AIDS
Acquired
immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids)
is a collection of symptoms and infections
resulting from the specific damage to the immune
system caused by the human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) in humans.
Symptoms-
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1. The symptoms
of AIDS are primarily the result of conditions that do not normally develop
in individuals with healthy immune systems.
Opportunistic
infections are common in
people with AIDS.
2. People with
AIDS often have systemic symptoms of infection like fevers,
sweats (particularly at night), swollen glands, chills, weakness, and unexplained weight loss.
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Fig: Changes in Oral Cavity in AIDS
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Complications-
1. Major pulmonary illnesses
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Pneumocystis pneumonia is
relatively rare in healthy, immunocomponent people, but common among
HIV-infected individuals. It Caused by Pneumocystis jirovecti.
Tuberculosis( TB) is unique among
infections associated with HIV because it is transmissible to immunocomponent
people via the respiratory route,
2.Major
gastro-intestinal illnesses
Esophagitis is an inflammation of the lining of the
lower end of the esophagus (gullet or swallowing tube leading to the stomach).
In HIV infected individuals, this is normally due to fungal (candidiasis) or
viral (herpes simplex-1 or )
infections. In rare cases, it could be due to mycobacteria..
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Unexplained
chronic diarrhea
in HIV infection is due to many possible causes.
3.Major
neurological illnesses
Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by the
single-celled parasite
called Toxoplasma gondii; it usually infects
the brain causing toxoplasma encephalitis
but it can infect and cause disease in the eyes and lungs.
Progressive
multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), is a demyeliating diseases, in which the gradual destruction of the myelin sheath
covering the axons
of nerve cells impairs the transmission of nerve impulses
AIDS
dementia complex (ADC) is a
metabolic encephalopathy induced by HIV infection and fueled by immune
activation of HIV infected brain macrophages
and microglia which secrete neurotoxins of both host and viral origin.
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Fig: X-ray of Pneumocystis jirovecii caused pneumonia. There is
increased white opacity in the lower lungs on both sides, characteristic of Pneumocystis
jirovecii
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4. Major HIV related
Malignancies:
People with AIDS also have an increased risk of developing various cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, cervical cancer and cancers of the
immune system known as lymphomas.
Remedies-
Anthracinum, Arsenicum
album, Arsenicum iodatum, Anacardium orientale, Belladonna, Camphora, Carcinosinum, The Chinas, Falco peregrinus, Hepar sulphuris calcareum Hyoscyamus niger, Kali iodatum, Lachesis mutus / Snake Remedies, Medorrhinum, The Mercuries *, Mercurius corrosivus *, Nux vomica, Psorinum, Sanguis H.I.V. (A.I.D.S. Blood Nosode), Sepia, Silicea, Staphysagria, Stramonium, Sulphur, Syphilinum, Thuja occidentalis, Tuberculinum
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