Symptoms of HIV in men: the first signs of HIV infection

Symptoms of HIV in men: the first signs of HIV infection
HIV is the scourge of the 21st century, which cannot be completely cured yet, but with early detection and timely treatment, you can give the sick person a chance to live a happy and rather long life. At first, the disease does not differ in any particular symptomatology. HIV symptoms in men in the first months of infection are almost invisible, therefore, they can only be determined by people who are especially attentive to their health.

Methods of infection of the disease

The infection is localized mainly in body fluids - blood, cerebrospinal fluid, semen. When these substances dry out, the virus becomes inactive.

HIV infection is possible in the following ways:

• through unprotected intercourse;
• in case of accidental entry of infected blood into the body of a healthy person (use of a non-sterile instrument, violations of the blood transfusion procedure, use of shared syringes among drug addicts);
• from an infected mother to her son during pregnancy, childbirth or lactation.

In ordinary life, it is difficult to get infected in such ways, but you can become VIL-positive even after one such contact with an infected person. This requires that biological fluid with a high concentration of viruses enter the mucous membranes or directly into the bloodstream of a healthy person.

You need to remember once and for all that it is impossible to get infected:

• with skin contact;
• through dishes and other household items;
• with insect bites;
• airborne droplets;
• when using a shared shower or pool.

For these reasons, caring for and living with an HIV-infected person carries no danger. In tears, saliva, sputum, sweat and urine, the concentration of the virus is extremely low, so it is impossible to get infected through these biological fluids.

Features of infection in men

The risk group includes the following categories of the male population:

• promiscuous sex without using condoms (approximately 85% of infections);
• addicts who use reusable needles and untreated syringes;
• gay people (approximately 15% of infections occur in homosexual contacts).

 

Statistics confirm that approximately 2/3 of those infected are men. A few years ago, the number of infected men exceeded the number of sick women by 5 times. Basically, people are infected who think little about the consequences of their actions and do not want to follow the simplest preventive measures.

The risk group also includes sailors, refugees, seasonal workers, tourists, immigrants. Risk factors are very numerous and ambiguous, therefore it is difficult to single out one of them specifically.

How long does HIV manifest

Within 20-30 days after infection in a person, nonspecific first symptoms of HIV appear, which are easily confused with the manifestations of SARS. As a rule, these are barely noticeable ailments, weakness, constant fatigue and an increase in temperature to 38 degrees. Then the disease goes into an asymptomatic stage.

The duration of the latent period depends on the state of health of the man. If he was in good health and was in good physical shape, the first symptoms can appear only after a few years.

Stages of the development of the disease

The disease after infection passes in several stages:

• The incubation period. It proceeds without any pronounced manifestations. It can last for years.
• Latent stage. An infection can only be detected using a blood test, and not always. But most often, such a check shows the presence of antibodies to the virus.
• Manifestation of HIV. Due to the weakening of immunity, secondary diseases appear. Any infection enters the body almost unhindered. This stage, if untreated, lasts approximately 2-3 years.
• AIDS. This is the last stage. At this phase, it is simply impossible to miss the signs of the disease. Severe immune disorders develop, secondary diseases appear that destroy the body inside. If untreated at this stage, life expectancy does not exceed 3 years.

 

The immunodeficiency syndrome itself is divided into several forms according to a set of main symptoms: pulmonary, intestinal, neurological. In this case, total damage to the body is often observed. Despite serious medical research and development, there is no cure for this terrible disease to date.

HIV symptoms in men: first signs

The first alarm calls appear within a couple of weeks after infection. This can be a low-grade fever, psychological disorders, causeless irritability, strange rashes on the body.

After an incubation period, which may be prolonged, a new stage begins with pronounced symptoms:

• enlarged lymph nodes (no pain);
• temperature rise;
• moist cough;
• nasal congestion;
• episodic or persistent diarrhea;
• losing weight for no apparent reason;
• joint pain
• sore throat;
• placers of small red-violet tumors on the body;
• excessive sweating;
• forgetfulness, apathy, the first signs of dementia;
• violation of the usual way of life.

These manifestations indicate that the body is already tired of fighting and resisting infection. Immunity is gradually reduced, which leads to rapid infection with various diseases.

The immune system becomes powerless in front of a whole army of various viruses, bacteria and other infections.In a healthy state, the body copes with most of them, but in this case, even an ordinary sore throat can become fatal for a patient.

At the same time, the lymph nodes are not only palpated, but also protrude so much above the skin that it even alarms strangers. Most often, they appear behind the ears, in the armpits and clavicle.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Treatment

It is difficult to treat the disease due to the fact that the virus constantly mutates. Today, antiretroviral therapy (ARVT) is used for treatment. She can not remove the virus from the body, but inhibits its reproduction. Therefore, to give up because of such a diagnosis is impossible. With the support of immunostimulants, the patient can fully live for decades.

Previously, doctors were afraid to prescribe ART in the early stages due to fear of complications. However, now it is strongly recommended to use it for people older than 50 years and all those who voluntarily want to start treatment immediately.

Therapy also includes the use of specially selected antimicrobial, antiviral and antifungal drugs.

A uniform treatment leads to the fact that the virus acquires resistance to active medicinal substances and ceases to respond to them. Therefore, each time the patient develops an individual dosage regimen.

Particular attention is paid to nutrition. A full-fledged diet helps to resist the negative effects of the virus. The patient is recommended to eat meat, fish, nuts, beans, in order to fully satisfy the body's need for proteins.

And also do not forget about cereals, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Compliance with the drinking regime is mandatory, since adequate use of water helps to reduce the possible harm from taking potent medicines.

Living with such a disease is difficult, so patients often experience depression, apathy, unwillingness to fight and move on. Especially for such people, numerous centers have been created where they can receive support and answers to any questions. There, qualified psychologists work with HIV-infected people to help them accept themselves as they are and not lose heart.

Life expectancy and forecasts

Statistics show that the life expectancy of HIV-infected people is much shorter compared to healthy people. But back in the mid-1990s, scientists conducted a study that showed that the use of ART for young people gives them a chance to live for at least 20 years.

 

However, ten years ago, this figure is already 33 years old and this indicator continues to increase. Recent data suggest that a person after infection can live for almost 40 years, but only if various secondary diseases pass him by.

Therefore, with timely treatment, young people with HIV infection can safely plan their future and live fully.

Adequate modern treatment allows you to delay the disease so much that the AIDS phase never occurs. But for this it is necessary that the patient understands that non-compliance with the doctor’s recommendations directly leads to a reduction in life expectancy and aggravation of the disease. Responsibility and careful attention to your health are the best guarantee of the effectiveness of treatment.

HIV Prevention

In many countries of the world, complexes of measures are being taken to prevent HIV among a healthy population. Therefore, everyone should know about this. Preventive measures are very simple, compliance is not difficult.

First of all, it is necessary to exclude promiscuous sexual relations and not to use objects that could have contact with the blood of an infected person. Subject to these rules, the probability of infection approaches zero.

However, just in case, it is advisable for every person to be tested for HIV from time to time. If an infection is detected, treatment should be started immediately.