Homeopathic Treatment For Aids

AIDS (Acquired Immune deficiency syndrome) is a disease caused by a virus called HIV. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV infection is a serious condition in the world today. World Health Organization (WHO) has considered AIDS as Pandemic (epidemic across the very large region) disease. As the name suggests, the HIV virus leads to the deficiency of immunity in humans. That, in turn, leads to a range of disease conditions, primarily due to seriously impaired immunity due to the invasion of the virus. AIDS leads to a decrease in the body's self-healing mechanism and many opportunistic infections like Tuberculosis, Pneumonia, fungal infection; diarrhea, etc. affect the body. 

The causative organism of AIDS is the HIV virus, which was discovered in 1982 by two scientists Robert Gallo and Luc Montagnier, individually. This virus was found in some gay individuals who suffered from the then-unknown infection. HIV virus is believed to have come from chimpanzees. There are two types of HIV virus, simply called HIV type I and HIV type II. Type I is the most common.

HIV-1 is more dangerous and more infective and is the cause of the majority of HIV infections globally. HIV-2 is known to infect about 5% of all HIV infections., more common in West African countries.

HIV Infection

HIV virus infection is always routed through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculation fluid (pre-cum), or breast milk. The transfer of virus may take place through these fluids. It may transfer via genital, anal, or anal routes through sexual contact. HIV never transmits by air or touch.

Infected syringes by doctors, nurses, drug-addicts, tattooing, etc. form another major source of infection. HIV is largely a sexually transmitted disease. It must be noted that HIV does not spread by a touch of healthy skin to healthy skin. Following are the modes of transmission of HIV.

• Unsafe sex 
• Contaminated needles (clinics, hospitals, drug-addicts, tattooing) ¦ Breastmilk  
• Trans-placental - Transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth

Once a person is infected with HIV, the virus is present both as free virus and virus within infected body cells. In simple words, the HIV virus attacks white blood cells, called CD4 cells. White blood cells are fighter cells. As a result, CD4 cells get destroyed and reduce in number, which leads to collapse of immune or defense mechanism. As the number of CD4 cells keeps reducing, the patient continues getting prone to various infections such as colds, chest infections, tuberculosis, diarrhea, typhoid, viral fevers, and many other conditions (diseases) like psoriasis, arthritis, weight loss, tumors, and even cancer.

Every person infected with the HIV virus is not labeled as a case of AIDS. Time taken for the appearance of AIDS symptoms varies from patient to patient and it depends upon patient’s immunity, number of viral episodes, and environmental factors.

Most of the patients may develop AIDS within 10 years of HIV infection. While few of them may progress much sooner, and some will take much longer. Treatment of HIV infected patients with anti-retroviral may increase life expectancy.

As the CD4 cells (fighter cells) reduce in number, body's vitality goes low, making itself prone to various infections. Common opportunistic infections inflicting the HIV patients are those by bacteria, virus, fungi, and parasites. For example Mycobacterium tuberculosis, typhoid, dysentery, Cytomegalovirus, Viral hepatitis, Herpes, Human papillomavirus (HPV), Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), Candidiasis (fungus), Cryptococcal meningitis (fungus), Toxoplasmosis, Cryptosporidiosis (parasites).

Early Symptoms

It is observed that a few patients may show early symptoms once they get infected with HIV. Following early symptoms may be misdiagnosed as influenza.

• Low-grade fever
• Headache
• Nausea
• Tiredness

Late Symptoms

These symptoms may occur 4-7 years after infection with HIV. Following signs and symptoms may be warning signs of late-stage HIV infection:

• Rapid weight loss (more than 15 %)
• Relapsing fever
• All kind of bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal infections
• Excessive fatigue
• Enlargement of lymph glands in the armpits, groin, etc
• Diarrhea more than a week
• Recurring Pneumonia
• Loss of memory and other neurological disorders
• Increased risk of cancer, lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, and cervical cancer
• Swelling of Lymph nodes
• Skin rash    
• Body-ache  
• Weakness
• Recurrent nonhealing oral ulcers 
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting 
• Swelling of liver/spleen
• Weight loss

Diagnosis

Presence of HIV in blood or other body fluid can be done with

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
• Western blot test
• Immunofluorescence assay (IFA)

Preventive measures:

• Abstinence: Avoid indulging in a sexual relationship with strangers.
• Monogamous relations: Have only one (safe), sex partner
• Protected sex: Use condoms during a sexual relationship
• Sterile instruments: No use of used needles or any other instruments

Treatment

Conventional treatment with Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) is recommended for every case if AIDS when the CD4 count becomes less than 350. ART reduces deaths and also prevents fresh infections. ART does not offer a cure for AIDS or the HIV infection, it helps to control the disease and protects against the complications.