DiseaseIllness

In this article we're going to discuss the possible dangers and side effects of antihistamines and what people should be aware of when taking antihistamines to treat their allergies.

For the most part
antihistamines are safe. Having said that
antihistamines can have side effects which
if the antihistamine is not properly administered
can be serious.

The truth is
all medications have side effects. Some are mild
as in the case of an aspirin
unless you have stomach ulcers or aspirin sensitivity and others are more serious such as the side effects from chemotherapy
but for the most part
antihistamine side effects are fairly mild. The newest antihistamines are probably about the safest medications that there are. But there are differences between the various antihistamines and their side effects.

The older antihistamines have the most serious side effects. Because technology wasn't where it is now
older antihistamines can make you very sleepy
even to the point of falling asleep behind the wheel of a car. The harsh truth is
antihistamines have the same effect on your brain as alcohol. If you've been keeping up with the latest news you'll notice that people seem to be driving around in a drug induced haze. This is becoming a very serious problem in itself as there are no laws against driving while under the influence of prescription medication. That is most likely going to change very soon. According to experts
there is no doubt in their mind that older antihistamines can cause traffic accidents.

But that isn't where the effect of older antihistamines ends. They also affect learning and exam performance. Studies show that children with allergies who go to school after taking an antihistamine have poorer test scores than children who are not on antihistamines.

Another problem with older antihistamines is that one of the side effects is that people who use them sometimes have difficulty in passing water. or have increased pressure in their eyes. These symptoms
however
are very rare.

With the newer antihistamines
most
if not all of these side effects are a thing of the past. We have certainly come a long way. Therefore it is no longer necessary to use the older antihistamines.

Many people ask
how do we know the newer antihistamines are better? Actually
there are studies that clinically show that they are.

For starters
road safety studies were done. Two control groups were used. The one group was given older antihistamines and the other group was given the newer improved antihistamines. The results were staggering. The reaction time of the old antihistamine group was slower
their turning was more erratic
their attention was poor and in general they did not drive as skilfully. In some cases their driving was so bad and so dangerous that the test itself had to be stopped.

Another study was done on children going to school. Two control groups were again set up. The group that was given the older antihistamines had much lower test scores
sometimes as much as 20 to 30 points lower. Many of the students couldn't even finish their exams.

The only downside of the newer antihistamines
and for that matter any treatment of this sort for allergies
is that they are not a cure and over time a person can build up a resistance to a particular antihistamine where it no longer works. A new one then has to be given. The average length of time that a person can take a particular antihistamine before they have to move on to a new one is between 3 and 6 months.

In this article we're going to discuss probably the most common form of treatment for allergy sufferers; the use of antihistamines
what they are and how they work in the body to rid people of their allergy symptoms.

The first question most people ask about antihistamines is what they are. The reason is because when they see these little wonder pills advertised they are seeing the brand name and not what the pill actually is. The most popular brand names of antihistamines are Clarityn
Zyrtec
Allegra and Benadryl. There are plenty more though. The antihistamine industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry because of all the allergy sufferers but this still doesn't tell us what an antihistamine is.

The best way to explain what an antihistamine is and what it does is to actually break the word down. Antihistamine is composed of two words
anti and histamine. Anti means to be against something or act against something. Which leaves us with what a histamine is. A histamine is something that your body produces in defense to an attack of allergens. It is these histamines that bring on the terrible symptoms of sneezing
itching
watery eyes
etc. that we suffer from when we are attacked by these allergens. Thus
an antihistamine is something that works against the histamines that our body produces.

Your common antihistamine comes in a little pill. How it actually works is quite amazing. What these pills do is release a chemical in our body that is very similar to and looks like a histamine to our body. These look-alike histamines make our body think that we basically have enough of these and keep the receptors in our body from working against them. In other words they stop the histamines in our body from working
thus relieving the symptoms.

What most people don't know is that this is not the only function of histamines. They also play a very important role in the brain
keeping us attentive
alert and awake. So
if we stopped all of the histamines in the body from working we would basically fall asleep. This can be especially dangerous when driving a car or operating heavy machinery and in fact
this is exactly what happens when we take old antihistamines. So if you have any of these laying around in your home
please get rid of them and do not take them. Those expiration dates on antihistamines are there for a reason.

The good news is
newer forms of antihistamines have a much better effect on your allergies with less effect on your brain. How this is accomplished is actually very simple. Some medicines barely make it into the brain from the blood. This is actually not a good thing with antibiotics for brain infections. But when research workers figured this out they started to make antihistamines that also had the same properties as antibiotics
thus making it so that very little of the drug makes its way to the brain. If you read most antihistamine labels today it will say right on it
non drowsy
.

In our next article in this series we'll discuss the safety concerns of antihistamines.

In this article we're going to discuss a common form of battling allergies with the use of allergy shots and how allergy shots work to build up a person's immunity to outside allergens.

A growing number of people who suffer from allergies and not finding the relief that they want from antihistamines are turning towards allergy shots to hopefully put and end to their dreaded sneezing
wheezing
itching and misery.

So exactly what are allergy shots? Allergy shots actually contain a very small amount of whatever it is that you're allergic to. If you have multiple allergies
such as a combination of indoor and outdoor allergies
then two shots are actually given. One for the outdoor allergies and one for the indoor allergies.

How do allergy shots work? Well
in theory it's actually very simple. Allergy shots help your body fight the allergen that is bothering you. When you get shots of the allergen itself your body makes antibodies to the allergen. These antibodies help block the effects of the allergen itself. Your symptoms become less severe because the antibodies block the way your body reacts to the allergens. After taking enough of these shots over a long period of time you might start to get relief from your symptoms. This relief should last for a very long time.

Many kinds of allergies can be battled with allergy shots. They work very well with allergies to pollen
or what is commonly called hay fever. They also work for eye allergies
bee sting allergies
and even some drug allergies. In many people
allergy shots can greatly improve asthma symptoms. Most people will get allergy shots after they have exhausted every other option.

Unfortunately
not everyone can get allergy shots. If you have severe asthma or a heart problem you should not get allergy shots. Also
if you take a beta blocker for a heart condition you shouldn't take allergy shots. Children under five years of age should also not get allergy shots. Also
you shouldn't start allergy shots if you are pregnant.

If you decide
along with your doctor
to get allergy shots
he will first have to give you an allergy test to determine what allergies you have. This test in effect is actual treatment as some of each allergen has to be injected into you in order to do the test. After the results are in
a vaccine can be made which can then be given on a weekly or biweekly basis or for whatever interval the doctor thinks is necessary.

Once you start taking your shots you will at first have to take them every week or every other week. After about 6 months most people can go on what is called maintenance and get shots once each month. This usually continues for about 3 to 5 years until eventually most people no longer need to take shots because their immunity has been built up enough to the allergens.

Allergy shots are normally not harmful but some people do have reactions to them. If you should have a severe reaction the doctor will usually keep you in his office for about 20 minutes each time you get your shot so that if you have a reaction he can give you something to counteract it.

Alcoholism stages can be categorized into three stages of alcoholism - early stage
middle stage and end stage alcoholism or late stage alcoholism. Alcoholism stages generally take years to develop. Alcoholism is a disease where alcoholic beverage consumption is at a level that interferes with physical or mental health
and negatively impacts social
family or occupational responsibilities.

Consuming no more than one or two drinks per day for healthy men and a drink a day for healthy non-pregnant women are generally considered acceptable alcohol consumption without health risks. However
as the amount or frequency of drinking increases
the earliest of the alcoholism stages can develop as a result.

Early Stages of Alcoholism

In the early alcoholism stages
a person begins to depend on alcohol to affect their mood. They drink for relief from problems
and they begin thinking more and more about alcohol. The person and others around them may not recognize that they are in the earliest of the stages of alcoholism. A gradual increase in tolerance happens
meaning
it takes increasing amounts of alcohol to achieve the desired mood-altering effects. Often
the person can consume large amounts of alcohol without appearing impaired.

At the early alcoholism stages
the body has adapted to increasing amounts of alcohol. In fact
how a person functions will likely be improved with drinking as blood alcohol levels rise. For example
they can think and talk normally or walk a straight line with no problem. However
with continued alcohol consumption over time
the body begins to lose its ability to deal with high alcohol levels. As this occurs
when the alcoholic stops drinking and their blood alcohol level decreases
their thinking
talking or walking functions deteriorate
and they are moving into the next of the stages of alcoholism.

Middle Alcoholism Stages

The need and desire to drink gradually becomes more intense. Drinking larger amounts and more often happens as well as drinking earlier in the day. The alcoholic is losing control over drinking
and the body is losing its ability to process alcohol like it did in the early stages of alcoholism. Their tolerance decreases as they become intoxicated more easily. Withdrawal symptoms begin to become more severe if alcohol is reduced.

The person may now secretly recognize there is a drinking problem
and others may begin to notice as well. Unfortunately
the alcoholic no longer can judge how much alcohol their body can handle. Typically
the drinker denies to themselves and others that alcohol is a problem so they won't have to deal with their inner turmoil. Hangovers
blackouts and stomach problems can now be physical symptoms that occur on a regular basis.

End Stage Alcoholism

As alcoholism progresses
the alcoholic has become obsessed with drinking to the exclusion of nearly everything else. Everyone can tell there's a major problem. During the late alcoholism stages
the mental and physical health of the alcoholic are seriously deteriorating. Many of the body's organs have been damaged which lowers resistance to disease. Relationships at home or socially may have been severely damaged
and there can be mounting financial and legal problems due to the alcoholic's powerlessness over alcohol.

Every alcoholic will suffer from malnutrition. Alcohol in large amounts interferes with the digestion process and the passage of nutrients from the intestines into the bloodstream. Liver function has been damaged
further limiting the conversion of nutrients into a usable form that the body can assimilate. The damaged cells are not receiving the needed nutrients
they cannot repair themselves and the damage continues. Nutritional deficiencies cause a host of related problems to become worse. For example
a vitamin B-1 deficiency common in alcoholics can result in loss of mental alertness and appetite
fatigue
confusion and emotional instability.

And if the alcoholic continues drinking
alcohol will cause the death of the alcoholic in one way or another. From suicide
accidents and related injuries to direct damage to the body's organs and systems
death will likely be the final outcome of end stage alcoholism.

Are there warning signs of alcoholism? Yes! Understand the signs and symptoms that indicate that alcohol consumption is becoming or is already a problem. There are resources available in a variety of ways to help deal with alcoholism stages and the serious consequences of this disease.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Alcoholism signs - are there ten warning signs of alcoholism? Yes! Understanding alcoholism signs can help you determine whether there is alcohol abuse or dependency. Consuming a drink or two per day for healthy men and a drink a day for healthy non-pregnant women is generally considered acceptable consumption without health risks. However
as the amount of drinking per occasion or per week increases
one or more of the ten warning signs of alcoholism can develop as a result.

Alcohol dependency is the most severe alcohol disorder. Two alcoholism signs associated with dependency are tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is the need for increasing amounts of alcohol consumption to become intoxicated. Withdrawal symptoms occur when alcohol intake is reduced or discontinued. Alcohol abusers are drinkers that may drink heavily at various times. Alcoholism signs for alcohol abusers can be related problems such as drinking and driving
violent episodes
or missing work or school.

In the USA alone
as many as 14 million adults are chronic heavy drinkers that abuse alcohol or are alcoholics. What is considered 'heavy drinking'? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
drinking more than the amounts shown below would be considered heavy drinking:

• For healthy men under age 65
consuming no more than four drinks a day nor more than fourteen drinks a week.

• For healthy women under age 65 or healthy men over age 65
consuming no more than three drinks a day nor more than twelve drinks a week.

What are ten warning signs of alcoholism? Here are alcoholism signs listed (in no particular order):

1. Drinking Alone
2. Making Excuses
Finding Excuses to Drink
3. Daily or Frequent Drinking Needed to Function
4. Inability to Reduce or Stop Alcohol Intake
5. Violent Episodes Associated with Drinking
6. Drinking Secretly
7. Becoming Angry When Confronted About Drinking
8. Poorer Eating Habits
9. Failure to Care for Physical Appearance
10. Trembling in the Morning

Alcoholism signs can also include the inability to remember portions of the events of the previous evening or feeling anxious in a social situation where alcohol is not available. As you may know
it can be called 'problem drinking' when it becomes 'drinking that causes problems'.

Does heavy chronic drinking have health consequences? You bet it does. Chronic heavy drinking can result in serious damage to the liver
heart
brain and other vital organs. Such severe physical damage may irreversable and result in serious illnesses or even early death.

If the above ten warning signs of alcoholism help create interest in exploring possible alcohol addiction and finding help
the good news is that help is available. Consider contacting your physician
counselor or other qualified professional. Another time-tested source of help would be Alcoholics Anonymous. AA has local groups that meet regularly throughout the USA and other countries around the world. No matter how many alcoholism signs may exist
it is never too late to begin recovery from alcohol addiction. Obviously
the sooner recovery begins
the better.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Alcoholism facts can help one better understand the extent of alcoholism and alcoholism warning signs. One of the alcoholism facts is that alcoholism is a type of drug addiction that can be both physical and psychological.

Facts of alcoholism include the reality that alcohol acts as a depressant on the central nervous system
resulting in a decrease of activity
tension and inhibitions. Alcohol affects other body systems as well. Gastrointestinal tract irritation can occur with erosion of the esophagus and stomach linings
causing nausea
vomiting and perhaps bleeding.

Additional alcoholism facts are that liver disease may develop and eventually become cirrhosis of the liver. The muscles of the heart may be negatively affected. Other facts of alcoholism can be related to sexual dysfunction. In men
problems with erections can occur with alcoholism. And alcoholic women can cease having their menstrual periods prematurely.

Here are more alcoholism facts:

• Alcohol and caffeine are the two most widely abused substances in the world. The facts of alcoholism are that alcohol is the more serious addiction due to alcohol-related accidents and incidents.

• The incidence of alcohol consumption and related problems is increasing. Researchers have found that about 15% of the population in the United States are problem drinkers
and about 5-10% of male drinkers and 3-5% of female drinkers can be diagnosed as alcohol dependent. This means as many as 14 million persons are affected by alcoholism in the USA alone. These facts of alcoholism numbers do not include family
friends and others additionally affected by the actions of alcoholics.

• Alcoholism can be divided into two categories - abuse and dependence. Alcohol dependence is the most severe alcohol disorder and is characterized by tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance is the need for increased amounts of alcohol to become intoxicated. Withdrawal symptoms occur when alcohol intake is reduced or discontinued. Alcohol abusers are drinkers that may drink heavily at various times and have problems such as drinking and driving
violent episodes
or missing work or school.

• Alcohol use is mainly influenced by attitudes developed during the childhood and teen years. In addition
parent's attitudes and behaviors toward drinking
influence from peers and family relationships can impact how one views and treats the consumption of alcohol.

• About 20% of teens are considered 'problem drinkers' in the U.S. What this means is that they get drunk
they may have accidents
or they have problems with the law
family members
friends
school or work due to alcohol consumption and related facts of alcoholism.

• Alcohol effects appear within 10 minutes of drinking and are the maximum in approximately 40-60 minutes. Alcohol will stay in the bloodstream until the liver metabolizes the alcohol. If a person consumes alcohol at a rate faster than the liver is able to break it down
the blood alcohol content rises.

• Each state defines alcohol intoxication which is measured by blood alcohol concentration. A breathalyzer field test is commonly used to measure blood alcohol content for drivers. And another of the alcoholism facts is that most states have a legal limit of between 0.08 and 0.10. Different levels lead to increasingly serious effects. A blood alcohol level of 0.05 reduces inhibitions
.1
results in slurred speech and a blood alcohol level of 0.50 can result in coma.

The above information can be considered basic facts of alcoholism. If you or someone you know may have a drinking problem and wish to learn more alcoholism facts and perhaps seek help
there are resources available in various ways. It is never too late to begin recovery from alcohol addiction. Help is available
and the sooner one begins the recovery process
the better.

Copyright 2006 InfoSearch Publishing

Alcoholism can be given a lot of definitions and all of them stress the fact that there is a terrible disease that involves addiction to spirits. Apart from the physical dependence on alcohol
there are other psychological
genetic and social factors that may play a role in the development of alcoholism. Many social
economic and public health problems are determined by this very serious disease.

When alcoholism is concerned
symptoms include craving for alcohol
incapacity to have control over the use of alcohol
a greater tolerance to its effects
and withdrawal symptoms during the periods of abstinence. One should as well know that many alcoholics deny having a problem. In many cases intervention is necessary in order to persuade them to start treatment. Treatment in cases of alcoholism usually includes detoxification
counseling and psychotherapy
as well as treatment of associated medical problems
and different programmes for recovery and support.

Alcoholism involves physical and psychological addiction to the alcohol
and it often gets to a chronic
progressive form. There are situations in which it can become fatal
when alcohol consumption begins to interfere with your health
your social life or your occupational functioning. Alcoholics often continue to consume alcohol in huge quantities despite the multiple negative consequences of the disease. Nowadays
alcoholism is the most serious form of alcohol abuse. Alcoholism can be also defined in terms like "having a problem with drinking". If one has a problem with drinking
that can result in health or social problems (drunk driving
for instance)
but that doesn’t make one yet dependent on alcohol and it doesn’t mean one has fully lost control over using spirits - as in the case of alcoholism.

What is alcoholism?

Alcoholism is a disease that affects the part of the brain that controls your feelings
the way you make decisions
and the way you act. People with alcoholism cannot control how much they drink. What causes alcoholism?

Nobody knows what causes alcoholism. People with parents who have alcoholism have a greater chance of getting the disease. Alcoholism may be related to the things we learn when we are growing up. Alcoholism is not caused by a lack of will power or moral values.

How can I tell if I have alcoholism?

It is not easy to tell if you have alcoholism. You might drink socially at first
but over time the drinking can get out of control. Your family
friends
or doctor might notice it before you do. You might drink to help yourself go to sleep or deal with stress and anxiety. Over time
you need to drink more to feel the same way. As the drinking gets worse
you may have some of the following:

* Stomach ulcers

* Liver disease

* Mood problems
such as depression and irritability

* Trouble sleeping

* Problems with family and friends

* Problems at work.

You might have alcoholism if you have tried to quit drinking but were not able to stop. Alcoholism can make you do things you wouldn't do if you were sober. Some of these things can hurt other people
even the people you love.

Where can I get help for alcoholism?

Your doctor can help you find the right treatment program. You also can check with your health insurance company. Some insurance plans cover alcohol treatment only at certain places.

If you have been a heavy drinker for a long time
do not stop drinking suddenly. This can lead to serious withdrawal symptoms. What is withdrawal?

When you stop drinking
your body might find it hard with no alcohol. You might have some uncomfortable feelings. That is called withdrawal. You might feel anxious and confused or have trouble sleeping. If you get "the shakes" when you don't drink
or if you feel like you need to have a drink early in the day
you might need to take medicine when you stop drinking to help with the withdrawal. This is called detoxification (say:dee-tox-uh-fuh-kay-shun
or "detox
for short).

How can my doctor tell if I need detoxification?

Your doctor will ask you questions to see if you need to take medicine to stop drinking. It is important to be honest with your doctor about how much you drink and the kinds of drugs you take.

Can detoxification be done at home?

Yes, but only with close supervision from your doctor. You will need to have another person at home to help you take your medicine. If you have serious withdrawal symptoms or other medical problems, you might have to go to a hospital for detoxification. Tell your doctor if you had a seizure or got delirious when you tried to stop drinking before.

What happens after detoxification?

Detoxification is not enough to treat alcoholism. You should have counseling before and after detoxification. Counseling will help keep you from drinking again.

What about Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous, or
A.A.
is a free support group for people with alcoholism. The people in A.A. help each other stay sober. Most communities have A.A. meetings, and most alcohol treatment programs tell their patients to go to these meetings.

Where can I get more information?

Your doctor

This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

The first step of the program refers to the addition of the alcohol dependency and acceptance of the fact that the patient is powerless to alcohol
which leads to significant and unwanted life changes. After admitting the problem
the patients deal with admitting that they can recover from the unwanted condition and leave healthy lives again
due to a power “greater than themselves”. The third step of the program concentrates upon this “greater power”
which is associated with God; the patients accept that God can lead their lives and behavior
by guiding their wills in the right direction.

After the first steps that admit the problem and the power to change it
the patients are asked to make a morel introspection of themselves
in order to discover their needs and expectations regarding their problem. Admitting their mistakes to themselves
to God
to their family and friends represents the step that follows and which is the base of a process that accepts that patients are capable
as humans
to commit wrongs. This process
which is expressed in the steps from 5 to 9
includes asking for help from the “greater power” in order to remove the shortcomings
but also
it implies listing the persons that were affected in the past by the patient’s wrong means and asking them for understanding and forgiveness. Making direct amends to relatives and acquaintances is represented in step number 9 and it is the base for the further conduct
as patients are thought to continue observing their inner self and promptly admit their mistakes.

The last 2 steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous program refer to improving the contact that the patients established with God and constantly praying and asking for knowledge to entirely overcome their condition. Step 12 basically refers to the accomplishment of a spiritual awakening
as a result of the recovery steps and accepting and willing to teach other alcoholic patients to discover and overcome their problem. The ending result of the twelve-step program in alcohol rehab is sharing the experience
believes and behavior means with the others
in order to prevent further collapses and live a healthy life. Full body detox treatments are the most sought after toxin removing remedies that help people rebalance their bodies
achieving a very good health condition. Lots of doctors are recommending to their patients to follow a full body detox treatment in order to get healthier and of course
to ease the healing treatments they must take for recovering from different diseases. A general cleansing diet is recommended to be done from time to time even for people who don't seem to suffer from any chronic or profound maladies because the effect of a full body detox may prevent the development of many diseases and also it increases the body's immune system.

Research has shown that risks for cancer increase among men who have two alcoholic drinks a day and women who have one alcoholic drink per day. While everyone has been widely aware of the fact that smoking cigarettes greatly increase your risk of contracting cancer
there has been very little publicity of the fact that alcohol can act as a similar carcinogen.

By its very nature and design
the consumption of alcohol damages cells in your body. This damage can easily promote cell division
stimulate enzymes which cause the activation of other carcinogens and destroy certain nutrients that act as natural preventatives to cancer.

Most of the research indicates that a strong link exists between alcohol and cancers of the esophagus
pharynx and mouth. There is a suggested
those less strongly proven
link between cancers of the liver
breast and colon.

According to the American Cancer Society
oral cancers are six times more common in alcohol users than in non alcohol users.

Obviously
all of this evidence points to the conclusion that you should avoid alcohol so you can lower your chances of contracting these types of cancer.

For most people the question then comes down to a simple decision: are the benefits of drinking alcohol larger than the potential deficits of cancer? As long as the mythology continues that there is no cure for cancer
the question should be fairly simple to answer. Very few people would happily enjoy a few nights out with friends drinking for months or years of painful cancer.

Put plainly
our bodies are designed to heal themselves. Our immune system was created to keep our bodies healthy. However
like any other worker
our immune system cannot do its work if we don’t give it the necessary tools.

One of the effects of alcohol
which isn’t one of the reasons most folks drink it
is that it reduces the ability of your immune system to do its job. So
people who regularly drink alcohol are regularly inhibiting the ability of their immune system to do its job.

Our cells are constantly dividing and there are a large number of ways the cell can become malignant. In reality
we probably develop malignant cells on a daily basis. However
once they become known to our immune system as a threat
they are destroyed.

It’s only when our immune system somehow misses the indications that a cell is becoming a problem that we term it cancer.

There is no dispute about the fact that doing anything which will inhibit our immune system increases our chances for becoming ill. It’s significantly odd
then
that we all continue going about our lives while continually doing things that inhibit our immune systems.

In the end
we all need to evaluate the actions we take and the decisions we make with an eye towards the potential rewards versus the potential risks. Alcohol diminishes the immune system and a diminished immune system greatly elevates our chances of developing cancer. Next time you start to drink alcohol
stop and ask your immune system if it really wants to get drunk.

AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome it causes a destruction of the immune system. It is the most advanced stage of the HIV virus (HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus). AIDS is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and one or more of the illnesses known as opportunistic infections.
The HIV virus
type 1 or 2 is widely known to be the cause of AIDS. HIV breaks down and attacks your T cells so your body is unable to defend itself against different infections. The HIV virus also attacks your peripheral nervous system
this causes nerve and muscle pain
especially in the feet
legs
and hands.
HIV is spread through direct contact with semen or blood of an individual that is infected. This can be transferred in many ways the most common is unprotected sexual intercourse. Other means of infection are infected blood transfusions
mother to infant (at time of birth
or through breast milk)
sharing needles with an infected person
and rarely a healthcare worker that gets pricked with an infected needle.
Often people who are infected with HIV have few symptoms and in some cases there are none. Other times
symptoms of HIV are confused with other illnesses such as the flu. This may be severe
with swollen glands in the neck and armpits
tiredness
fever and night sweats. This is where as much as 9 out of 10 of the infected individuals will develop AIDS. At this point the person may feel completely healthy and not even know that he/she has the virus. The next stage begins when the immune system starts to break down and the virus becomes more aggressive in damaging white cells. Several glands in the neck and armpits may swell and stay swollen for an extended period of time without any explanation. As this disease progresses boils or warts may spread over the body. They may also feel tremendously tired
night sweats
high fevers
chronic diarrhea
and they may lose a considerable amount of their body weight. Most cases have shown thrush as a symptom as well. At this point the person is in the final stages of HIV--AIDS. Severe chest infections with high fever are common and survival rate is above 70% but decrease with each recurrence.
A person is diagnosed with AIDS when he/she has one or more positive HIV screening and the presence of an AIDS defining condition. Some of the common conditions include but are not limited to: Meningitis
Encephalitis
Dementia
Pneumonia
Kaposi sarcoma
and Lymphoma. There is also a blood test called an Immune Profile that can be done. This test is used to measure the loss of immunity and help decide on the best treatment. There is a test that is rarely used due to its high cost
it is known as a Viral Load: This test detects the virus itself
and also measures the amount of HIV in the blood. It shows how quickly the HIV infection is likely to advance. A high viral load suggests that the person may progress rapidly to AIDS.
Although there is no cure for AIDS there are medical treatments that aide in prolonging
and maintaining the best quality of life possible. These include two nucleoside inhibitors
lamivudine and zidovudine. Actual treatment plans will vary with each patient
along with the physical aspect of this disease. The psychological side has to be addressed in order for a treatment plan to be effective.
The easiest way to escape contracting this disease is to avoid the risk factors that you are in control of. Such as: unprotected sex
not sharing a needle
and if you are in the healthcare field be sure to use all precautions necessary to avoid an accidental prick from a possible infected needle (remember that in this diseases early stages it is common for the person not to even know they are infected). Today AIDS is the fifth leading cause of death among all adults aged 25 to 44 in the United States. Among African-Americans in the 25 to 44 age group
AIDS is the leading cause of death for men and the second leading cause of death for women. Our society needs to become aware that by not protecting ourselves we are killing ourselves and that this has to stop.

AIDS: is now a commonly-used term for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and also for HIV/AIDS; WHO uses the term to กฐdenote the entire health problem associate with HIV infection.กฑ

American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR): was co-founded in 1985 by Dr. Mathilde Krim and by Dr. Michael Gottlieb. It remains an influential advocate for HIV/AIDS research and programs.

Anal sex: Sexual intercourse when the penis is inserted in the anus. Often used as a birth control measure by young adults.

Antibiotic: A substance that kills or inhibits the growth of organisms. Once considered a magic bullet
antibiotics are now commonly used to combat disease and infection. Indications are growing that many human viruses and bacteria are becoming resistant to current antibiotics.

Antibody: Members of a class of proteins known as immunoglobins. Antibodies may tag
destroy and neutralize bacteria
viruses or other harmful toxins. Antibodies attack infected cells
making them vulnerable to attack by other elements of the immune system.

Antigen: A foreign protein that causes an immune response (the production of antibodies to fight antigens). Common examples of antigens are the bacteria and viruses that cause human disease. The antibody is formed in response to a particular antigen unique to that antigen
reacting with no other.

For Detailed info about AIDS education: http://treatments-4-incurable-diseases.us/healthtalk/?p=76