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This blog was made in my english class with mr hide in my school colegio jorge washington in cartagena, colombia i hope you like it!!

Saturday, March 03, 2007

......·::.Symptoms of Aids.·::·......

What are the early symptoms of HIV infection?

In the early symptoms of Aids many people may not develop any symptoms when they first get infected with HIV/AIDS. However, some people after three or six weeks of exposure to the virus get a flu-like illness. This illness called Acute HIV Syndrome, may include headache, fever, nausea, tiredness, diarrhea and enlarged lymph nodes (enlarged lymph nodes are organs of the immune system the may be felt in the groin, neck, and armpits). These symptoms are often mistaken for other viral infections and usually disappear within a week to a month.

The quantity of the virus during this period in the body will be high and will spread to different parts, particularly the lymphoid tissue. The infected person at this stage is more likely to pass the infection to others. As the immune system fights then the viral quantity drops.

For several years even a decade, more sever symptoms may not surface. This period of asymptomatic infection varies from individual to individual; some people start having the symptoms a few months after they get the infection but others may live with ought the symptom for more than 10 years. However, during this period the virus will be actively multiplying and killing the immune system.

What Happens Inside the Body?

When HIV enters to our bodies, it attaches to a white blood cell called CD4. CD4 cells are the main disease fighter of the body, whenever there is an infection the CD4 cells fight them protecting the human body from getting sick. If these cells damage there won’t be anything that fights over diseases.

After it attaches to the CD4 cell, the virus transmits its RNA to the cell. The RAN then gets attached to the DNA of the cell and it becomes part of the genetic material (it virtually takes over the cell). Using the cells mechanism the virus replicates and thousand of copies churn out. These cells then get into the blood stream and attaches to other CD4 cells and continue replicating. As a conclusion the number of virus in he blood increases and the CD4cells will decrease.

After all of this process, the immune system responds vigorously by producing a lot of CD4 cells to fight the virus. As a result much of the virus gets removed from the blood. As the immune system produces more and more CD4 cells the virus increases as well in a similar scale. This battle keeps on as the infected person remains symptom free.

After few years, the number of virus in the body will be very high and the immune system will find it difficult to keep on with the battle. The “balance” becomes in favor of the virus and the person becomes vulnerable to various infections. This infections are called opportunistic infections because it swepts into the body using the opportunity of a its low immunity.
“ At this stage, the number of CD4 cells per milliliter of blood (called CD4 Count), which ranges between 500 to 1,500 in a healthy individual, falls below 200. The Viral Load, the quantity of the virus in the blood, will be very high at this stage.”

My Opinion

I think that this virus is very mistaken by people. So when they start having these symptoms they think it is another disease so they don’t go to the doctor immediately. Others have the virus but don’t have symptoms for about 10 years or even more! That’s why I think that this virus is very clever. Also many other diseases may enter to your body (opportunist infections) that may have very bad symptoms such as tuberculosis. And because people think they have is another disease not even the smallest doubt that they have HIV.

Where My Path leadsMy path leads me to understand this subject more and to learn about what is the world doing to solve this epidemic. What are the campaigns that help the most. This was what I should had written about in this post but Sources of information for this topic are very difficult to find but I am still looking for them and I hope to find at least one.


What are the later symptoms of HIV/AIDS?

Lack of energy
Weight loss
Frequent fevers and sweats
A thick, whitish coating of the tongue or mouth (thrush) that is caused by a yeast infection and sometimes accompanied by a sore throat
Severe or recurring vaginal yeast infections
Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease or severe and frequent infections like herpes zoster
Periods of extreme and unexplained fatigue that may be combined with headaches, lightheadedness, and/or dizziness
Rapid loss of more than 10 pounds of weight that is not due to increased physical exercise or dieting
Bruising more easily than normal
Long-lasting bouts of diarrhoea
Swelling or hardening of glands located in the throat, armpit, or groin
Periods of continued, deep, dry coughing
Increasing shortness of breath
The appearance of discoloured or purplish growths on the skin or inside the mouth
Unexplained bleeding from growths on the skin, from mucous membranes, or from any opening in the body
Recurring or unusual skin rashes
Severe numbness or pain in the hands or feet, the loss of muscle control and reflex, paralysis or loss of muscular strength
An altered state of consciousness, personality change, or mental deterioration
Children may grow slowly or fall sick frequently. HIV positive persons are also found to be more vulnerable to some cancers.

pstt: If you whant more specific information you can visit my source of information here.