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View Full Version : tell me the best way to identify AIDS without...



Gowtham P
10-06-2007, 04:20 AM
...consulting doctor / anyone.no symptoms i need exact way to find please help me

yewieh
10-28-2007, 03:59 AM
Become a doctor and do it yourself (:

scaredbad
10-28-2007, 08:18 AM
I mean if you want to know the symptoms simply google hiv/aids symptoms. But if you are concerned that you might have hiv you need to go get tested. I dont how scared you are of the results its best to know for your sake and others. The sooner you if you are positive the sooner you can start treatment. I pray the best for you. God bless.

sugarnipple226
10-28-2007, 09:20 AM
What is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)?Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the immune system, making it difficult for the body to fight infection and disease. HIV is the same virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which increases a person's risk of developing certain cancers and infections. AIDS is the last and most severe stage of the HIV infection. However, having HIV does not mean you have AIDS. The good news is that people who are being treated for HIV are living longer than ever before with the help of drugs that slow the rate at which HIV infection progresses to AIDS.What causes HIV?The infection is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Most people get HIV by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV. Another common way of getting the virus is by sharing needles with someone who is infected with HIV when injecting drugs. HIV cannot be spread by casual contact such as kissing or sharing drinking glasses with an infected person.Once HIV enters the body, it infects a type of white blood cell called CD4+ cells. These white blood cells are an important part of the immune system that helps your body fight infections. As HIV attacks and destroys CD4+ cells, the immune system weakens and becomes less able to fight off disease.What are the symptoms?Early symptoms of HIV are often mistaken for the flu (influenza) or mononucleosis. These symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and joint pain. A skin rash may develop, along with abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. However, many people have no early symptoms of HIV.The incubation period—the time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when early symptoms develop—may be a few days to several weeks. The early symptoms usually disappear on their own within 2 to 3 weeks. After you recover from symptoms of the initial HIV infection, you may not have symptoms again for many years. However, as HIV progresses, symptoms reappear and then remain. These symptoms usually include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, fever, night sweats, and swollen lymph nodes. A health professional may first suspect an HIV infection only when symptoms persist for no other reason. How is HIV diagnosed?A health professional diagnoses HIV with antibody blood tests called the ELISA and the Western blot assay.A diagnosis of HIV is made after 2 or more positive ELISA tests are confirmed by a positive Western blot assay. Because it may take up to 6 months after the original infection for antibodies to appear, it is important to repeat the tests 6 months after being exposed to the virus. If you are infected, you can still pass HIV to another person during this time. Getting tested for HIV can be scary; however, the condition is treatable so it is important to get tested if you think you have been exposed. If you test positive, early detection and monitoring of HIV will help your doctor determine whether the disease is progressing and when to start treatment. How is it treated?Treatment for HIV depends on what stage of the infection you are in: early, established, or late (AIDS). This is determined by your CD4+ cell count, the amount of virus in your blood (viral load), and whether you have had certain illnesses that are more common in people who have weakened immune systems. If you are in the early stages of HIV, you have no symptoms, and your viral load is low, you may not need treatment yet. Your doctor will monitor the progression of the virus and may recommend using a combination of three or more antiretroviral drugs called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, which may strengthen your immune system and reduce your viral load. If you are in the established stage of HIV or have AIDS, HAART is usually recommended to manage the progression of the virus. Successful treatment helps suppress the virus; however, it doesn't cure HIV. It is important to take your drugs exactly as directed by your doctor. When treatment doesn't work, it is often because HIV has become resistant to the drug. This can happen if you don't take your drugs correctly. Ask your doctor if you have questions about your treatment. Your doctor can help you understand HIV and how best to treat it. What is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)?AIDS is the last and most severe stage of HIV infection. AIDS is diagnosed when you have one or both of the following:A CD4+ cell count of fewer than 200 cells per microliter (µL) of blood. Certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer, which are more likely to develop when you have a weakened immune system. More than half of adults who have HIV will develop AIDS within 12 or 13 years if their HIV infection is not treated. Young children and adults who rapidly progress through the stages of HIV may develop AIDS within about 3 years. When left untreated, AIDS is often fatal within 18 to 24 months after it develops.

Anna J
10-30-2007, 10:32 AM
there is no way... go to a doc and get tested.