5 Advancements in the treatment of HIV – Medicircle

Know more about the monitoring of HIV AIDS, and new advancements in their treatments from experienced Dr. Pratyush Kumar, Infectious Diseases Consultant.

We at Medicircle are constantly working on bringing to our audience all the trending health-related topics. It is our primary objective to Bring to your attention news and views you need to be aware of to lead a healthy disease-free life. To help us in this regard we’d be joined by eminent and expert top doctors from across the country. Today, we are going to talk about the problem of prostate cancer and ways to help you deal with it.

Dr. Pratyush Kumar is a consultant physician with a special interest in diabetes and infectious diseases. He has published many research papers on infectious diseases, diabetes, and rural health and presented them at many international conferences. He is passionate about rural health and involved with many international organizations. Currently, he chairs the rural health group of South Asia Wonca Rural South Asia (WoRSA), advisory board member - TUFH, and executive member of the world organization of family doctors (WONCA).

AIDS

Dr. Pratyush begins, “AIDS stands for Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome. It is named like this because

Acquired – It is acquired by HIV infection through sexual transmission, blood transfusion, from mother to baby, or by injectable drugs.

Immuno-Deficiency – This virus attacks the immune cells of the body, gradually lowers immunity. It makes the body immune-deficient over a period of time.

Syndrome – Because of immunocompromised conditions, there are chances of other opportunistic infections."

AIDS - Symptoms

Dr. Pratyush says, “CD4 count is very important in HIV. If it’s less than 200, you may develop AIDS. Lower CD4 count parallels higher opportunistic infections. Symptoms depend on the type of infection.

Infection in the stomach – Loose motion, diarrhea, lumps

Chest infection (TB) – Fever, weight loss, blood in cough

Early-stage symptoms – Lumps in the armpit, 

Other infections include brain infection, pneumonia, cancers, skin infections, tongue infection, dermatitis. Symptoms are observed according to the organ involved in the infection."

Dr. Pratyush adds, “If you are having persistent weight loss, fever, skin infections, no recovery after taking antibiotics, poor appetite, other recurring body infections, then you should get tested for HIV."

Monitoring of AIDS

Dr. Pratyush mentions, "AIDS not only destroys our immune system but also affects other organs of the body. HIV medicines have their own side effects, that need to be monitored."

Dr. Pratyush listed some important parameters of AIDSmonitoring 

Basic monitoring 

Checking weight – If it is improving, then it’s a good sign.

Drug compliance – Medicine is to be taken daily, never miss the dose.

CD4 count – Tested every 6 months. 

HIV RNA viral load – Tested once a year

Blood test – Haemoglobin, liver SGPT, Kidney creatinine, lipid profile

Urine test

The patient is also tested for other STI infections.

Advancements in the treatment of HIV

Dr. Pratyush emphasizes, “There have been many advancements in the treatment of HIV. As per the new guidelines, 

1. Patients should start taking the medicine from the day he/she is diagnosed HIV positive.

2. Patients have to take a single tablet (TLD) a day with no neuropsychiatric complications.

3. This medication is also given as Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) drug within 72 hours of sexual contact for 4 weeks.

4. Patients can suppress viral load in 6-12 months by taking regular medicine. If the viral load is completely suppressed, the patient cannot spread the disease. So, he/she can build relationships with their spouses, can do family planning.

5. Even an HIV-positive pregnant mother can have a negative baby using ART therapy.

It's high time we end the stigma attached to HIV. With newer developments in treatment, HIV patients can also live a happy and healthy normal life."

(Edited by Renu Gupta)

 

Contributed By: Dr. Pratyush Kumar, Infectious Diseases Consultant, Patna Medical College and Hospital
Tags : #Healthcare-Trending-Topics #DrPratyushKumar #PatnaMedicalCollege #hiv #aidSawareness #hivawareness #hivprevention #hivpositive #tcells #Immunecells #cd4count #aidssymptoms #aidsmonitoring #Knowyourstatus #MedicircleSmitaKumar

Related Stories

Loading Please wait...

-Advertisements-




Trending Now

Medanta Gurugram successfully treats ‘rarest of rare’ lymph node cancer resistant to other drugs using CAR-T Cell TherapyDecember 03, 2024
Nonin Medical secures FDA clearance for its over-the-counter fingertip pulse oximeter, accurate for patients of all skin colorsDecember 02, 2024
ALARM 2024: Amrita Leads the Fight Against Antimicrobial ResistanceDecember 02, 2024
Coral adaptation unlikely to keep pace with global warmingDecember 02, 2024
Reaching the unreached to find missing TB casesDecember 02, 2024
Sip Smart: Why Changing Your Water Habits Can Change Your LifeNovember 28, 2024
Can Your Fingers Predict How Much You Drink? New Study ExplainsNovember 28, 2024
India Leads Global Medical Tourism with 8% Share; PSRI Sets New Benchmarks with nearly 15% International Patient BaseNovember 28, 2024
Medicines save lives but not when they stop workingNovember 28, 2024
A total of 340 Children Participated in the Painting Competition Organized by Asian HospitalNovember 28, 2024
The Standing Desk Myth: Is Sitting Actually Healthier?November 27, 2024
How Cancer Outsmarts Chemotherapy: The Hidden Metabolic GameNovember 27, 2024
Aakash Healthcare Saves life of a 61-year-old Women through Timely Neuro-intervention with a multi-disciplinary management of StrokeNovember 27, 2024
Breakfast Wars: Why Men and Women Should Eat DifferentlyNovember 27, 2024
Only 10% of Businesses Are Ready to Become Experience-Orchestrated, Highlighting Lack of PersonalisationNovember 27, 2024
Investors Think Safe, but Act Bold: MyFi Report Exposes Risk Tolerance Mismatch November 27, 2024
Indkal Technologies Redefines Luxury Home Entertainment with Acer M Series Hybrid MiniLED TelevisionsNovember 27, 2024
Fat’s Double-Edged Sword: How It Protects and Betrays Your HealthNovember 27, 2024
Decoding the Brain: How Understanding Social Networks in the Mind Could Revolutionize Mental Health TreatmentNovember 26, 2024
M-Pox Crisis: The Global Emergency We Can’t IgnoreNovember 26, 2024