Understanding AIDS : A Comprehensive Guide

WHAT IS AIDS? AIDS, an acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is an impairment of the body's ability to fight disease. It leaves the affected individual vulnerable to illnesses that a healthy immune system might overcome. The name appropriately defines the condition. It is acquired, that is, not inherited or genetic, but associated with the environment. Immune refers to the body's natural system of defense to combat disease, while deficiency indicates that the system is incomplete or lacking. A syndrome is a group of particular signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a disorder. AIDS patients are susceptible to diseases called opportunistic infections. These are illnesses due to organisms commonly found in the environment and harmful only to individuals with a weakened immune system. At first, AIDS patients feel as though they may have a cold, the flu, or some other viral illness. Their early symptoms, usually benign and inconspicuous, may include fatigue, loss of appetite, fever, night sweats, swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodes) in the neck, armpits, or groin, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea, persistent cough, and various skin lesions. However, these symptoms may persist for months or worsen as opportunistic diseases exploit the body's collapsed defenses. Many (52%) will develop an unusual pneumonia caused by the protozoan Pneumocystis carinii. Another third of these patients will exhibit a rare cancer of the skin, Kaposi's Contents Foreword Preface—Update on AIDS Research Acknowledgments One. The Twentieth Century Enigma 1 AIDS—Defining the Syndrome 2 Assembling the AIDS Puzzle: Epidemiology Two. The Clinical Spectrum 3 The Immunology of AIDS 4 Signs and Symptoms of AIDS 5 The Infections of AIDS 6 Cancers and AIDS Three. Implications 7 The Elusive Etiology— Possible Causes and Pathogenesis of AIDS 8 The Haitian Link 9 Hemophiliacs, Blood Transfusions, and AIDS 10 Is the General Public at Risk? 11 Ethical Issues in AIDS Four. Treating AIDS 12 Immune System Modulation in AIDS Therapy Five. Avoiding or Coping with AIDS 13 Caring for the AIDS Patient 14 Preventing AIDS 15 Psychological and Social Issues of AIDS and Strategies for Survival 16 Questions and Answers about AIDS 17 Health Resources, Hot Lines, and Referral Centers Glossary References and Sources Index Contributors