AIDS treatment and medications
Once the diagnosis of HIV has been made, aids treatment is recommended. Since AIDS was first discovered, many novel drugs have been developed. Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV and all the drugs available can only reduce symptoms or prevent complications of the infection.
Standard treatment for hiv aids have been developed and all drug therapies focus on achieving the maximum suppression of symptoms for the longest time. This new aggressive treatment for aids is known as highly active anti retroviral therapy or HAART. The goal of HAART is to decrease the amount of virus in the blood to very low or unmeasurable levels, but this does not mean that the virus has completely disappeared. The treatment for hiv aids is usually accomplished with use of 2-3 anti viral drugs. Finally, the drugs selected are those that will have maximum efficiency and will hopefully have the least possibility side effects. All individuals who have HIV should take a strong interest in their treatment and discuss the risk and benefits of each drug.
The first line anti retroviral drugs used to treat aids include zidovudine, lamivudine and many others. The major side effect from these drugs is bone marrow suppression which often leads to opportunistic infections and bleeding. The other class of drugs used for treatment of aids includes protease inhibitors which interrupt HIV multiplication late in its cycle. The most common side effects of these drugs are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Today, treatment for aids has been fraught with development of resistance to the drugs and thus a new generation of drugs known as fusion inhibitors, integrase and chemokine co receptor inhibitors has been developed. The aim of all aids hiv treatment is to inhibit HIV replication and prevent resistance.
The response to aids hiv treatment is made by measuring viral load at intervals of 3-4 months. Using antiviral drugs is not the sole treatment. All patients should take an active role in their health care and this means working with a physician who knows the disease and will respect you. Get immunized against the common cold virus, do not smoke or use illicit drugs and eat a healthy diet.
Avoid raw foods that may put you at risk for acquiring an infection, and try and drink pure clean water where possible. Moreover, remember many pet animals carry parasites and can easily pass them on to you. So protect yourself when cleaning the litter, wear gloves and do not feed your pets’ raw meat. Always wash hands frequently.
Receiving a diagnosis of a life threatening disease like HIV can be devastating but fortunately there are many resources available. Be proactive and learn about your infection and maintain a strong support system. You need to tell your partners about your illness even though there is no legal obligation. Come to terms with your illness and live life fully with proper aids treatment.