Over the years there have been misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. People do not realise that you can have HIV but not necessarily AIDS; it is possible to live a life with HIV.
It is understandable that these misconceptions are difficult to believe considering that HIV also known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus attacks and destroys a kind of white blood cell called CD4. This cell’s main function is to fight disease. This means that your body is fighting harder to keep a simple cold or flu at bay. So how can one say that living with HIV is possible?
One can live a substantially normal life with HIV, if one is responsible and healthy. One should bear in mind that when a person’s CD4 cell count gets low, they are more susceptible to illnesses. That is the reason AIDS which is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is considered to be the last phase of the HIV infection. This means that one does not necessarily die from AIDS but rather from AIDS related illnesses such as Cancer, lung infections and similar illnesses, as the body’s immunity is too weak to combat the infection. A cell count is taken to see how far the disease has spread should your white cell count also referred to as CD4 be lower than two hundred you would be medically diagnosed with AIDS.
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy also known as HAART is a mixture of treatments to monitor the disease in the body. By visiting the doctor regularly to check the cell count which strengthens the immune system and by following a healthy lifestyle and possibly by using life cover or medical aid for HIV positive people will assist you with managing the disease.
Our Immune System wards off infections and fights foreign bodies entering our system. It is the reason we can fall ill and then become healthy again. When the body is under attacked by HIV; it becomes substantially more difficult to fight off a common cold for example. But one should always have faith in knowing that the body is an amazing machine. Should one support the body with healthy food, nutritious beverages, adequate vitamins and minerals, correct treatment; it has the ability to regain its strength. People have chosen to live with HIV by choosing to live a healthy and responsible life and by choosing life cover that supports HIV positive people. They just have to be more careful than others but by doing so they choose to live a happier and healthier life, it is possible.