Tag

Aids

The Hello Doctor Team 0
1
How we are winning against this disease
Healthy Lifestyle
November 25, 2021

HIV/Aids: How we are winning against this disease

We’ve come a long way since HIV/Aids first showed up in South Africa in 1982. Unfortunately, due to a complex political history, we only really started addressing the problem in the mid-90s when South Africa already had the largest population of HIV-positive people in the world.

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
1
HIV / AIDS
January 23, 2019

Can HIV increase your risk for TB?

Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s leading infectious killer. It’s also the number one cause of death among HIV-positive people. In 2015, over 10 million people across the globe had TB disease. Of these, about one million also lived with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). If you’re wondering why these two infections often go together, and what you can do to stay free of TB if you’re HIV-positive, read on. Why HIV increases your risk for TB HIV is a virus that destroys those cells in your body that help to fight germs and infections. These are called CD4 cells. When you…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
0
HIV / AIDS
October 22, 2018

Can you treat HIV with a tablet per week?

HIV is a human immunodeficiency virus that, if not managed correctly, can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). AIDS is the final and most severe stage of HIV. According to UNAIDS in 2017 over 30 million people around the world were living with HIV. If you have HIV, you should start antiretroviral treatment as soon as possible as the human body can’t get rid of HIV completely, even with treatment. HIV attacks your white blood cells and reduces the number of them in your body. White blood cells are important for keeping your immune system healthy. Without treatment, HIV slowly…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
1
HIV / AIDS
April 20, 2018

“The cure” for HIV and other myths

About seven million people in South Africa are living with HIV. Our country has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world. HIV is a virus. If HIV is not treated and managed, it can lead to AIDS, the final and most severe stage of HIV. Having HIV also means that your body becomes weaker, since HIV kills the cells in your body that protect you from infections and viruses like the flu, colds and other diseases. However, having HIV does not mean you will automatically get AIDS. This is why it’s so important to treat and manage…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 12
1
HIV / AIDS
November 27, 2017

World Aids Day: How we will win this war

Can you believe that the war against HIV has been going on for 35 years!?  Since the beginning of the war, we lost many battles, but we still have a good chance to win the war. Since the start of this war, 78 million people around the world have become infected with HIV and 35 million people have died of AIDS-related illnesses. In 2016, one third of all new infections in Sub-Sahara Africa came from South Africa, and the latest figures show that around 7.1 million people are currently living with HIV. If we want to take this war to…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
0
HIV / AIDS
October 27, 2017

Frequently asked questions about ARVs

Can ARV’s cure HIV? No, ARV’s can decrease the viral load (the amount of virus in the bloodstream), but they are not a cure. Even if the viral load on a blood test is so low that it’s “undetectable”, the virus is not gone. How can a doctor tell if the ARV’s are working? The viral load should go down and the CD4 count should go up. What happens if I miss a dose of ARV’s? Take the medication as soon as you can and take the next dose at the scheduled time (except if the drug may have daytime…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
0
Chest & Lung
October 27, 2017

What is Pulmonary Hypertension?

Pulmonary Hypertension is a form of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of your heart. Pulmonary Hypertension begins when tiny arteries in your lungs, called pulmonary arterioles, and capillaries become narrowed, blocked or destroyed. This makes it harder for blood to flow through your lungs, and increases pressure in your lung’s arteries. As the pressure builds, your heart's lower right chamber has to work harder to pump blood through your lungs, and over time this causes the heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail. Pulmonary Hypertension is a serious illness that becomes…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
81
Infections
October 21, 2015

Why it’s so important to stick to your ARV treatment schedule

ARV treatment doesn’t cure you of HIV, it only helps to keep the infection under control so that you can stay healthy for as long as possible. If you do not take your ARVs as prescribed, you’re putting yourself in danger. Some of the risks include: 1. Your HIV infection may become resistant to the medication – this means that the treatment will no longer keep the infection under control because the virus finds ways to protect itself from the ARVs. Also, you’ll never be able to use that particular medication again – it will not work and please remember…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
0
Infections
August 1, 2015

My CD4 cell count – when should I worry?

Being HIV-positive can throw your entire world upside down, changing life as you know it. While many things change, with the right medicine and a healthy outlook, you can live a full life. Part of managing your health is to keep track of your body’s defense system - your CD4 Cell count. What are CD4 cells? Think of your body as a castle, the germs that try to invade your body as the enemy, and your white blood cells as your body’s army. The CD4 cells fight and destroy the enemy germs and keep your body healthy. When you’re infected…

Read More

The Hello Doctor Team 0
0
HIV / AIDS
December 1, 2014

Living positive with HIV

Antiretroviral medications (ARVs) have changed the lives of millions of people all over the world. Why is it so important? Because it’s the only medication that’s known to help manage the disease we call HIV/Aids. How Have ARVs Changed Life? Without treatment life expectancy of an HIV positive person was around 10 years and people experienced a poor quality of life with multiple infections and secondary diseases (like flu). But with the introduction of ARVs, along with a good diet and some lifestyle changes, life expectancy has pushed past the 20-30 year marker. While researchers are still hard at work…

Read More