AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease that appears because the person is infected with HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus. For many years, especially in the decade of the 90s, in which it had a special incidence, all infected people died because they could not cope with the infections or pathologies caused by the weakening of their immune system.
Today, fortunately, medicine has made important advances both in prevention and in preventing its contagion and in medicines to delay the deterioration that occurs in the body. But can you live with AIDS all your life? In we are going to answer this question.
What is AIDS and HIV?
First of all, you must be clear that AIDS is not the same as HIV. And these concepts are important. HIV is the virus and you can be a carrier and have it in your body, but not develop AIDS, which is the disease.
AIDS manifests itself in the body because the immune system is progressively weakened, which facilitates the appearance of other pathologies and health problems, usually linked to the respiratory system such as pneumonia, as well as tumors or liver diseases, among others.
They are diseases to which the organism, being weakened, is more vulnerable and deteriorates more. In fact, there is a tendency to compare the state of the immune system and organs of a 50-year-old person with AIDS to that of a 65-year-old without aids. That is, the organism is 15 years older compared to the body of those who do not have AIDS.
This means that, in the face of diseases such as pneumonia, the immune system cannot cope (even if medicines are taken for the respiratory condition) like another person without AIDS. This leads, finally, to the patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ending up dying.
If you want more information, read the following article to know what is the difference between HIV and AIDS.
How long a person with AIDS can live
The medical advances and all the scientific research that has taken place, mainly, in recent years, has led to life expectancy has been significantly lengthened.
Retroviral treatments have made it possible to stop the progression of the disease and the deterioration of the organism, as well as the weakening of the immune system. These drugs prevent the virus from multiplying and therefore there is less viral load in the blood. All this translates into the practice that an affected person can have a life expectancy like that of another who does not have this disease.
The latest medical studies carried out in research and clinical centers in the United States determine that the life expectancy of these people affected by this syndrome has been extended up to an average of 50 years. That is, a life expectancy that is in the population average.
Now, we must be especially cautious when talking about this life expectancy because everything depends on the state of health of each person and whether the disease has been detected in time. Other aspects to take into account are the response of the organism to the treatment determined by the doctor and the care that each one is provided to be better.
Read the following article if you want to know more about how to take care of myself if I have HIV.
Life expectancy of an HIV-positive person
Some difference in the life expectancy of people occurs when they have HIV because, as we have already mentioned, not always the person infected by this virus develops the disease.
In general, it usually takes an average of between 10 and 15 years from contagion to diagnosis, although sometimes this period is shorter and makes its appearance earlier because between five and ten years it is common for the first symptoms to begin to be noticed.
And, here, life expectancy will also depend on when the disease begins to develop and the time of its diagnosis and start of treatment. Also important is the person's initial state of health and whether or not they are cared for.
However, today, although life expectancy has been extended, HIV infection and AIDS have no cure but, at least, it has been achieved that it is a chronic disease and that patients have a better quality of life.
With this explanation, we hope from to have answered the question of whether you can live with AIDS all your life. Anyway, in case of any doubt, it is always convenient that you talk to the doctor and that you make all the necessary consultations. And if you suspect that you may be affected, get tested as soon as possible so that you can start treatment. It is very important because, at present, people with very advanced disease and who had not been diagnosed continue to die.
If you liked this article about whether you can live with AIDS all your life, you may also be interested in this one about Can AIDS be cured?
