    Sharing eating utensils with an HIV-positive person
    Using exercise equipment at a gym

You can get it from infected blood, semen, vaginal fluid, or mother's milk.

Myth No. 2: I can get HIV from mosquitoes.

Because HIV is spread through blood, people have worried that biting or bloodsucking insects might spread HIV. Several studies, however, show no evidence to support this, even in areas with lots of mosquitoes and cases of HIV. When insects bite, they do not inject the blood of the person or animal they have last bitten. Also, HIV lives for only a short time inside an insect.

Myth No. 3: I'm HIV positive, my life is over.

In the early years of the disease epidemic, the death rate from AIDS was extremely high. But today, antiretroviral drugs allow HIV positive people and even those with AIDS to live much longer, normal and productive lives.

Myth No. 4: My partner and I are both HIV positive there's no reason for us to practice safer sex.

Practising safer sex, wearing condoms or using dental dams can protect you both from becoming exposed to other (potentially drug resistant) strains of HIV.

Myth No. 5: You can't get HIV from oral sex.

It's true that oral sex is less risky than some other types of sex. But you can get HIV by having oral sex with either a man or a woman who is HIV positive. Always use a latex barrier during oral sex.

Top 5 Myths & Misconceptions About HIV & AIDS!

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