Managing HIV/AIDS

Treating and managing infections can be very challenging. It is even worse for HIV/AIDS considering the fact that one has to live on drugs for the rest of their lives. They must also follow a strict set of guidelines and principles to ensure a long life. Starting ARVS “ARVS are started when a person’s CD4 count falls below 350/cell units per millimeter of blood,” says Dr Rachna Pande, a specialist of internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital. Pande explains that since CD4 cells play a major role in protecting the body from infections by sending signals to activate immune response after detecting intruders like viruses, several interventions are required once their numbers fall. “A person with high viral load needs ARV therapy as well as those with grave infections such as tuberculosis, meningitis and cancer. Anyone having extensive weight loss and asthenia irrespective of the CD4 count is a candidate for ARVS too,” Pande adds. Statistics from the World Health Organization and UNAIDs,estimate that 35 million people were living with HIV globally at the end of 2013 and in the same year, some 2.1 million people became newly infected, and 1.5 million died of AIDS-related causes. However experts say that those who have the infection can live positively if they adhere to the medications and also follow up the guidelines provided by the health professionals regarding disease management and behavioural change. Lifestyle and HIV Dr Narine Netovosyan from Minas Medical Centre in Kanombe says that having HIV does not deprive you of social life. She, however, emphasizes that at such a point, the immune system is subjected to a lot of stress hence individuals have to be aware of ways to improve immunity. Netovosyan continues to explain that people living with the disease have to consider living within the limits of good behavioural and health habits as support for the body’s well being. “The feeding should be balanced and people living with HIV should desist from habits of drinking alcohol and smoking among others,” Netovosyan explains. She adds that in addition to good nutrition, regular exercises are essential for people compromised by the infection. “Having regular exercise helps keep the body in proper shape and can be maximised alongside proper feeding,” Netovosyan adds. Hygiene and sanitation Audrey Mutabazi, a food consultant, suggests that individuals living with HIV in addition have to maintain good hygiene standards. “Poor hygiene contributes to infections or sometimes food borne illnesses that are likely to disturb the patient,” Mutabazi says. A study from the Democratic Republic of Congo found that HIV positive infants are 11 times more likely to die of diarrheal disease than uninfected infants. Diarrhoea is particularly dangerous for people living with the disease because it can lead to an increased viral load, thus increasing disease progression Worse still, people with HIV living in unhygienic conditions can suffer from a condition called enteropathy that hinders proper absorption of antiretroviral medicines and makes them less effective, in some cases leading to drug resistance. Mutabazi warns that hygiene-related infections may be contributing to a lot of discomfort. He maintains that however much these people living with HIV would be interested in abusive substances; they should also keep hands off liquor among others. “Substances like tobacco and alcohol of any type should be avoided especially when the individual is on the daily ARV regimen,” Mutabazi warns. It should be known that researchers have only managed to come up with a few plans and no clear breakthrough with the disease. HIV/AIDs has no cure, people living with the disease should consider following up on the medical guidelines regularly because once they fail to do so, their bodies stand a high risk of multi-drug resistance or organ failure which can lead to death.