Since its discovery back in the second half of the 20th century, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have become one of the most challenging healthcare concerns in terms of immunology. Essentially, HIV/AIDS stands for an immunological complexity that affects CD4+ lymphocytes (Randall, 2018). These lymphocytes are, for their part, responsible for the development of cytotoxic T-cells and plasma cells, which are responsible for secreting immunoglobin and antibodies (Allen & Sharma, 2021). Hence, this virus gradually destroys one’s immune system to such an extent that the human body can no longer resist any infection it faces.
The characteristic findings for HIV/AIDS are rather complex because the disease itself has no peculiar characteristics. Hence, the disease cannot be identified early without taking HIV tests. At some stage, the symptoms of HIV/AIDS may be similar to the clinical manifestations of flu, including fever, chills, fatigue, and a sore throat (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Some other symptoms may as well include muscle ache, night sweats, mouth ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes.
These symptoms are, by all means, disruptive to one’s lifestyle, as the constant feeling of fatigue and flu-like manifestations may be daunting for the patient. Moreover, since AIDS is a retrospective virus, it rapidly damages one’s immune system, and such a process makes the patient vulnerable and exposed to various infections. Under such circumstances, the patient is likely to experience colds and infectious diseases more frequently than usual. Hence, it may be concluded that HIV/AIDS is a complex and challenging immunological complexity that has no definite cure and can only be controlled with the help of antiretroviral therapy (ART). The characteristic findings of the condition, for their part, are common for a wide range of diseases, so regular testing is vital in order to prevent virus dissemination.
References
Allen, H. C., & Sharma, P. (2021). Histology, plasma cells. In StatPearls [E-book]. StatPearls Publishing. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). About HIV/AIDS. Web.
Randall, J. (2018). Cellular and immunological complexities. In Pathophysiology clinical applications for client health [E-book]. Grand Canyon University. Web.