There are numerous diseases associated with AIDS. According to the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center, or UCSFMC, a person with AIDS has a weakened or compromised immune system, which makes him susceptible to opportunistic infections--infection by organisms that usually do not cause disease in healthy individuals. Immune system degeneration occurs when CD4+ T cells--the body's most important combatants against infection--decline. Although some AIDS-related opportunistic diseases may be prevented, many will cause serious health problems.
Tuberculosis
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, tuberculosis is spread between people through the air, and the disease is especially problematic for people infected with HIV/AIDS. The CDC states that tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death among people with HIV/AIDS, and that a person with HIV/AIDS should undergo testing to see if she has tuberculosis too. In people with both HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, treatment to prevent the progression of tuberculosis is critical. According to the UCSFMC, once infected by tuberculosis, most individuals--people without HIV/AIDS--remain healthy and develop only latent infection or infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis without tuberculosis disease. A person with latent tuberculosis is neither sick or infectious, although they can become sick and infectious with active tuberculosis.
Liver Disease
MedlinePlus from the National Institutes of Health states that the term liver disease encompasses numerous diseases and disorders that affect a person's liver function. MedlinePlus states that liver disease is signaled by abnormal results with liver function testing. According to the UCSFC, liver disease, like tuberculosis, is one of the leading causes of death among people with AIDS. Liver disease caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses is particularly deadly for AIDS patients. Medication for HIV/AIDS treatment can even cause hepatitis. Support services are important for people with HIV/AIDS, as these services can help HIV/AIDS patients find the necessary strategies to limit the progression of their disease and receive followup care for AIDS-related diseases such as hepatitis.
Toxoplasmosis
According to MayoClinic.com, toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that's characterized by flu-like symptoms. Toxoplasmosis is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which is one of the world's most common parasites. MayoClinic.com states that the majority of people affected by Toxoplasma gondii do not develop appreciable signs and symptoms of toxoplasmosis. However, certain people are more susceptible to this disease, including babies born to infected mothers and people with impaired immune function, such as those with HIV/AIDS. Toxoplasmosis can cause confusion, delusional behavior, headaches, fever, seizures, poor coordination and blurred vision due to retinal inflammation to manifest in HIV/AIDS patients. The UCSFMC states that toxoplasmosis may occur when a person's CD4+ T cell count drops below 100 cells per cubic millimeter of blood.
