Treatments for HIV

HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks the body's immune system and makes the body susceptible to getting infected by different viruses and may ultimately lead to diseases. Read on to know about various treatments you can pursue if you are tested positive for HIV.
By Mansi Chitranshi message icon | Thursday, March 05, 2009
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When people suffer from AIDS, their bodies can't combat ailments. They get ill quickly and easily and have problem in recovering.

How Is One Infected By HIV?

The most widespread ways HIV is passed are:

  • By indulging in unguarded anal, vaginal or oral sex with an HIV contaminated person.
  • By sharing needles and syringes for infusing drugs with an HIV contaminated person.
  • Kids born to HIV infected mothers can also become contaminated during pregnancy.
Treatments for HIV

Drug cure for HIV provide many affected patients, the opportunity to manage the virus and stay healthy for prolonged time. Treatment alternatives have had a vast affect on the lives of patients who are carrying HIV. These treatment plans have also facilitated some patients with HIV to revert to work and prepare for the future. Nonetheless, the treatments do not show equal results for everyone. They usually accompany side effects and some people grow what is called drug conflict.

Types of Treatment

Drug treatment for HIV is identified as combined antiretroviral therapy (CAR) or, occasionally, highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). There are 5 main types of drugs implicated in this treatment:

  • Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
  • Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs)
  • Nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs)
  • Fusion inhibitors
  • Protease inhibitors

Typically, 3 different drugs from no less than 2 of these groups are consumed in combinations, 2 to 4 times in a day. The benefit of these amalgamation drugs is that patients do not need to take as many tablets every day.

How Do HIV Treatments Work?

The drugs take charge of the HIV virus by preventing it from multiplying itself inside the cells of the body. Commonly, the virus gets into a body cell and begins spreading by multiplying itself, which then extend out of that cell and into another. Drug cures hinder with the chemicals that the HIV virus uses to multiply. The combination inhibitors impede the HIV binding onto a new cell so it can no more go through.

The Impact of Taking HIV Treatment

HIV treatment is generally carried in tablet form. The tablets have to be consumed at the right times and skipping doses makes it more probable that the virus will become defiant. Some tablets have to be stored in the refrigerator, and some cannot be taken with some kinds of food, so the patient with HIV has to be very controlled about bearing in mind to follow tablet taking schedules.

Side Effects

Most common side effects are:

  • Nausea (feeling ill)
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Headache
  • Tangential neuropathy (troubles with the nerves in the legs, such as soreness)
  • Rashes in the skin
  • Variance in the way body fat is spread around the body.

Complementary therapies
Many patients with HIV use other kinds of treatment, either unaccompanied or with their drug healing. Some of the most common are:

  • Supplements of vitamins and minerals
  • Massaging
  • Practicing meditation
  • Herbal therapy
  • Conventional chinese medication
  • Acupuncture

Things To Keep in Mind

  • Talk about treatment with your medical healthcare provider and with other HIV positive patients.
  • HIV treatment does diminish AIDS and death rates.
  • HIV treatment can lead to toxicities and may be less effective for some people.
  • Treatment does not avert the HIV virus from being passed on to other people.

At the moment, there is no treatment for AIDS, but medication is effectual in combating HIV and its impediments. Treatments are premeditated to trim down HIV in your body, keeping your immune system as fit as possible and diminish the complexities you may undergo.

Three prime aspects should be kept in mind while formulating your treatment chart:

  • Your keenness and willingness to start on therapy
  • The phase of your infection
  • Other health tribulations
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