Preventing Opportunistic Infections in HIV/AIDS
HIV attacks the cells of your body's immune system. You need a strong immune system to fight off germs like bacteria and viruses, so having HIV may give those germs a better opportunity to make you sick. When germs take advantage of your weakened defense system, they are called opportunistic infections (OIs).
Opportunistic infections that other people might fight off easily could make you really sick if you have HIV. Getting one or more of these OIs could mean that your HIV has advanced to AIDS. In fact, opportunistic infections are the most common cause of death for people with HIV/AIDS. The good news is that you have plenty of ways to prevent them.
Opportunistic infections you need to know about
The CDC has made a list of more than 20 serious diseases that can become OIs if you have HIV/AIDS. You might have one of these diseases and be healthy enough to fight it off normally, but if it is hard to get rid of and lasts too long, it is considered an OI.
If you have one or more of the diseases on the CDC's list, you could be considered to have AIDS – that's why the CDC calls them AIDS-defining conditions. Here are the most common OIs:
- Candidiasis, a fungal infection you can get in your mouth, throat, digestive system, or vagina
- Cytomegalovirus, a viral infection that can cause blindness
- Herpes simplex virus, which can cause a serious outbreak of cold sores
- Mycobacterium avium complex, a bacterium that causes fever, digestive problems, and weight loss
- Pneumocystis, a fungal infection that can cause a severe type of pneumonia
- Toxoplasmosis, a protozoal infection that can cause brain damage
- Tuberculosis, a bacterium that can infect both your lungs and your brain
- Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer often marked by red, purple, brown, or black skin blotches or nodules
Other OIs include lymphoma, encephalopathy (AIDS dementia), and wasting syndrome, often marked by weight loss, ongoing fever, diarrhea, and malnutrition.
