AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. It is the most advanced stages of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV is a virus that kills or damages cells of the body’s immune system. HIV most often spreads through unprotected sex with an infected person. AIDS may also spread by sharing drug needles or through contact with the blood of an infected person. Women can give it to their babies during pregnancy or childbirth. Many people do not develop any symptoms when they first become infected with HIV. Some people, however, get a flu-like illness within three to six weeks after exposure to the virus. This illness, called Acute HIV Syndrome, may include fever, headache, tiredness, nausea, diarrhoea and enlarged lymph nodes (organs of the immune system that can be felt in the neck, armpits and groin). These symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month and are often mistaken for another viral infection.

During this period, the quantity of the virus in the body will be high and it spreads to different parts, particularly the lymphoid tissue. At this stage, the infected person is more likely to pass on the infection to others. The viral quantity then drops as the body’s immune system launches an orchestrated fight. More persistent or severe symptoms may not surface for several years, even a decade or more, after HIV first enters the body in adults, or within two years in children born with the virus. This period of “asymptomatic” infection varies from individual to individual. Some people may begin to have symptoms as soon as a few months, while others may be symptom-free for more than 10 years. However, during the “asymptomatic” period, the virus will be actively multiplying, infecting, and killing cells of the immune system.
There is no cure for AIDS at this time. However, a variety of treatments are available that can delay the progression of disease for many years, and improve the quality of life of those who have developed symptoms.

Antiretroviral therapy suppresses the replication of the HIV virus in the body. A combination of several antiretroviral agents, termed highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), has been highly effective in reducing the number of HIV particles in the blood stream, as measured by a blood test called the viral load. This can help the immune system recover from the HIV infection and improve T-cell counts.

Although not a cure for HIV, and people on HAART with suppressed levels of HIV can still transmit the virus to others through sex or sharing of needles, these treatments have been enormously effective for the past ten years. There is good evidence that if the levels of HIV remain suppressed and the CD4 count remains high (above 200), life can be significantly prolonged and improved. However, HIV may become resistant to HAART in patients who do not take their medications on schedule every day. Genetic tests are now available to determine whether a particular strain is resistant to a particular drug — these may be useful in determining the best drug combination, and adjusting the regimen if it starts to fail. These tests should be performed for any failing treatment course, and prior to starting therapy.

Following these guidelines you can prevent most food poisoning cases:

* Wash your hands! Wash them before, during and after food preparation. Use soap and warm water and wash for 20 seconds. Wash after touching raw meat, fish or poultry. Wash your hands after every trip to the bathroom. Washing is the most important thing you can do to prevent food poisoning.

* Use hot, soapy water to wash cutting boards, utensils and anything else that was used to prepare food.

* Use a diluted bleach solution to clean cutting boards and countertops after food preparation.

To clean kitchen sponges and dishcloths, rinse them in water, squeeze out the excess water and microwave at full power for 60 seconds. Be careful in removing hot items from microwave so you don’t burn yourself.
* After handling raw meat, fish or poultry, do not reuse the same utensil or plate. Bacteria from the raw juices will contaminate other food.
* Do not use a sponge or dishcloth to clean surfaces that have touched raw meat, fish or poultry. Use soap, water and a disposable paper towel.
* Wash all fruits and vegetables well before eating.
* Cook all food thoroughly.
* Taste food only when it is thoroughly cooked. Use a clean spoon each time.
* Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. If food is allowed to remain at room temperature for two hours or longer, bacteria can multiply and cause food poisoning.
* Refrigerate all leftovers soon after meals.
* Hot food does not have to be cooled before placing it in the refrigerator.
* After shopping, refrigerate frozen food as soon as possible. If thawed, use immediately. Do not refreeze.
* Defrost meats and poultry in the refrigerator or the microwave.
* When camping, don’t drink stream water. No matter how clear the water looks, it can still contain dangerous bacteria and other organisms.
* Don’t buy or use food from dented, bulging or rusted cans. If you have a can with a dent on the seam, throw it away. Don’t even open it.

Contaminated food may or may not smell, taste or look bad. Don’t taste suspicious foods. Don’t ask anyone else to taste it either. Even a tiny amount of contaminated food can cause severe illness. If you have any doubt about the safety of the food, throw it out! Don’t give possibly spoiled food to pets: They can get sick from bad food, too. Not even the most expensive food is worth a case of food poisoning, human or animal. Dispose of potentially tainted food by placing it down the garbage disposal or wrapping tightly and placing in the trash.

Strep throat is a bacterial throat infection that can be easily treated with antibiotics. It is one of the causes of a sore, scratchy throat – the most frequent reason for people to visit their doctors. But sore throats may also have other causes, of viral nature. Strep throat is caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria. There are many different types of strep bacteria. Some cause more serious illness than others. Although some people are quick to think that any painful sore throat is strep, sore throats are usually caused by a viral infection and not strep bacteria. A sore throat caused by a virus can be just as painful as strep throat. But if you have cold symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, or a runny or stuffy nose, you probably do not have strep throat.

The most common symptoms of strep throat are: A sudden, severe sore throat, pain when you swallow, fever over 101°F (38.3°C), swollen tonsils and lymph nodes, white or yellow spots on the back of a bright red throat. You may also have a headache and belly pain. Less common symptoms are a red skin rash, vomiting, not feeling hungry, and body aches.

In case any of the above-mentioned symptoms is present in your child, visit your doctor. Strep throat is easy to diagnose, so the treatment will be promptly administered. Strep throat can be passed from person to person. When a person who has strep throat breathes, coughs, or sneezes, tiny droplets with the strep bacteria go into the air. These droplets can be breathed in by other people. If you come into contact with strep, it will take 2 to 5 days before you start to have symptoms. Strep throat will go away in 3 to 7 days with or without treatment. Doctors usually treat strep throat with antibiotics even though they may not make you well faster. Antibiotics shorten the time you are able to spread the disease to others (are contagious) and lower the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of your body.

When you have heart failure, your heart is still working but not as efficiently as it should. A weakened or damaged heart isn’t able to pump enough blood to keep up with your body’s needs. A heart transplant can be a lifesaving option when other treatments fail.If your doctor recommends that you consider a heart transplant, he or she will likely refer you to a heart transplant center for an evaluation. You’re also free to select a transplant center on your own, but check with your health insurance provider to see which transplant centers are covered under your insurance plan. When evaluating heart transplant centers, take into account the number of heart transplants a center performs each year and recipient survival rates. You can compare transplant center statistics on the Web through a database maintained by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Also consider additional services provided by a transplant center. Many centers coordinate support groups, assist you with travel arrangements, help you find local housing for your recovery period, or direct you to organizations that can help with these concerns.

A heart transplant usually needs to occur within four hours of organ removal for the donor organ to remain viable. Because of this time restraint, hearts are offered first to a transplant center within the region, then to centers within certain distances of the donor hospital. Surgery usually takes about four hours — longer if you’ve had prior heart surgery or there are complications during the procedure. The surgeon will open your chest cavity and connect you to a heart-lung bypass machine to keep oxygenated blood flowing throughout your body. The diseased heart is removed, and the donor heart is sewn into place. The new heart often starts beating when blood flow is restored. Sometimes an electric shock is needed to make the muscle fibers contract in a coordinated manner.You’ll have some pain after the surgery, which will be treated with medications. You’ll also have a ventilator to help you breathe and tubes in your chest to drain fluids from around your lungs and heart. Recovery often involves a one- to two-week hospital stay and about three months of frequent monitoring by the transplant team.