AIDS - A Cause of Unprotected Sex

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is known as AIDS in the short form. AIDS is in fact the collection of certain symptoms and infections in the human organism which permanently leads to the damage of the human immune system. AIDS is in other ways considered as the body's defense system which hampers the normal functioning of the body organs to a great extent. The basic cause of AIDS is the two types of viruses, namely the HIV 1 and the HIV 2. Basically these two types of viruses are thus responsible in the performance of the defense mechanism system of the body.

The most common cause of AIDS is considered to be the unprotected sex. Sex without taking proper precaution like condom is very much responsible for AIDS. AIDS is generally transmitted through the semen. It is estimated that more than three million people round the globe had died through AIDS. During the prenatal stage also it is found that the mother will transmit the disease to the fetus before it is born. AIDS is transferred to the blood through the means of transfusion of blood into another's body cell. Besides these, AIDS can also be caused through the use of injections which are not properly sterilized in the process of taking drugs or blood into the veins.

Symptoms of AIDS are not visible at the early stage. But at least after a period of 3 to 6 weeks the symptoms of AIDS can be noticed through certain flu like sickness. Besides these, symptoms like headache, nausea, fever, fatigue, diarrhea, etc. are also considered as other AIDS symptoms. But it can be mentioned out here though these symptoms occur in an AIDS patient; it lasts for only a temporary period of time after which it disappears. Sometimes acute AIDS symptoms also cannot be considered as the symptoms of AIDS, as they may also be found to be very much common to other forms of diseases. Thus symptoms either mild or severe cannot be considered as solely the symptoms of AIDS as other forms of sickness or diseases also witness the similar symptoms. But however, when the disease reaches its critical stage, the symptoms become very much acute thus leading to loss of weight, recurrent fever and also occurrence of certain fatal diseases. AIDS thus totally destroys the immune system of the body totally. AIDS is thus a deadly disease which is the result of unprotected sex, hence to prevent it is to avoid unprotected sex.

Symptoms of HIV:

The first stage of the infection is called the 'primary HIV infection'. The persons infected by this virus, about more than half of the people develop the symptoms, generally in about 15 to 45 days of the infection. The symptoms would comprise of pain in the joints, fever, muscle pain, sore throat, and swelling in the glands, getting tired out faster than usual and appearance of a spotty rash on the chest.

Generally the symptoms are quite mild and you would tend to link them to some other problem like fever or cold. These symptoms do not show any increment for a long period. This is called 'Asymptomatic HIV infection'.

This virus is internally growing and even damaging the immune system. If the virus is left and not treated, it in turn will bring down the number of the CD4 cells in the body to a very low level and this would cause the immune system to stop functioning. This damage caused to the immune system generally happening in over a period of ten years. This in turn would inexorably result in growing into a severe infection.

The symptoms of a severe infection would be, night sweats, dry cough, inexplicable loss of weight, high fever which would be enduringly long, vision would start getting blur, the mouth or the tongue would develop white spots, shortness in breath, constant diarrhea or even glands tend to swell up and this condition would continue for three or more months.

Treatment of HIV:
The first step would be getting referred to a HIV clinic and getting counseled. Then blood tests would be done regularly, these tests would be to keep a check on the viral load and the CD4 cell count. There is no vaccine or medication available which can cure HIV completely. But there are medications like HEART available in order to slow down the speed of the virus and also giving you a longer life span.

Presentation Aids

In my keep on article I covered the basics of what a question presentation is and how to go about giving an able one. I mentioned that I would be elaborating on the bizarre types of presentation aids that be and this is basically the range of this article.

What are performance aids? Anything that helps you correct your presentation more functional is an aid. In the old days we used to travail with audio cassettes, and record recorders, not to mention VCRs and video tapes. Today the biggest aid you induce is the computer. It takes take charge of of audio, visual and reckoning needs. An all in one package handle.

It is helpful indeed to use Power Malaprop's to compile your presentations. Put all the germane data onto digital slides. Hum them along in the non-sequential that you want to indicate as it were about them. Hibernate slides you don't want to use for shorter presentations. There is a lot that you can do with the laptop at your disposal. Yet, the continued slide show is not the just feature that you can use in a spectacle.

Videos and pictures put together great presentation aids. Let's face it, not all of us are born orators. Most of us are hiding behind our scripts and wishing the proffering was over. So it makes sense to show relevant videos that liking explain your point just as well as you talking. It is also less routine and more engaging for the audience if you mix your speech with videos.

Charts and Graphs are better than mouthing figures. Pictures make a far greater impact on the human brain than numbers. The visual impact of bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, and organometallic is far better than the oral impact. Have them in color and use the 3D effect. It will be all the more interesting to peruse the statistics in the case.

Control Aggressive Behavior With Dog Training Aids

It has been observed that dogs from larger raise are more aggressive than the smaller ones. But in some cases dogs from smaller cause also exhibit assertive behavior like persevering barking and nipping. The larger breeds may flush become dangerous when forceful, therefore use of training aids like the muzzles and dispensing bark collars would be apt for them. But it is only humane not to use the bombshell version of bark collar as it does more hurt than good and every so often may trigger excessive bellicose behavior which may evolve into harmful for the dog owner. Placid with the collar in advance, it is advised that he should be treated for showing ample behavior and this resolution eventually reduce the several instances of spray collar use and finally the dog will get trained to sidestep demonstration of aggressiveness.

Other dog training aids can also be admissible for teaching good behavior in a realistic way. Such as treat dispensers. These purloin dogs to learn that agreeable behavior can earn them a take out quickly, rather than a unsympathetic action against bad behavior. In dispute of a smaller breed hostile behavior should purely be corrected with apposite training. Dogs less 10 lbs cannot survive the Citronella the spray from a sprig bark collar. It is foremost to avoid its use and proper training is main. It is important to have knowledge of that aggressive behavior is a organic thing for a dog and is often triggered by our own actions. This happens when he feels that his living, possessions or his position in the establishment is being threatened by someone. It can be a new company or a child in the house. The unexcelled is to make your pet as community as possible and make him make a reality and learn his place in the bordello. This will entrust him sense of security and bust aggressive behavior.

Cold Temperature Exposure

It's easy to get cold quickly if you are outside in wet, windy, or cold weather. Cold temperature exposure can also happen if you spend time in a dwelling or other building that is not well-heated during cold weather.

Injuries from cold exposure:

* "Frost nip" usually affects skin on the face, ears, or fingertips. Frost nip may cause numbness or blue-white skin color for a short time, but normal feeling and color return quickly when you get warm. No permanent tissue damage occurs.
* Frostbite is freezing of the skin and the tissues under the skin because of temperatures below freezing. Frostbitten skin looks pale or blue and feels cold, numb, and stiff or rubbery to the touch.
* Cold injuries, such as trench foot or chilblains, may cause pale and blistered skin like frostbite after the skin has warmed. These injuries occur from spending too much time in cold, but not freezing, temperatures. The skin does not actually freeze.
* An abnormally low body temperature (hypothermia) occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can make heat. Early symptoms of hypothermia include shivering in adults and older children, clumsy movements, apathy (lack of concern), poor judgment, and cold, pale, or blue-gray skin. Hypothermia is an emergency condition—it can quickly lead to unconsciousness and death if the heat loss is not stopped.

Risk factors for cold exposure injury:

There are many factors that increase your risk of injury from exposure to cold temperatures.

* Being a baby
* Being an older adult
* Drinking alcohol
* Being in outdoor conditions, such as high altitudes or windy, wet weather, or being immersed in cold water
* Not being dressed properly, having wet skin, or wearing wet clothing
* Being tired or dehydrated
* Being exposed to cold temperatures in your workplace, such as working in cold-storage units
* Having certain health risks

Many people get cold hands or feet, which often are bothersome but not a serious health problem.

You are more likely to feel cold easily if you:

* Do not have much body fat. Fat under the skin helps keep you warm. People who have low body fat may be more likely to get hypothermia. Babies, older or ill adults, or malnourished people have low body fat.
* Smoke cigarettes or drink caffeine. Nicotine (from tobacco) and caffeine cause narrowing of the blood vessels in the hands and feet. When blood vessels are narrowed, less blood flows to these areas, causing the hands and feet to feel cold.
* Are under a lot of stress or feel tired. Chronic stress or anxiety can cause your nervous system to release adrenaline, which acts to narrow the blood vessels that supply blood to the hands and feet.
* Have a medical condition, such as hypothyroidism or Raynard's phenomenon, that makes you feel or react more strongly to cold temperatures.

Infection - What Happens

There are two types of HIV:

* HIV-1, which causes almost all the cases of AIDS worldwide
* HIV-2, which causes an AIDS-like illness. HIV-2 infection is uncommon in the United States.

How the disease is spread:

HIV is spread when blood, semen, or vaginal fluids from an infected person enter another person's body, usually through:

* Sexual contact. The virus may enter the body through a tear in the lining of the rectum, vagina, urethra, or mouth. Between 75% and 80% of all cases of HIV are transmitted by sexual contact.
* Infected blood. HIV can be spread when a person:
o Shares needles, syringes, cookers, cotton, cocaine spoons, or eyedroppers used for injecting drugs or steroids.
o Is accidentally stuck with a needle or other sharp item that is contaminated with HIV.

It is now extremely rare in the United States for HIV to be transmitted by blood transfusions or organ transplants. Blood and organ donors are screened for risk factors. All donated blood and organs are screened for HIV.

Health care workers are no longer considered to be at high risk of exposure to HIV. Policies are in place in health facilities that require protection from accidental exposure. Workers must properly dispose of sharp objects and wear protective gloves, gowns, and eye and face protection. These measures have been effective in protecting health care workers from HIV.

Spread of HIV to babies:

A woman who is infected with HIV can spread the virus to her baby during pregnancy, delivery, or breast-feeding.

* Most children younger than 13 years who have HIV were infected with the virus by their mothers.
* The risk of a woman spreading HIV to her baby can be greatly reduced if she is on medicine that reduces her viral load (HIV RNA) to undetectable levels during pregnancy, if she receives AZT (ZDV) before the baby is born, and if she does not breast-feed her baby. The baby should also receive treatment after it is born.

Ways HIV cannot be spread:

HIV does not survive well outside the body. Therefore, HIV cannot be spread through casual contact—such as sharing drinking glasses or by casual kissing—with an infected person. HIV is not transmitted through contact with an infected person's saliva, sweat, tears, urine, or feces, or through insect bites.

Contagious and incubation period:

The incubation period—the time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when early symptoms develop—may be a few days to several weeks.

It can take as little as 2 weeks or as long as 6 months from the time you become infected with HIV for the antibodies to be detected in your blood. This is commonly called the "window period," or seroconversion period. During the window period, you are contagious and can spread the virus to others. If you think you have been infected with HIV but you test negative for it, you should be tested again 6 months later.

After you become infected with HIV, your blood, semen, or vaginal fluids are always infectious, even if you receive treatment for the HIV infection.

Stages of HIV:

Most people go through the following stages after being infected with HIV if the infection is not treated:

* Acute retro viral syndrome, which has symptoms similar to mononucleosis. This often develops within a few days of infection, but may occur several weeks after the person is infected.
* HIV without symptoms (asymptomatic). It may take years for HIV symptoms to develop. But even though no symptoms are present, the virus is multiplying (or making copies of itself) in the body during this time. HIV multiplies so quickly that the immune system cannot destroy the virus. After years of fighting HIV, the immune system starts to weaken.
* HIV with symptoms (symptomatic). After your immune system starts to weaken, you are more likely to develop certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more common in people who have a weakened immune system.
* AIDS, which occurs during the last stage of infection with HIV. If HIV goes untreated, AIDS develops in most people within 12 to 13 years after the initial infection. With treatment for HIV, the progression to AIDS may be delayed or prevented.

A small number of people who are infected with HIV are rapid progressors. They develop AIDS within a few years if they do not receive treatment. It is not known why the infection progresses faster in these people.

Nonprogrammable and HIV-resistant:

A few people have HIV that does not progress to more severe symptoms or disease. They are referred to as nonprogrammer.

A small number of people never become infected with HIV despite years of exposure to the virus. For example, they may have repeated, unprotected sex with an infected person. These people are said to be HIV-resistant.

Heat-Related Illnesses

A healthy body temperature is maintained by the nervous system. As the body temperature increases, the body tries to maintain its normal temperature by transferring heat. Sweating and blood flow to the skin (thermo regulation) help us keep our bodies cool. A heat-related illness occurs when our bodies can no longer transfer enough heat to keep us cool.

A high body temperature (hypothermia) can develop rapidly in extremely hot environments, such as when a child is left in a car in the summer heat. Hot temperatures can also build up in small spaces where the ventilation is poor, such as attics or boiler rooms. People working in these environments may quickly develop hypothermia.

High temperature caused by a fever is different from a high body temperature caused by a heat-related illness. A fever is the body's normal reaction to infection and other conditions, both minor and serious. Heat-related illnesses produce a high body temperature because the body cannot transfer heat effectively or because external heat gain is excessive.

Heat-related illnesses include:

* Heat rash (prickly heat), which occurs when the sweat ducts to the skin become blocked or swell, and cause discomfort and itching.
* Heat cramps, which occur in muscles after exercise because sweating causes the body to lose water, salt, and minerals (electrolytes).
* Heat edema (swelling) in the legs and hands, which can occur when you sit or stand for a long time in a hot environment.
* Heat tetanus (hyperventilation and heat stress), which is usually caused by short periods of stress in a hot environment.
* Heat syncope (fainting), which occurs from low blood pressure when heat causes the blood vessels to expand (dilate) and body fluids move into the legs because of gravity.
* Heat exhaustion (heat prostration), which generally develops when a person is working or exercising in hot weather and does not drink enough liquids to replace those lost liquids.
* Heatstroke (sunstroke), which occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature and body temperature continues to rise, often to 105°F (40.6°C) or higher. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Even with immediate treatment, it can be life-threatening or cause serious long-term problems.

Often, environmental and physical conditions can make it difficult to stay cool. Heat-related illness is often caused or made worse by dehydration and fatigue. Exercising during hot weather, working outdoors, and overdressing for the environment increase your risk. Caffeine or alcohol also increase your risk for dehydration.

Many medicines increase your risk of a heat-related illness. Some medicines decrease the amount of blood pumped by the heart (cardiac output) and limit blood flow to the skin, so your body is less able to cool itself by sweating. Other medicines can alter your sense of thirst or increase your body's production of heat. If you take medicines regularly, ask your doctor for advice about hot-weather activity and your risk of getting a heat-related illness.

Other things that may increase your risk of a heat-related illness include:

* Age. Babies do not lose heat quickly and they do not sweat effectively. Older adults do not sweat easily and usually have other health conditions that affect their ability to lose heat.
* Obesity. People who are overweight have decreased blood flow to the skin, hold heat in because of the insulating layer of fat tissue, and have a greater body mass to cool.
* Summer heat waves. People who live in cities are especially vulnerable to illness during a summer heat wave because heat is trapped by tall buildings and air pollutants, especially if there is a high level of humidity.
* Chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart failure, and cancer. These conditions change the way the body gets rid of heat.
* Travel to wilderness areas or foreign countries with high outdoor temperatures and humidity. When you go to a different climate, your body must get used to the differences (acclimate) to keep your body temperature in a normal range.

Most heat-related illnesses can be prevented by keeping the body cool and by avoiding dehydration in hot environments. Home treatment is usually all that is needed to treat mild heat-related illnesses. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke need immediate medical treatment.

The spectrum of kidney disease in patients with AIDS in the era of antiretroviral therapy

With prolonged survival and aging of the HIV-infected population in the era of antiretroviral therapy, biopsy series have found a broad spectrum of HIV-related and co-morbid kidney disease in these patients. Our study describes the variety of renal pathology found in a prospective cohort of antiretroviral-experienced patients (the Manhattan HIV Brain Bank) who had consented to postmortem organ donation.

Nearly one-third of 89 kidney tissue donors had chronic kidney disease, and evidence of some renal pathology was found in 75. The most common diagnoses were arterionephrosclerosis, HIV-associated nephropathy and glomerulonephritis. Other diagnoses included pyelonephritis, interstitial nephritis, diabetic nephropathy, fungal infection and amyloidosis.

Excluding 2 instances of acute tubular necrosis, slightly over one-third of the cases would have been predicted using current diagnostic criteria for chronic kidney disease. Based on semi-quantitative analysis of stored specimens, pre-mortem microalbuminuria testing could have identified an additional 12 cases.

Future studies are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of more sensitive methods for defining chronic kidney disease, in order to identify HIV-infected patients with early kidney disease who may benefit from antiretroviral therapy and other interventions known to delay disease progression and prevent complications.