Difference Between HIV and AIDS

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus; it’s the virus that causes HIV and also the term used to refer to both the virus and the infection it causes. HIV attacks and destroys specific system cells known as CD4 cells. The body’s loss of those cells makes it less able toward of different diseases and infections, as well as cancers.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final, most advanced stage of an HIV infection.

When left untreated, HIV advances to AIDS once it has drained enough CD4 cells. Treatment will facilitate stop the progression of HIV to AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) may be a combination of medicines that are used to stop HIV from replicating, thereby reducing the quantity of the virus within the body. The less HIV within the body, the higher chance the immune system needs to shield the body against the virus and infection. ART isn’t a cure, however will facilitate those with HIV live longer lives, be healthier, and helps lower the danger of transmitting HIV to others. The partner of someone who is on treatment for HIV (or anyone at a high risk of obtaining the virus) should begin a preventive medication known as PrEP– pre-exposure prophylaxis. Once this pill is taken consistently, it lowers the danger in people that are in danger by helping to keep the virus from creation a permanent HIV infection.

Once an individual is infected with HIV, they tend to develop flu-like symptoms inside some weeks or months. Common initial symptoms include headaches, fever and/or a rash. A lot of serious symptoms could develop if treatment isn’t sought, as well as fast weight loss, chronic diarrhea, infections or diseases that may not otherwise occur if the person was healthy and had a robust system. These a lot of severe symptoms don’t occur for years. It usually several takes years of no treatment for the virus to reach AIDS.

When someone dies of AIDS, it’s generally because they got sick with another kind of disease or infection and their immune system wasn’t strong enough to fight it off as a result of it absolutely was suppressed by the human immunodeficiency virus. AIDS is diagnosed by measuring a person’s CD4 cell count. A count of less than 200 cells/mm3 within the blood indicates AIDS, whereas a typical, healthy individual has around 500-1,600 cells/mm3 in a blood sample. AIDS may also be diagnosed once an HIV-positive individual has more than one chronic opportunistic infection.

HIV will be transmitted by several pathways, including:

• Blood
• Breast milk
• Semen and pre-seminal (pre-ejaculate) fluid
• Vaginal fluids
• Rectal fluids

HIV will be passed from mothers to their babies during childbirth, or throughout breastfeeding. Treating an HIV-positive mother with ART during pregnancy and providing HIV medications to newborns lessens the danger of transmission significantly.

HIV is usually transmitted via vaginal or anal sex, however will be spread different ways. Condoms will help cut back the danger of getting HIV during vaginal or anal intercourse. Since the virus will be contracted from HIV-positive blood, sharing drug needles or perhaps using tattooing instrumentation that wasn’t properly sterilized will transmit the virus.

You cannot get HIV from skin-to-skin contact– thus touching, high-fiving, hugging, or shaking hands with someone WHO is HIV-positive won’t infect you. Neither can having contact with things that an HIV-positive person has touched, like phones, toilets, door handles or cups and dishes.

Difference Between hiv and aids

HIV is a virus. AIDS is a condition caused by the virus HIV.

You can have HIV while not having AIDS, and lots of people live for several years with HIV without ever developing AIDS. However if you have AIDS, you’ve got to possess HIV.