What is The Difference Between HIV and Aids

Because it is often referred to as a whole, such as HIV and AIDS or written "HIV / AIDS", many people equate these two conditions. In fact, HIV or AIDS are both different conditions. So that you are no longer mistaken, here are the differences between HIV and AIDS that may not be known with certainty.

The difference between HIV and AIDS that you must know

1. HIV is the virus, AIDS is the final condition of the disease

The difference between HIV and AIDS can be seen from the explanation of the condition of both.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system by destroying CD4 cells (T cells). CD4 cells are part of a specific immune system that is responsible for fighting infection.

HIV infection causes your CD4 cell count to fall dramatically so your body's immune system is not strong enough to fight infection. As a result, the amount of HIV viral load can increase. When your viral load is high, it means your immune system has failed to work properly against HIV.

Meanwhile, AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is considered the final stage of long-term HIV infection.

Thus, it can be said that AIDS is a chronic disease caused by HIV infection which gives rise to a group of symptoms related to decreased endurance.

People with HIV can be said to have AIDS if the number of CD4 cells in their bodies drops to less than 200 cells per 1 ml or 1 cc of blood.

People with AIDS have a very weak immune system that is very vulnerable to the risk of stage 4 HIV-related infections, such as herpes zoster (snake pox aka chicken pox), Kaposi's sarcoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, tuberculosis, cancer, or pneumonia.

2. When you have HIV, you don't have AIDS

The next difference can be seen from the possibility of a person getting HIV and AIDS simultaneously. Because not all people with HIV will automatically get AIDS in the future.

Difference between the two is found when HIV is the causative virus, whereas AIDS and is the final condition that can be caused due to infection with the virus. Here's the possibility:

• You have HIV, but you don't have AIDS.
• You have both HIV and AIDS.
• Those of you who have been diagnosed with AIDS have definitely had an HIV infection.

Most sufferers of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus can live for many years (even more than 10 years) before experiencing AIDS.

Thanks to advances in treatment, people living with HIV even have a quality of life that is almost the same as other normal people. For this reason, getting the right treatment is an important key in improving the quality of life of people with HIV and AIDS.

3. HIV is contagious, AIDS is not

The difference between HIV and AIDS can be seen whether or not the disease is contagious.

Please note that HIV is a disease caused by a virus. That is, the HIV virus can be transmitted and infect other people, like a virus infection in general.

The HIV virus is transmitted from one person to another through the exchange of body fluids, for example through semen, vaginal fluids from unprotected sex, blood transfusions, or breast milk in the process of breastfeeding.

But you cannot directly get AIDS from other people without getting HIV first. Because AIDS is the next stage of HIV infection. So you have to get HIV first, and then the infection develops into AIDS.

4. HIV and AIDS symptoms are different

HIV and AIDS have quite significant differences in symptoms. This can be seen from how visible symptoms are experienced, the severity of symptoms, and the effect of the disease on your body.

HIV symptoms

People who have the HIV virus may not realize that they have been infected. The reason is, HIV infection can secretly undermine the body for 10 years or even more, without causing any symptoms.

On the other hand, the HIV virus can usually cause normal flu-like symptoms, about two to four weeks after infection.

In HIV infection, this condition does not always show symptoms. However, this viral infection can weaken the immune system and actually has symptoms similar to flu, such as:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Rashes on the skin that does not itch
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Muscle ache
• Sore throat
• Night sweats
• There are sores around the mouth like canker sores
• These early HIV symptoms can quickly subside because your immune system at this stage is still able to control it. This period of time is referred to as acute infection.

Over time, the number of HIV viruses will continue to increase if left untreated and can lead to a latent period. This latent period can last for years without causing symptoms.

AIDS symptoms

When a Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection lasts a long time and progresses to AIDS, the person usually experiences some of the more severe symptoms of AIDS.

AIDS symptoms can vary from one person to another and can be identified enough. AIDS has far more severe symptoms compared to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This happens because people with AIDS usually have a dramatic decrease in their CD4 or T cell counts.

Without enough CD4 cells, the body will have difficulty fighting disease. As a result, you will be more easily ill with infections even for infections that do not usually make you sick.

AIDS usually attacks when a person has been infected with HIV for 10 years and without getting treatment. The various symptoms that usually appear when you have AIDS, namely:

• Thrush, a thick white coating on the tongue or mouth due to fungal infections
• Sore throat
• Chronic pelvic inflammatory disease
• Vulnerable to any type of infection
• Feeling very tired and dizzy
• Frequent headaches
• Body weight decreases dramatically in a fast time for no apparent reason
• It's easier to experience bruising
• Frequent diarrhea, fever and night sweats
• Swollen lymph nodes in the throat, armpits, or groin
• Often experience a long dry cough
• Hard to breathe
• Bleeding from the mouth, nose, anus or vagina
• Skin rash
• Numbness in hands or feet
• Loss of muscle control and reflexes
• Experience paralysis

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