Aids

May 08, 2023, 16:45 IST

AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, is a disease that is considered one of the most deadly diseases found in humans. Since it has no cure, it ultimately leads to death. The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, causes it.

In this condition, the person's immune system becomes ineffective and weak, and it cannot even survive a minor infection like the common cold. AIDS is that point in the infection when the body cannot battle and defend itself, thus inducing many other infections.

The History of AIDS

Before moving further about knowing the disease AIDS, let us start with the history of AIDS. It was during the 1930s when scientists discovered that HIV came from chimpanzees. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was identified as a disease in West Africa for the first time.

It is transmitted to humans through blood transfusions during hunting. Gradually, through the years, the virus spread out of Africa and captured the world.

The first record of AIDS disease was in 1981 in America; however, it was not recognised as AIDS. The country discovered increased rates of a rare form of pneumonia and cancer among gay couples. Initially, it was named Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID) since it mainly affected gay men.

However, later it was found that the disease was transmitted through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse. Thus, it was renamed Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The first case of HIV AIDS in the world was reported in Canada.

What is HIV?

The virus is classified under the retrovirus class, and the genetic material of HIV is RNA. It uses its RNA to transmit genetic information rather than DNA. A specific enzyme called reverse transcriptase converts RNA into DNA.

It is a type of virus that infects immune system cells, making it inefficient in fighting against minor infections. A syndrome is a group of health problems that make up a disease.

People with HIV often become weak from minor infections that an average, healthy body is unaffected by. This is the reason why an AIDS patient dies of a benign disease. Most of the death cases of AIDS are reported to be tuberculosis.

Since a weak and infected immune system attracts a lot of infections and problems, AIDS is called a syndrome.

Causes of AIDS

AIDS is caused by HIV, which uses its RNA as genetic material. The virus affects the macrophages present in the human blood. Now, let us know about the biology of the HIV virus and how this virus is transmitted.

• Firstly, when a person gets infected with HIV, its RNA enters the host cell.
• The enzyme reverse transcriptase converts RNA to DNA.
• The DNA is incorporated in the host genome when it multiples into RNA copies.
• These RNA copies infect the bloodstream.
• The human immunodeficiency virus mainly targets the T lymphocytes, decreasing the body's immunity.

How is AIDS Transmitted?

People with HIV/AIDS have been treated with disgust and are separated from society. This is because most people think they will get this deadly and incurable disease if they contact the affected person. But that is not the case.

AIDS cannot be transmitted through the air, water, or mere contact. It is transmitted through organic liquids like

• Blood - AIDS is transmitted through blood when blood from an infected person is transfused into a healthy body.
• Semen - Unprotected sex with an infected person also transfers the virus from an HIV-positive body into a healthy one.
• Breast milk - A baby breastfed from an infected mother can introduce the virus to the baby’s body.

Apart from this, AIDS can transfer from infected mother to baby through an infected syringe induced in an infected into a healthy person’s body.

Signs and Symptoms of AIDS

The incubation period of HIV is quite long, and it takes about 10 years to attack the system. So, there are few distinctive symptoms during the early stages, similar to regular flu symptoms.

Symptoms of early-stage of HIV infection

• Fever
• Chills
• Headaches
• Sore throat
• Muscle aches
• Mouth sores and joint pain
• Swollen lymph glands
• Weakness
• Weight Loss
• Diarrhoea
• Sweating at night
• Red rashes

Symptoms of end-stage HIV

The early symptoms may disappear quickly, but severe symptoms may surface after about 10 years or more. Some symptoms of end-stage HIV include:

• Blurred vision,
• Persistent or Chronic Diarrhea,
• Dry cough,
• High Fever,
• Continuous Night Sweats,
• Permanent tiredness,
• Shortness of breath,
• Rapid weight loss,
• Swollen lymph glands in the armpits or neck,
• lasting for weeks,
• White spots on the tongue or mouth.

Symptoms of AIDS in women

AIDS is more common in males, but females get infected with the syndrome. Some of the symptoms of AIDS in women are:

• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Pain in your upper belly
• Vaginal burning or soreness
• Vaginal yeast infections
• Pain while peeing
• Irregular periods

Symptoms of AIDS in men

• Depression
• Fatigue
• Infertility
• Erectile dysfunction
• Lower back, abdomen, or groin pain
• Peeing more often than usual
• Cloudy or bloody pee
• Pain in the bladder, testicles, or penis
• Less hair growth on the body and face

Diagnosis of HIV-AIDS

A healthy person has a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimetre. But when a person gets HIV-AIDS, the virus increases, killing the CD4 cells. In cases where someone's CD4 count is less than 200, people have acquired AIDS.

AIDS can be diagnosed using three tests:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• Nucleic acid tests
• Antibody tests

Treatment of HIV-AIDS

Though there is no cure for AIDS, with proper diagnosis and treatment, one can fight it for a long time. Medicines are given to treat HIV-AIDS that stops the multiplying of the virus.

One of the necessary treatments is antiretroviral therapy (ART). One should have daily medication without fail. ART is a combination of medicines that do not cure AIDS but will help a person lead an everyday life.

ART is recommended for every person dealing with HIV-AIDS. Still, there are some side effects of HIV aids treatment, which include:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Diarrhoea
• Dry mouth
• Rashes
• Pain

Vaccines can be a perfect cure for the disease; however, such vaccines have not been discovered yet. The main barrier to discovering an HIV/AIDS vaccine is:

• HIV mutates quickly and quickly. So it is nearly impossible to find a vaccine for every mutated version.
• There is no proper understanding of how the human immune system can control the virus.

Prevention of HIV/AIDS

Since HIV-AIDS is an incurable disease, prevention is better than cure. Here are some ways to prevent HIV/AIDS:

• AIDS can be prevented by ensuring that one never uses a used syringe
• Physical contact with an infected person can be avoided or ensure every physical contact is protected. i.e. use of condoms.
• In the case of blood transfusion or organ transplantation, the donor's details should be strictly examined.
• Last but not least, proper awareness about the harmful effects of HIV/AIDS on health should be given.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. How do you get AIDS?

Ans. People get AIDS through unprotected physical contact with infected people, sharing infected needles, drug injections, or infected blood transfusions.

Q2. Does AIDS cause death?

Ans. AIDS is a chronic disease that has no cure. It destroys the immune system and increases the chances of a heart attack and other conditions. So, yes, AIDS can cause death if left untreated, but it can be delayed with treatment.

Q3. How much time does it take for symptoms to show?

Ans. Most of the symptoms are similar to flu, which shows up within 2-6 weeks but may disappear for years. It is likely to show after 10 years after infection.

Q4. Can AIDS affect your eyes?

Ans. AIDS can affect several body parts, including the eyes, in most cases. Some eye disorders during AIDS include-

• Cotton wool spots,
• HIV retinopathy,
• Detached retina.

Q5. Is AIDS a hereditary disease?

Ans. AIDS is not hereditary and is acquired through body fluid transfer like blood transfusion, using an infected needle, or physical contact with an infected person. However, HIV can be transmitted through pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.