Virus under control. People with HIV live a long life

How many people live with HIV? The relevance of the question is indisputable, but it is unambiguous to respond to it difficult. Medicine is not yet able to save the world from immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but scientists have achieved control over it.

Medicinal preparations and a healthy lifestyle are significantly lengthened by the life of an infected person.

What is dangerous HIV?

HIV is a relatively young virus, open in the early 1980s. By itself, the virus is not fatal, and its effects applies only to one type of cells - T-leukocytes.

However, these cells are the most important component of the human immune system. HIV destroys them and displays the natural protection of the body. As a result, concomitant viral, fungal and oncological diseases (candidiasis, CMV, herpes, pneumonia, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sarcoma punches, etc.) occur. They lead a person to death.

The appearance of infection in the body often passes unnoticed. It is difficult to say how many people live with HIV and do not even suspect it. The virus penetrates the body with an unprotected intimate proximity, through blood (needles and other acute objects), through women's milk and asymptomately increase their population due to healthy cells of immunity.

The presence of HIV is determined by the results of blood test: indicators of the number of T-leukocytes and viral load. The lower threshold of the immune system is 200 cell leukocyte cells per 1 ml of blood, and the norm is 500-1500. A smaller number is completely disconnected by immunity, therefore, at 350 kB / ml, it is necessary to begin antiretroviral therapy, aimed at suppressing viral activity.

HIV: How much can you live?

It is impossible to accurately determine how many HIV-infected people live. There is no approximate digit. Some live to old age, others die after 3-4 years. Strongly averaged statistics says about 5-15 years, but it is impossible to believe.

The life expectancy of the patient is immeasurable for several reasons:

  • It is known that some of the first-infected at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic are still living. That is, for more than 25 years, which cannot be limited, since it is only the time of the existence of infection.
  • With a dozen years ago, scientists have developed effective medicines to stop HIV development. Treatment helps to significantly extend the patient's life.
  • Today, we are intensively developing new treatments, aimed at full extermination of the virus in the body. In the next few years, radical, improved medicines are expected.

Everything suggests that the diagnosis of HIV / AIDS is not a deadly sentence. However, do not forget about the seriousness and danger of the disease. To live for many years, you need to follow the rhythm of your life.

How to live with HIV?

Life with HIV infection is difficult, but it is possible. It is necessary to regularly check the condition of its immunity from the doctor, to maintain the right lifestyle and maintain their health with all the forces.

With a strong decrease in the number of leukocytes should begin antiretroviral therapy, and when the concomitant diseases appear in a timely manner to treat them.

And of course, you need to protect your loved ones, and just those surrounding from infection:

  • avoid unprotected sex;
  • do not feed the children of breasts;
  • do not use re-needle and other stitching items;
  • prevent blood entering, sperm or secure a vagina on wounds or mucous people.

Extension of life with medicine

Antiretroviral therapy helps prevent the development of the open stage of HIV-AIDS. Powerful drugs suppress the breeding of the virus by blocking the substances they need.

There are three classes of such medicines, two more - under development. Therapy includes a reception of three drugs from two different classes. Combination is necessary to eliminate the "addiction" of the virus to the medicine. If the started treatment is effectively, it continues to continue all his life.

It is also necessary to combat the emerging accompanying diseases. Practically harmless in the normal state of immunity infection (even ordinary flu) can kill HIV-infected person. How much can you live with them - not to predict, but timely treatment is significantly prolonged.

Unfortunately, for a long time, people live, without even suspecting illness, because it's not small and there are no symptoms during it.

And about the very first symptoms you can find out where we examined in detail all the signs.

Do you know what is the analysis of hCG? You will find the answer to this question.

Independent struggle for life

The best way to help yourself to survive is to strengthen its immunity. It is necessary to exclude stress and thoughts on how much live with HIV infection.

Instead, you should follow the usual rules for healthy life:

  • full nutrition and reception large number proteins and vitamin and mineral complexes help immunity to cope with the disease;
  • normal charging or others physical exercises Improve overall health and struggle with a depressive state;
  • safe sex will help protect from triple dangerous for HIV-infected viruses;
  • smoking It does not affect HIV, if you wish to throw this bad habit, it is better to access specialists - independent attempts can lead to strong stress;
  • excessive taking alcohol Negatively affect the immune system and reduces the effectiveness of drugs;
  • but the use of drugs It should be avoided, they accelerate the development of HIV and can lead to death when simultaneous reception with antiretroviral medications.

It doesn't matter how many other people live with HIV. Accurate answer is still not found. The main thing is to cling to all the forces in the desire to live and help yourself.

How many people live with HIV? The relevance of this issue is simply undeniable, but it is difficult to give an unequivocal answer to it. Medicine is now unable to cure people infected with immunodeficiency virus, but scientists are doing successes. At this time, doctors are able to control the number of HIV in the body. Healthy image Life I. medicinal products Significantly prolong the life of patients.

HIV is a relatively young virus, open in the early 1980s. By itself, the virus is not fatal, and its effects applies only to one type of cells - T-leukocytes. However, these cells are the most important component of the human immune system. HIV destroys them and displays the natural protection of the body. As a result, concomitant viral, fungal and oncological diseases (candidiasis, CMV, herpes, pneumonia, tuberculosis, hepatitis, sarcoma punches, etc.) occur. They lead a person to death.

HIV infection is one of the most terrible diagnoses of modernity, which completely changes the human life and makes it abandoned the usual lifestyle. One of the most common issues that patients ask a doctor is the lifespan with this pathology. Unfortunately, it is impossible to accurately answer this question, since many factors affect the life expectancy with HIV, including the timeliness of diagnosing and treatment.

The appearance of infection in the body often passes unnoticed. It is difficult to say how many people live with HIV and do not even suspect it. The virus penetrates the body with an unprotected intimate proximity, through blood (needles and other acute objects), through women's milk and asymptomately increase their population due to healthy cells of immunity. The presence of HIV is determined by the results of blood test: indicators of the number of T-leukocytes and viral load. The lower threshold of the immune system is 200 cell leukocyte cells per 1 ml of blood, and the norm is 500-1500. A smaller number is completely disconnected by immunity, therefore, at 350 kB / ml, it is necessary to begin antiretroviral therapy, aimed at suppressing viral activity.

Evolution infection

There are five stages of HIV. The period of two weeks to one year after infection is called the window period. It ends when antibodies to HIV appear in the blood. If the person has a weakened immunity, this stage does not last longer than six months. Next follows the long period. It is also called the stage of primary infection. Clinical manifestations During this period, the following:

  • hives;
  • subfebrile temperature;
  • stomatitis;
  • inflammation of lymph nodes: they increase, become painful.

For the final phase of this stage, the maximum concentration of antibodies and blood virus is characteristic. Next, the disease passes into the stage, which is called the latent period. As a rule, it lasts 5-10 years. Typically, the only manifestation of HIV at this stage is a periodic increase in lymph nodes. They become dense, but not painful (lymphadenopathy). Next follows the stage, which is called Predpid. Its duration is 1-2 years old. At this stage, a serious oppression of cellular immunity begins. A person can torment herpes (with frequent recurrences). The ulceration of mucous membranes and genital organs do not heal very long. There is stomatitis and leukoplakia language. Candidiasis of genital organs and mucous membranes are observed. oral cavity. Next comes the terminal stage - directly AIDS. It is accompanied by the generalization of opportunistic tumors and infections. The forecast at this stage is usually negative. At this stage, killing a person can even ordinary flu.

How many Virus lives

In general, by itself, the HIV virus in the open space lives only a few minutes. At the same time, if the virus is already located, for example, in the syringe, its life expectivity is very increasing. In the usual environment, outside the human body, HIV can live only a couple of minutes, which indicates that it is not possible to become infected in living conditions. If you return to the syringe, there are a number of factors here, on which HIV life depends. For example, the size of the syringe is also affected, and the blood, which in the syringe, is also the fact that the blood was drawn into the inside of the syringe and, what temperature outside and inside the syringe. After carrying out one experiment, it was found that the HIV virus is able to live more at lower temperatures and larger the presence of the blood in the syringe. Accordingly, with more high temperatures The virus died.

Life expectancy when infection

Despite the fact that there is no single scheme for the treatment of the immunodeficiency virus, and in all cases the disease leads to death, it is noted that the life expectancy of a person with HIV is not much different from the duration of life healthy man. If you constantly use antiretroviral drugs that are used to treat infected people, it is possible to live to 60-70 years.

Some people sometimes it is sometimes difficult to live to 45 years old, in addition, no one knows that he is waiting ahead, maybe he will die at 25 from the automotive accident or 18 from the drug overdose. This fact should encourage all patients, but do not think that living with HIV is so simple. A person who collided with the disease will have to completely change his life. HIV treatment is a long and exhausting process, and the life expectancy of the patient directly depends on how carefully it will adhere to medical recommendations.

To date, extensive experience has already been accumulated in the treatment of HIV infected patients, so long it is possible to live with immunodeficiency not only in developed countries, but also in third-world countries. For example, outbreaks of the virus have repeatedly noted in Africa, and, as statistics say, if a person is constantly pricking antiretroviral agents, in a patient who has infected in 25 years, the life expectancy can range from 50 to 72 years.

Is there a vaccine?

Most people mistakenly believe that it is possible to carry out the prevention of the virus with the help of vaccines, but it is not. To date, there is no vaccination from this disease, although doctors do not cease to work on its manufacture. The main problem with which they are constantly faced is that no one knows what is required to stimulate in the human body so that he himself began to fight the cells of the retrovirus. Permanent failures do not stop scientists, and small results after all the doctors achieved, connecting cytomegalovirus cells with HIV cells. As a result, they received the genes of mutants who began to devour themselves. So far, this vaccine is tested only on monkeys, but there have been huge hopes for positive results.

No matter how terrible is HIV infection, medicine has cases of wonderful healing. Doctors cannot still understand how it happened, but still exceptions take place. The famous patient Timothy Rei Brown, learning about his disease, participated in the bone marrow transplant experiment, and the operation gave the result. The patient was further able to successfully live without antiretroviral drugs, without experiencing typical symptoms of the disease. Despite the good news, doctors are in no hurry to draw conclusions, it is likely that the virus did not disappear, and simply for a while lowered its activity and is waiting for a new provocation.

About diagnostic procedures and therapy

To date, the diagnosis that has deserved confidence among patients is the blood test for HIV. Additionally, there is a special set for the study of human saliva for the presence of antibodies to the virus, such a diagnosis can be carried out at home. In developed countries in Europe and in America, sales of express tests are permitted, which do not require the involvement of laboratories to research. If a person has a suspicion, he was infected, then a test he may be anonymously, without visiting the medical institution.

Based on the results obtained, in the event of a virus detection, a person should apply for competent treatment, the scheme of which is in an individual order, but the main drug is always an antiretroviral remedy. This medicine is aimed at suspending the activity of a virus person in the human body. When the breeding of the virus is suspended, the body is able to restore a little and, accordingly, the patient's life expectancy increases.

Taking into account the fact that the symptoms of HIV are almost impossible to independently detect without laboratory research, the patient is constantly required to pass the inspections in the center of the treatment of AIDS in order not to skip the moment when the virus life is slow. Upon the occurrence of such a moment, a person drastically change the principle of treatment, adding to it the maximum of drugs that strengthen the immunity and help the body to deal with the pathogen.

In order to increase the effectiveness of the treatment of the patient should:

  • refuse all harmful habits;
  • constantly play sports;
  • eat properly;
  • mental labor;
  • take vitamins.

Observing such a simple list, you are able to significantly improve the quality of your life and help doctors cure you. Difficult habits interfere with medicines to assimilate in your body. Sports accelerates the metabolism, improve the endurance of your body. As for proper nutrition, it is important to exclude in the food-quality products that may contain pathogenic organisms. Vitamins will strengthen the protective properties of your body and will be saturated with it necessary for the full functioning of micro and macroelements. Mental work and believing a favorite thing will help you to drive out of you gloomy thoughts. It is thanks to mental work, your psychological health will be normal, and this is also one of the most important aspects of HIV treatment.

Despite the effectiveness of supporting therapy, like any medicine, this scheme can give side effects. Among them is worth noting:

  • nausea;
  • vomiting;
  • constipation;
  • diarrhea;
  • flatulence;
  • abdominal pain;
  • heartburn;
  • loss of appetite;
  • blood pressure jumps;
  • temperature increase;
  • failures in the work of the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

The presence of the above side Effects Significantly complicate treatment and brings a lot of suffering to the patient. But the patient is forced to go consciously even for such measures in order to at least extend their existence.

Legislative nuances

Few people know, but the concept of HIV is not only medical term, It has both legal subtext. Taking into account the fact that there is no vaccine or a single treatment principle, the deliberate infection of HIV infection is a crime and may result in a patient with imprisonment. There are costs in the intersection of the borders of HIV countries infected. It would seem infected and so they suffer from permanent medical research and treatment, but costs pursue them even from the law. For example, if HIV infected tourist is located on the territory of someone else's country, he is deported to his homeland.

Due to legislative restrictions, the patient, despite its level of qualifications and achievements in a particular area, cannot work as a doctor and contact with young children. Due to numerous scandals and protests, patients even forbidden to visit common baths and saunas. Of course, the fear of people to infect a terrible disease can be understood, but, despite the extensive complex of information, there are still stupid prejudices regarding infected people. These prejudices, in kind, also reduce the life of patients, because not everyone manage to cope with the contempt of the environment and the emotional stress, which they are permanently. A huge amount of infected is not waiting for the treatment of treatment, but ends with suicide.

The life of infected and without that difficult work, and the impact on the part of society, only aggravates their position. Each person can make his contribution to the extension of the lives of people who were in this difficult situation, tolerant of their illness. It is possible to infected the immunodeficiency virus only with anal, vaginal or oral sex. Press the AIDS or HIV through injections is almost impossible, the probability of such an infection is 0.3%. That is why listen only to reliable facts and do not belong to people biased. Who knows what awaits you tomorrow, perhaps, after some time you yourself will dream of a sense of society and suffer from a dismissive relationship once close and familiar people.

How much can you live without treatment?

Recently, the theory is gaining popularity that there is no immunodeficiency virus, and he is invented by scientists who are in collusion with the largest pharmaceutical concerns. Even people are distant from medicine, understand the absurdity of such statements, but the person who has been diagnosed with AIDS or the initial stage of HIV infection, clings to any straw, giving a chance to a medical error.

Refusal to the proposed treatment is fraught with the most adverse effects. Already 1-2 years after the virus enter the blood, the attack on the cells of the immune system, which is destroyed under the influence of the viral agent. Even a banal cold can cause serious complications and the death of the patient at this stage, therefore the average life expectancy in patients who refuse treatment or trying to defeat the disease with the help of non-traditional methods does not exceed 3-4 years (in exceptional cases, these numbers may be somewhat higher. 5-7 years).

Despite the fact that it is an incurable disease, it must be detected on early stage. This will make it possible to begin timely treatment aimed at relieving symptoms and continued full-fledged life man.

Modern treatment of HIV infection consists of highly active antiretroviral therapy (Waart), which is applied since 1996 and is considered very effective.

HIV infection is one of the most terrible diagnoses of modernity, which completely changes the human life and makes it abandoned the usual lifestyle. One of the most common issues that patients ask a doctor is the lifespan with this pathology. Unfortunately, it is impossible to accurately answer this question, since many factors affect the life expectancy with HIV, including the timeliness of diagnosing and treatment.

To understand how much a person infected with HIV can figure out what it is, and how the virus affects the human body.

The human immunodeficiency virus is HIV. It falls in human body Mostly sexually. About thirds of infected people have become infected with a virus during blood transfusion or donor material intake. The list of particularly dangerous procedures also indicate:

  • haircuts, eyebrows correction;
  • tattoo;
  • dental treatment;
  • visiting a procedural office for blood delivery.

Despite the fact that disposable needles and syringes are used to analyze blood for analysis, the minimum percentage of infection is still remaining, and is less than 1%. Much more risky in this regard is the treatment of a dentist. Here a favorable outcome depends on accuracy, responsibility and conscientiousness. medical personnelwhich is responsible for disinfection and processing tools. The rules and norms of asepsis are strictly regulated sanitary standards and job descriptionTherefore, when they comply with the likelihood of HIV and other infections (herpes, hepatitis, etc.) is completely excluded.

Many worries the question of the possibility of infection with HIV by the household. The risk of this is minimal, but it still persists, provided that the healthy and infected person has abrasions, cracks and cuts on the skin. In this case, infection is possible during the handshake, the use of general hygiene objects or with a kiss.

Important! Given the level of prevalence of HIV infection, it is necessary to relate to their own health and carefully track any damage and integrity disorders. skin cover and mucous membranes. While visiting procedural accounts, you need to ensure that the needles and syringes are disposable and removed from the packaging immediately before the patient.

Mechanism of action and development

After entering the body, the virus is striking T-leukocytes - the main structural component of the human immune system. The virus is not immediately developed and multiply, but after 10-14 days. The period from penetration of the virus into the blood to the production of antibodies lasts about 1 year. In people with chronic diseases, this stage (window period) can be reduced to 6-8 months. The same picture is observed in those who lead a rampant lifestyle, often changes sexual partners, abuses smoking and alcohol. Immunity in such patients is strongly weakened, so viral agents are easier to destroy healthy cells that cannot resist pathological attacks.

After 6-12 months, the first symptoms of pathology appear indicating the stage of primary infection. The signs of HIV infection at this stage include:

  • periodic temperature rise to 37.0-37.5 °;
  • the formation of stomattic ulcers in the oral cavity;
  • increase and soreness of lymph nodes.

Important! By the end of this stage, the concentration of antibodies and the amount of HIV are at maximum values. Laboratory study Blood during this period will help 100% determining infection and put the correct diagnosis.

Further development of pathology and stages of infection are presented in the table below.

HIV-infection stageDurationFeatures
Latent (hidden)From 5 to 10 yearsLymph nodes retain an increased size, but become painless and dense
Predpid (Transition Stage)1-2 yearsThe active defeat of the cells of the immune system begins. Protective functions of the body weaken, frequent respiratory and viral infections. Ulcers and wounds at this stage are not delayed long, frequent recurrences of herpes and candidiasis are observed
AIDS (Terminal Stage)Maximum duration of unknownFull damage to immune cells, generalization of tumors and infectious processes

Important! When HIV infections reaches the terminal stage, immunity drops almost to zero. During this period, the fatal outcome may occur even from influenza or protracted ARS, so it is important to undergo the necessary surveys in time and perform all the recommendations appointed by the doctor. This will significantly increase the life expectancy and help improve its quality (as far as possible).

Video - All you need to know about HIV

How many people live with HIV?

Exactly answer how much every specific patient will live after infection, it is impossible. The forecast of life affects very factors, among which:

  • the age of the patient;
  • lifestyle (motor activity, nutrition, abuse of smoking and alcoholic beverages);
  • emotional state (stress exposure);
  • area of \u200b\u200bresidence (sufficient sunlight, favorable climate, proximity of industrial industries);
  • chronic diseases in history, etc.

It is noted that people living in cities located near the sea live longer compared to those who are constantly in areas of unfavorable climate (areas of the Far North and the area equal to them). The forecast of the life of rural residents is also quite favorable, since most villages and villages are located in sufficient remoteness from large industrial facilities, plants and combines. Soil, air and water in rural areas are much cleaner than in major cities, therefore the adverse environmental impact is practically excluded, and the nutrition quality in the villages is higher.

Fact! Residents of the villages have the lowest percentage of infection from the total number of infected (less than 7%). Doctors explain it good environmental Terms, lack of chronic stress and healthy nutrition.

The average life expectancy of patients with AIDS is about 5-10 years since infection. These figures only approximately reflect the averaged statistics, as well-known cases when people lived with this diagnosis to old age. Failure to comply with the recommendations of the attending physician on regime and treatment shortens the life expectancy of up to 2-5 years, so the most important condition A favorable forecast is the correction of living conditions and lifestyle.

Maximum life expectancy with HIV

Today, the data on how much a person can live as possible infected with virus Human immunodeficiency, no. This is due to the fact that the first infected patients live so far. HIV was first opened in 1983 (according to some data - in 1981) French scientists. Some patients who in the blood were identified by antibodies to this virus, alive, that is, the duration of their life is almost 40 years since the infection is detected. At the same time, it is impossible to say for sure how many of them were carriers of the virus until the moment of detection, so it is impossible to predict the maximum number of years of life in AIDS patients today.

Important! Doctors are confident that with HIV infection, you can live much more than the middle 10 years. Subject to timely treatment, full failure of bad habits and careful relationship To its own body, life expectancy can be more than 40 years from the date of diagnosis.

How much can you live without treatment?

Recently, the theory is gaining popularity that there is no immunodeficiency virus, and he is invented by scientists who are in collusion with the largest pharmaceutical concerns. Even people are distant from medicine, understand the absurdity of such statements, but the person who has been diagnosed with AIDS or the initial stage of HIV infection, clings to any straw, giving a chance to a medical error.

Refusal to the proposed treatment is fraught with the most adverse effects. Already 1-2 years after the virus enter the blood, the attack on the cells of the immune system, which is destroyed under the influence of the viral agent. Even a banal cold can cause serious complications and the death of the patient at this stage, therefore the average life expectancy in patients who refuse treatment or trying to defeat the disease with the help of non-traditional methods does not exceed 3-4 years (in exceptional cases, these numbers may be somewhat higher. 5-7 years).

How many children live with HIV?

The diagnosis of HIV infection in a child is a terrible trouble for his parents and other relatives, but should not despair and give hands. With the current level of medicine, you can extend the life of a sick child and make it quite comfortable, but for this you need to pass courses in a timely manner medical therapy. Medicines capable of suppressing the activity of the pathogen are selected experimentally - parents should not be afraid of it. Based on the results obtained, experts will appoint 2-3 drugs that will need to alternate and combine according to an individual scheme. It is necessary to prevent virus stability to generate acting substances. If a child is traced positive dynamics, drugs are prescribed for life.

Additionally, parents should follow the following recommendations:

  • provide high-quality, full and balanced nutrition;
  • often ventilated the room and conduct it processing and disinfection;
  • prevent a child overwork;
  • observe sleep and rest mode;
  • enter additional day Son. (regardless of the age of the child).

The lifespan of the child receiving competent therapy and full care is reaching up to 15-20 years, but not a single doctor can call the exact figures.

HIV infection is considered a fatal diagnosis, but in most cases the quality of its life and its duration depends on the efforts of the patient himself and its approach to their own health. Modern methods Treatment give good therapeutic results, but even the most expensive and effective drugs They will not be able to help if a person does not adjust the lifestyle and will not refuse bad habits, if any. , read on our site. Learn the link.

Video - how much can you live with a diagnosis of HIV

I will share my story. I am 34 years old, I live with HIV for 15 years. During this time, he managed to finish the Medical University and learn a lot about the disease.

But first - some statistics.

According to the World Health Organization, nearly 37 million people with HIV live in the world. 46% of them enjoy modern medicine - Get antiretroviral therapy.

Life expectancy in people with HIV depends on the region of residence, social status, the development of the health care system at the place of residence and accessibility medical care. Consider the data in North America. According to data published at the CROI 2016 Conference, the life expectancy of HIV-positive people has increased significantly since the beginning of the epidemic.

That is, from the beginning of the epidemic until 2008, the average life expectancy in people with HIV in developed countries constantly grew due to the opening of new drugs and the introduction of them in medical practice. Moreover, he grew very quickly in the first five years of early epidemic, because antiretroviral therapy began to be introduced in developed countries rather quickly. Therefore, 78 percent of HIV deaths, which switched to AIDS is from 1988 to 1995. In the period from 2005 to 2009, the number of such deaths fell by 15 percent.

People got access to modern medicinal preparations And they began to live longer. By 2008, the difference in the life expectancy of the middle person with HIV and without HIV was 13 years old. And this gap is still preserved.

So, in 1996-97, the lifespan of a person who received HIV at the age of 20 was an average of 19 years since the detection of infection. In other words, if a person learned about HIV at the age of 20, immediately started medicinal therapy, on average he lived to 39 years. For a person without HIV (HIV-negative), such a term was 63 years old, that is, there were every chance to live to 83 years.

By 2011, the average life after the diagnosis of HIV at the age of 20 increased to 53 years, that is, such a person with HIV, being under the permanent supervision of the doctor, had every chance to live to 73 years. Compare with an indicator for HIV-negative - their average life expectancy has increased to 65 years, that is, there were every chance to live to 85 years.

Why do people living with HIV die?

The first cause of death in people with HIV is the lack of timely treatment. After all, even in the conditions of accessibility of free medical care, many people start to refuse it. The human immunodeficiency virus in the body of such people pretty quickly amazes the immune system and the body loses the ability to defend against banal infections.

Such a person is easily ill to pneumonia moving into heavy forms. Fungal infections Skin and mucous membranes and internal organs (mouth, esophagus, trachea), Banal herpes begins to deliver a lot of inconvenience. The likelihood of development is great oncological diseases. The body begins to rapid weight rapidly, people can begin to experience depression. In such a state, it is very easy to infect tuberculosis. And tuberculosis, unfortunately, remains one of the main causes of death of people living with HIV.

Many people have besides HIV hepatitis B and C. Immediately several chronic diseases carry much large risks for the body and often the cause of life-degraded diseases in such patients becomes complications of hepatitis B and / or C.

Why do people refuse to treat?

Other people begin to unreasonably think that antiretroviral therapy is toxic, "not natural", "not natural", "chemical". And I begin to be treated with homeopathy, herbal fees and with the help of other practices.

Many people living with HIV are observed by the doctor only periodically and do not comply with the mandatory daily diagram of Tablets. Modern methods They work only if a person is conscientious if the daily reception of antiretroviral drugs is missing. Passing in the reception of drugs lead to the insolvency of the assigned therapy, the virus begins to reproduce again in the human body and if not being undertaken medical events - goes to the AIDS stage.

Excessive use of alcohol and drugs also leads to periodic passes in the reception of tablets and sometimes to complete interruption of treatment.

Any of the listed ways of interruption of HIV treatment lead to an increased risk of HIV transition to the AIDS stage and premature death. These deaths can be warned and such people can live an active life much longer.

If you are interested in more detailed figures on global HIV / AIDS Epidemic Statistics - try learning the UNAIDS report (in PDF format).

Warning HIV transition to AIDS stage can be. To do this, it is necessary to observe the specialist doctor at the place of residence, to receive antiretroviral therapy and conscientiously take tablets on schedule every day. Periodically, such people hand over blood tests to control the patient's immune system by the attending physician, the success of suppressing the patient's blood virus. Such people can learn, work, play sports, make families, become parents.

My history

I was diagnosed with HIV infection in February 2007. And I received a virus presumably in 2002. This means that I live with HIV for fifteen years old, ten of which I get antiretroviral therapy. Now I am 34 years old and feel beautiful.

I recently began to use to control my indicators mobile app For HIV-positive people LIFE4ME +. It allows me to not forget about the reception of drugs, to make the data of all blood tests, personal measurements.

On the chart - two lines. Red The level of viral load (the number of virus units in one millilitress of blood). Blue The number of CD4 lymphocytes (singular cells of the immune system) in one millilitress of blood.

As you can see, at the beginning of the disease, I had about 15 thousand units of the virus in one millilitress of blood. CD4 cells, "T-Helpers", singular cells of the immune system, in one millilitress of blood contained only 112 pieces. This is very small, because a healthy man in 25 years in the norm of such cells should be from 500 to 1,500 in one millilitress of blood.

Therefore, at the time of the start of therapy, I had a high risk to get a tuberculosis, I experienced inconvenience in the constant manifestation of fungal infections of the oral cavity. It was high in the risk of heavy pneumonia, oncological diseases, toxoplasmosis, exacerbation of cytomegalovirus (traces of the presence of this virus in the blood), severe herpetic infection and many other unusual diseases were discovered.

For example, cryptococcal meningitis - develops slowly, asymptomatic in initial stage. Arise headache, dizziness, fever, visual impairment, epileptic seizures. With timely treatment, the disease forecast is quite favorable. Elevated doses Prescribed drugs can lead to complications, for example, damage to the kidney membrane. Also, patients may develop renal failure, which is why they may die in a state of a uremic coma. In the absence of treatment, the disease can end with a fatal outcome.

But everything went around, I got on the reception to a specialist in a local AIDS center and began antiretroviral therapy. On the chart, it is possible to observe the restoration of CD4 cells in the blood in the blood and the drop in the level of viral load to an undetectable level (actually to zero). From the moment of the fall in the virus load to zero, I stopped being dangerous for uninfected people even in case of direct contact with my blood or sexual contact. This is very important factwhich is worth aware of many and remember. A person with HIV infection that receives antiretroviral therapy and this therapy is successful - becomes almost safe for partners without HIV. Of course, it is necessary to observe the doctor, to do analyzes, to be protected. But the risk is much of the order less!

On the chart, you can see a splash of the level of viral load in 2015 and the drop in the CD4 cell level to a minimum. It was associated with a break in the reception of antiretroviral drugs. It was irresponsible behavior towards his body on my part. The reason for this was a serious and long-term depression. People with HIV often suffer from depression. Often it becomes the cause of interruptions in therapy, and sometimes even attempts by suicide. This is another cause of early deaths of people living with HIV.

What is the cause of depression? Basically, it is stigma. This is a forced concealment of its diagnosis from many people. Anxiety for their future. Lack of vision of the dynamics of its disease. Often, a simple schedule, the picture will give a person more hope than the persuasion of friends and loved ones.

It was very useful for me to go through this condition. I began to understand other people more, the reasons for their irresponsible behavior in relation to its body and close people. And with this you can fight. To do this, we should try to better understand each other. I believe that HIV is a temporary fellow traveler. M. we will surely be able to develop methods of full HIV cure, and B. last years We see more and more encouraging results of scientific research.

How much can you live with HIV?

When a person finds out about the diagnosis that the doctor puts him, he immediately has different questions in his head.

If he is informed that he has influenza or pyelonephritis, he asks how he is treated and how soon he can recover. But if a person is reported scary diagnosis, for example, HIV infection, then questions appear completely different, for example, how long can I live?

If you ask this question to Dr. He, of course, will not be able to answer him absolutely accurately. He will be able to bring only approximate data. On average, a person with HIV, if he does not accept ARV drugs, will be able to live no more than 10 years. Although life expectancy with HIV is very individual. Some will not live 3 years old. It all depends on the set of factors, among whom: lifestyle, how strong the person has immunity, how it is right feeds and so on. And, as practice shows, most often people die not from HIV or AIDS, but from opportunistic, i.e. concomitant diseases.

But today there are a number of drugs that can fight the human immunodeficiency virus, they even united them into a separate class of therapy. These are drugs that are struggling with retroviruses, to which HIV belongs. Antiretroviral therapy is developing every year and is very effective in treating HIV. ARV-therapy acts in such a way that, in the first place, it lowers the viral load, i.e. Reduces the number of virus agents in the body. And secondly, antiretroviral drugs tone the immune system, thereby increasing the amount of lymphocytes in the blood. It is the presence of a sufficient amount of lymphocytes in the blood ensures the fight against opportunistic diseases.

If antiretroviral therapy is not taken, it can lead to various negative consequences. First, the viral load will grow that in the end will lead to AIDS. AIDS is last stage HIV infection, which, as a rule, leads to death. In addition, due to the large content of the virus in the blood, the risk of transferring it to someone becomes much higher than those who keep the HIV content within the limits of permissible. And secondly, a gradual decrease in the number of lymphocytes will occur. If the immune status is above 350 CD4, then the immune system It works quite normally, but it is subject to some causative agents of diseases that can cause diarrhea and weight loss. If the immune status falls below 200, then the risk of the development of pneumonia is significantly increased, in status below 100 - develop serious diseaseswhich can lead to a fatal outcome.

It is clear that only when proper treatment And caring for themselves, a person can live the number of years he was allocated. HIV is terrible chronic illnessBut you can restrain it, you can live with it. The oldest person with HIV in Russia today is 97 years old. Of course, it is impossible to talk with 100% confidence of how much HIV-positive person will be able to live. If only because since the opening of HIV, there was not so much time, but today there are people in the world who lived over 30 years, i.e. Practically since the opening of the infection to the present. It became possible only when using antiretroviral drugs, as well as subject to certain requirements, including: proper nutrition, lack of bad habits, sports and so on. The main conclusion: follow your health and follow all the recommendations that the doctor gives.

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