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

Seasonal changes are usually a time when we need to take extra precautions to ensure that we do not end up catching any bacteria that may lead to infections or influenza as well as allergic reactions. Common cold and flu is a common occurrence during such times. Seasonal changes are usually known to cause flu and cold, which can also come with chills, sneezing, cough and fever. 

Here are a few homeopathic medicines and remedies that can be used during this season.

Aconite: This medicine is especially helpful when there is fever after sudden exposure to dipping temperatures. Once the cold starts to affect the patient, this medicine must be taken so that congestion is prevented. It can also be used when initial symptoms like tingling and burning sensations in the nose start.
Arsenicum: This medicine can be used during harsh winters and can be prescribed for stopping the discharge from the nostrils. It can also help in treating congestion and severe cold. If sneezing fits do not reduce, one can have this medicine. It also relieves burning sensation in the throatand nose, as well as fever.
Allium Cepa: When the discharge from the nose is cold and heavy as well as thin, it can be cured with the help of Allium Cepa. Persistent discharge is one of the symptoms for which this medicine is usually prescribed. Also, this medicine helps patients who experience cough and discharge once they step out of a warm room.
Euphrasia: When the top part of the respiratory mucous membrane is affected, this medicine can be used. It is also helpful when there is soreness in the nostrils and lips. Also, yellow and acrid discharge from the nostrils can be cured with this medicine. Dryness and pain is also one of the symptoms for which this medicine may be prescribed.
Gelsemium: When the cold first starts and begins to manifest as headaches, this medicine can be used so that it breaks up the cold effectively. Also, dullness and weakness due to oncoming fever can be checked with this medicine. Further, a sore throat can be treated with this medicine. Excessively warm weather that leads to a cold can be treated with Gelsamium too.
Nux Vomica: If you have caught a cold from damp and cold weather conditions, the doctor can prescribe Nux Vomica. This effectively treats cold symptoms likedry nose, minimal discharge and a tickling sensation in the nose.
Mercurius: This medicine can be prescribed to treat frontal sinuses that may be suffering due to the flu. Violent sneezing and excessive sweating can be cured with this medicine.

Seasonal Flu - 7 Best Homeopathic Remedies for It!

People who have healthy sex life are not only happier but also healthier than those who don't. Here are 9 health benefits you never knew sex can provide -

1) Rocking Immune System: Regular sex ensures higher levels of what defends your body against germs, viruses, and other intruders.

2) Lowers Blood Pressure: One landmark study found that sexual intercourse specifically (not masturbation) lowered systolic blood pressure.

3) Great Exercise: Sex is a really great form of exercise. It is a muscular exercise that burns calories and increases your heart rate.

4) Lowers Heart Attack Risk: Great sex life is good for your heart. It not just raises your heart rate, sex helps keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance.

5) Reduces Pain: Getting an orgasm can block pain. Vaginal stimulation can block chronic back and leg pain, and can reduce menstrual cramps, arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache.

6) Improves Sleep:  People usually dose of quickly after sex and tend to get a sound sleep.

7) Relieves Stress: Sexual arousal releases a brain chemical that revs up your brain's pleasure and reward system. Sex and intimacy relieve you of stress and boost your self-esteem and happiness too.

8)  Reduces Risk Of Prostate Cancer: A study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that men who ejaculated frequently (at least 21 times a month) were less likely to get prostate cancer.

9) Helps Women's Bladder Control: Incontinence, a problem that affects about 30% of women at some point in their lives is helped with a regular sex. Good sex is like a workout for their pelvic floor muscles. An orgasm causes contractions in those muscles thus strengthening them

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Having Sex - 9 Health Benefits

HIV or the human immunodeficiency virus is a retroviral agent that causes the immune system of the body to weaken and lead to cause the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is now treatable. Research is being conducted all over the world to formulate a targeted drug therapy for combating this life-threatening disease. No vaccine is available, which renders the world population highly susceptible to contract the infection.

HIV infection spreads from an infected person through contact with certain bodily fluids like blood and semen. Spread from one human being to another is called as transmission of HIV. Mother to child transmission, i.e. perinatal transmission is also common. Healthcare and hospital staff are at a great risk of occupational transmission. Other causes of transmission include sharing intravenous drug equipment, needle prick injury, organ transplantation and artificial insemination. Since vaccination and targeted drug therapy for remission are not available, prevention strategies play an important role in curbing the spread of infection.

A three-level prevention strategy is implemented for HIV infection.

Primary prevention- Activities that focus on prevention of uninfected people being infected.
Secondary prevention- Aimed at the provision of proper health care and behavioral facilities for HIV infected people like lifestyle changes, welfare rights advice, anti-discrimination measures.
Tertiary prevention- Aimed at minimizing the symptoms of an infected person; includes the provision of prophylactic drugs and complementary therapies.
The risk avoidance approach for transmission of HIV infection includes certain measures like practicing mutual monogamy & delayed sexual activity in the young population. Safe and appropriate use of syringes and needles is advised. Unnecessary blood transfusions should be completely avoided. Routine screening of HIV antibody should be done.

Risk reduction approach propagates the mandatory use of condoms during sexual intercourse. Sexually transmitted diseases should be treated to avoid the risk of transmitting infection. Sterile syringes should be used. If blood transfusion is necessary, then blood transfused should be evaluated well to meet the quality standards.

If HIV infection is suspected, anti-retroviral drug therapy should be started.
The only universally approved method of HIV transmission during sexual activity is the use of condoms.
Pharmaceutical methods for prevention and treatment include antibiotic drug therapy for sexually transmitted diseases, anti-retroviral drugs for infected individuals, pre and post-exposure prophylaxis and use of low space dead syringes.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis is advised for people who are at a higher than average risk of contracting the infection.
Drug therapy consisting of a combination of Tenofovir and Emtricitabine is prescribed, one per day.
Visit the physician at regular intervals and routine screening is done. Post-exposure prophylaxis is considered to be effective if the treatment is started within an hour of exposure, to effectively reduce the risk of seroconversion. A drug combination of Emtricitabine, Tenofovir and Raltegravir is given.
Social initiatives are undertaken to spread awareness and educate people regarding AIDS. Behavioral change and acceptance of social message is necessary to benefit from the social initiatives. Sex education, LGBT sex education and awareness, safe injection use programs, needle exchange programs, safe sex practice education are some social strategies implemented.
Prevention of transmission of HIV from mothers to children involves anti-retroviral drug therapy during pregnancy and post birth in the newborn child. Breastfeeding is avoided and bottle feeding is advised.

HIV Transmission - How Can It Be Prevented?

The main symptom of genital herpes include occurrence of blisters around or near the rectum. These blisters do break eventually, but they leave behind sores that are very tender and that take about 2 to 4 weeks to heal when the eruption of blisters occurs for the first time. The subsequent outbreaks are shorter and less severe than the first outburst. The disease can spread easily through sexual intercourse and it is better to consult a doctor, even if no clear symptoms are visible. Genital herpes cause tingling sensation and a lot of uneasiness in the genital area.

Causes of genital herpes

The genital herpes infection is mainly caused by 2 different types of HSVs or herpes simplex virus.
The first type of herpes simplex virus most commonly infect the lips and they cause cold sores, which are recognized as fever blisters.
The first type of HSV type 1 virus can also produce sores in the genital area. The usual cause of genital herpes is the HSV type 2 and that can infect the mouth.
Genital herpes can be simply transmitted from one individual to another during sex. The symptoms of herpes can be produced on and off in some people as it remains in the nerve cells of the body.
Symptoms of genital herpes

Burning or itchy feeling in the genital area that lasts for more than 2-3 weeks.
Pain is experienced in the genital area, legs and buttocks.
Fluid is discharged from the Vagina, and pressure is experienced in the abdomen.
The sores appear after few days on regions where the virus has entered like penis, vagina or the mouth.
The other general symptoms that can occur under this condition are headache, fever, muscle ache and difficulty in urination.
The glands around the groin area also get swollen at times.
Homeopathic medicines are safe
It is a contagious disease and use of homeopathic remedies is very effective in treating herpes. Remarkable results can be gained by taking homeopathic medicines, and these are extremely safe. There are no side effects caused by taking homeopathic medications, and are of great use in eradicating the condition from the root. The intensity of the genital herpes condition takes a long time to wither and use of homeopathic medicine though provides slow results is very effective and harmless. The best homeopathic medication that can be taken to treat genital herpes is Natrum Mur for both men and women.

Genital Herpes - How Homeopathy Helps in Treating it?

Gonorrhea : Disease + Symptoms

Gonorrhea is a contagious disease that can affect both men and women. It is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria gonorrhoeae that can easily grow in the mucus membranes of the human body.

It is mostly transmitted when an uninfected person gets in sexual contact with an infected person. It can also be spread when a mother's infected body fluids come in contact with her newborn during childbirth.

It is a common infection and the symptoms vary for both men and women. The symptoms are:

Symptoms in Women:

- White or greenish-yellow vaginal discharge
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Pain in the lower abdomen and in the pelvic region
- Occurrence of Conjunctivitis
- Spotting or light bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Bleeding between periods
- Vulvitis

Symptoms in Men:

- White or greenish-yellow discharge from the penis
- Swelling and pain in the testicles
- Burning sensation while urinating

The symptoms come to notice usually within 2 to 10 days of the infection in case of women and it takes approximately 14 days for them to be recognized in the case of men. However in a few cases, the symptoms may take as long as 30 days to appear or they may appear so negligibly that they are hardly noticeable if they occur at all.



Gonorrhea is Contagious. But is it Only Sexually Transmitted?

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