How is HIV treated

1. How is HIV treated? Can HIV be Treated? Patients with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) now have a wider scope of effective treatment with recent advancements. As of now, antiretroviral therapy (ART) manages the disease well. This therapy involves the use of one or more drugs to treat the symptoms of infection caused by this virus and prevent disease progression. A person can live with HIV for years if the right therapy is given at the right time. Majorly, the antiretroviral agents (medications) influence the patient’s body in two ways:  Increase the immune cell count.  Decrease the viral load in the body. Antiretroviral Therapy & Anti-HIV Drugs A number of anti-HIV medications are used to treat the infection. Mainly, every such medication works against the virus in the following ways:  Stops the virus from multiplying in the blood.  Reduces the viral load, i.e., the number of HIV copies.  Increases the CD4 cell count (immune cells) to fight HIV infection.  Slows down the disease progression and prevents stage 3 development (AIDS).  Prevents virus transmission from one person to the next.  Reduces the intensity or severity of symptoms.  Increases the survival rate.

2. When prescribing antiretroviral therapy, the medical practitioner typically makes use of two or more medications for better efficacy. This is known as combination therapy. Such treatment can reduce the HIV load to a greater extent and make the disease undetectable. Moreover, the following are the basic categories of anti-HIV drugs.  Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) Drugs belonging to this class turn off the actions of a protein that is needed by HIV to multiply or replicate. Its common examples are efavirenz tablets, doravirine, and rilpivirine.  Nucleotide or nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) These compositions are the faulty versions of certain building blocks that are responsible for letting HIV make copies of itself. Some of its examples are abacavir, emtricitabine, tenofovir, lamivudine, and zidovudine.  Protease inhibitors (PIs) Drugs of this category work by inactivating the protein (HIV protease) that helps the virus to make copies of itself. Examples of protease inhibitors include atazanavir, lopinavir/ritonavir, and darunavir.  Integrase inhibitors These drugs disable the action of integrase (a protein that is used by HIV for the insertion of genetic material into immune cells). Some of its examples are raltegravir and dolutegravir.  Entry or fusion inhibitors As the name suggests, drugs belonging to this category work by blocking the entry of HIV into CD4 T cells. The most common entry or fusion inhibitors include maraviroc and enfuvirtide. Home Remedies Besides receiving antiretroviral therapy using anti-HIV drugs, patients can go for easy home remedies. Majorly, certain lifestyle changes play a vital role in accelerating the improvements. Consider the following.  Eat healthy food items.  Avoid foods like eggs, raw meat, and others.  Get the vaccinations (immunizations) timely.  Keep the right over-the-counter medications near yourself. Receiving the right medications with necessary lifestyle changes can make HIV treatment easy for most patients. If diagnosed at an early stage, the condition can be managed, treated, and cured to a greater extent. Source: http://writeus.me/how-is-hiv-treated/