SearchExclusive.com

How to Differentiate Between HIV and AIDS

Having HIV and having AIDS does not mean one and the same thing. Learn how to tell one from the other.

What is the exact difference between HIV and AIDS? Are they the same disease? These are a few of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to HIV. It is understandable that these terms confuse a lot of people, especially since they are often used in an interchangeable manner. However, the truth is that there is a difference between HIV and AIDS. Simply speaking, HIV is the virus that could lead to a medical condition called AIDS.

What is HIV?

The Huma Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is a virus that is infectious in nature. As the name suggests, this virus only affects human beings, and its primary focus is on attacking the immune system so as to cause it to malfunction, and eventually shut it down. When it comes to most other viruses, our immune systems are well-versed with recognizing the foreign presence, and then working hard to annihilate it. However, the story is not the same in the case of HIV. For some reason, our immune systems seem completely unable to put up a fight against this virus. Scientists are still stumped as to why our immune systems are unable to attack HIV. While we cannot defeat HIV, it can be controlled very effectively with the use of medications.

What is AIDS?

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS is a condition or syndrome. If you are infected with HIV, the chance of you developing AIDS exists. Once the HIV has caused severe enough damage inside the immune system, AIDS rears its ugly head. This syndrome affects and manifests in different people differently. Causing myriad varied symptoms in different people, AIDS symptoms are caused by the fact that the immune system is so compromised that it can no longer protect itself against any infections. These become the AIDS symptoms then. Some common AIDS symptoms include tuberculosis, some types of cancer, pneumonia, etc.

Can I Have HIV But Not AIDS?

You can have an HIV infection without having AIDS. However, the converse is not true, which means that those that have AIDS already mandatorily have HIV. Basically, HIV is a virus that may or may not cause AIDS. It is possible for you to have an HIV infection that does not develop into AIDS for years, if not decades. Thanks to the great advancements in the treatment of HIV and AIDS, the average life expectancy of someone with an HIV infection is higher than it ever was before. However, it is important to remember that as of now, there is no cure for an HIV infection. This means that even if you never get AIDS, your HIV infection will continue to stay put in your body.

Can HIV be transmitted like AIDS?

In this matter, HIV works like any other virus – it can be transmitted from one person to the other. On the other hand, AIDS is a condition that can only be “acquired” after the patient has contracted the HIV infection already. Transmission of HIV from one person to the other happens through the exchange of the fluids in the body, through unprotected sex, use of contaminated needles, or contaminated blood transfusions, etc. Though it is a rare occurrence, it is possible for a mother to pass on the HIV infection to her baby during the pregnancy period.

How are HIV and AIDS diagnosed?

The diagnosis of HIV is fairly straightforward. A simple blood or saliva test can tell your doctors everything they need to know. Once you are infected with HIV, your immune system creates specific antibodies in a vain attempt to fight the virus. These antibodies can be tested through a blood or saliva test a few weeks after you first contracted the infection. If you choose to test the antigens or proteins that are created by HIV then it is possible to detect the infection within a few days of getting it. Not only are both these tests easy to administer, they are also highly accurate.

Diagnosing AIDS is not quite that simple. The last stage of the HIV infection is the condition we call AIDS. The virus destroys a huge number of CD4 immune cells by the time it develops into AIDS. The diagnosis of AIDS requires a counting of the number of CD4 cells in the blood. Testing for AIDS can also be done based on the fact that opportunistic infections exist. In general, both factors are considered together to correctly diagnose AIDS.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.