HIV IN WOMEN

HIV IN WOMEN 

MAIN SYMPTOMS: 

HIV is an insidious infection that does not manifest itself for a long time. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to determine the symptoms of HIV in women, especially at an early stage, because they are of a general nature, which does not indicate the presence of a virus in the body. At the same time, if you do not start antiviral therapy in a timely manner, the patient’s life expectancy is reduced, as the symptoms of the disease progress and, eventually, lead to the development of AIDS. The first symptoms of the disease do not give an idea of ​​the reasons for their appearance, therefore, the treatment of the disease is hampered by the clinical nature of these manifestations and the inability to diagnose during the incubation period. 

CHARACTERISTIC SYMPTOMS 

HIV in women, as well as in men, has four stages. The first stage is a hidden (or latent period) that lasts from several weeks to several years. In this period, the signs of HIV in women are not detected, and, unfortunately, even having done certain tests to detect the antibodies of the virus in the body, the results cannot be obtained, because the antibodies of the virus appear only after the incubation period. 

It turns out that a woman can live and not suspect that she is infected. And it is dangerous the likelihood of infecting others, especially with the active sex life of the fair sex. That is why doctors recommend using condoms for occasional sexual intercourse - this will prevent infection by the virus or will not make it possible to infect another person (if the virus already exists in the body in the latent phase). 

The second phase of the disease - the phase of activation of the virus. At this stage, the woman appears the first manifestations of the pathology, but they are non-specific. These symptoms include: 

• increase in body temperature to 38 degrees and higher, which can be either short-term or persistent;
•  swollen lymph nodes , first in the occipital region, then in the cervical, axillary, and inguinal (lymph nodes are painful); 
• the appearance of red spots on the body;
•  sore throat when swallowing and even coughing;
•  the occurrence of a disorder in the stool (intermittent constipation and diarrhea);
•  disorder of appetite, which causes weight loss (non-critical).

All these first signs of infection in the body of a woman are often mistaken for signs of a banal cold or intestinal disorder. Therefore, in most cases, they do not even seek medical help, and since the symptoms disappear on their own after some time, the representatives of the fair sex consider that they have cured and continue to actively spread the infection through sex with men contraception - condoms). 

The first signs of HIV infection 

The third phase is the asymptomatic phase. It can last for many years, gradually destroying the woman’s immune system. At the same time, a woman at this stage has persistent lymphadenopathy, so this should alert her and make her turn to a doctor to diagnose HIV . Also, a woman can observe the following disorders: 

• sweating, especially at night;
•  feeling of breakdown; 
• apathy; 
• excessive exposure to infectious diseases;
•  irritability and fatigue.

Symptoms that speak of infection are diseases of the female genital organs, such as uterine dysplasia , the development of infections, pain during menstruation and others. 

Unfortunately, the early symptoms of the infection say little about the disease, so even during the examination, doctors rarely suspect the disease in the patient. But symptoms such as sustained lymphadenopathy , combined with the patient's complaints about other disorders characteristic of the infection, may prompt the doctor to the likelihood of the patient having HIV. Accordingly, the appointment of appropriate tests for her diagnosis. 

The fourth phase of the disease - AIDS . This is a condition in which the work of the immune system is disrupted, and any, even a minor disease, can be fatal for the patient. Since the onset of the fourth phase, the life span of a woman is only a few years. 

The symptoms of this phase of the disease are multiple: 

• the development of mucosal candidiasis , and the disease is poorly amenable to treatment with specific drugs;
•  severe weight loss;
•  the emergence of psychological disorders, including dementia ; constant fatigue and prolonged depression ; 
• susceptibility to infectious diseases, and they are long and recurrent in nature; 
• the appearance of warts and papillomas on the external genitalia; 
• the defeat of the mucous herpes sores (frequent) by the type of shingles ;
•  the development of tuberculosis and other serious illnesses leading to death.

It is important to know that HIV in women is slower than in men. Perhaps this is due to a more attentive attitude of the fair sex to their health and early detection of infection in the body, or the whole thing in a stronger immune system that can resist the virus for a long time. 

FEATURES OF TREATMENT 

Treatment of infection is primarily in the inhibition of the processes of inhibition of the immune system. Unfortunately, even timely treatment does not allow the patient to recover, as today the disease is incurable, but it still allows to prolong her life and prevent the spread of HIV infection. 

• Treatment involves the use of drugs such as: 

• Didanosine;
•  Zidovudine; 
• Nevirapin and some others that inhibit the activation and reproduction of the virus.