Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS was first recognized in 1981, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AIDS is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus, also known as HIV. HIV destroys the cells in the immune system that help fight off infection. Once a person has a very advanced case of HIV, it is said that the person has AIDS. According to the MayoClinic.com if left untreated, HIV can progress into AIDS in about 10 years.
Diagnosis
An AIDS diagnosis is made in one of two ways. Once a person with HIV develops one or more opportunistic infections, then he is considered to have AIDS. Opportunistic infections develop when the person's immune system is too weak to fight off infections. The second way a diagnosis is made is when a person's CD4 cell count goes below 200, according to MayoClinic.com.
Opportunistic Infections
When a bacteria, virus, fungus or protozoa takes over the body of a person with a weak immune system, it is called an opportunistic infection, according to Avert.org. When a person has AIDS, his immune system is weak enough to allow these opportunist infections to take over. The signs and symptoms of an opportunistic infection include fatigue, night sweats, fever higher than 100 degrees Farenheit for a few weeks, cough and shortness of breath, weight loss, blurred vision, chronic diarrhea and skin rashes. According to Avert.org, some opportunistic infections include, PCP, Kaposi's sarcoma, histoplasmosis and bacterial pneumonia.
Treatment
According to Avert.org, there is no cure for AIDS, only treatments for the infections. Antiretroviral therapy is a combination of at least three drugs that help suppress the HIV progression, according to the World Health Organization. Antiretroviral therapy can also be used once a person has been diagnosed with AIDS, as it can help slow the progression of the disease. According to Avert.org, it is important to take the medications exactly as prescribed to maximize their benefits.
Caring for Someone With AIDS
People who have been diagnosed with AIDS can still live a good quality of life with proper medical care and by taking their medications exactly as prescribed. However, when a person reaches the final stages of AIDS, palliative care or end-of-life care can provide a source of medical, spiritual and emotional support for the patient. According to the World Health Organization, palliative care provides relief from pain and symptoms and does not rush or postpone death for a patient. Palliative care also provides counseling and bereavement to the patient's family to help them understand that dying is a normal process.
Statistics On AIDS
According to the statistics published on Avert.org in August 2010, an estimated 33.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008. That same year, it is estimated that two million people died from AIDS. In 2008 there were estimates of 2.1 million children living with HIV/AIDS. Avert.org also reports that 9.5 million people are in need of medications in developing and transitional countries and only 42 percent of the 9.5 million people will receive medications.
