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pH

Check your pH saliva & urine test today to prevent cancer.

TESTING YOUR pH Keep sickness at bay!! You can test your pH levels often throughout the day, but try to do so at the same time each morning, as your body will be more acidic the earlier you measure. The goal is to get your morning urine (or saliva) pH between 6.5 and 7.5.

pH below 6.0
Very acidic: This is danger zone, your body is too acidic, serious changes to diet and lifestyle are recommended

pH 6.0 – 6.5
Acidic ranger: consider dietary & lifestyle changes to improve the pH of your body

pH 6.5 – 6.75
Moderate range: consider slight dietary adjustments to bring your pH back up to where it should be

pH 7.0 – 7.5
Optimal range: If your reading is in this zone, congratulations! Keep up the good work by maintaining an alkalising lifestyle

pH 8 – 9
Too Alkaline: while not uncommon, this is not healthy

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HIV

What is HIV?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life.

No safe and effective cure currently exists, but scientists are working hard to find one, and remain hopeful. Meanwhile, with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. Treatment for HIV is often called antiretroviral therapy or ART. It can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected with HIV and lower their chance of infecting others. Before the introduction of ART in the mid-1990s, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. Today, someone diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can have a nearly normal life expectancy.
HIV affects specific cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, or T cells. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease. When this happens, HIV infection leads to AIDS.

Where did HIV come from?

Scientists identified a type of chimpanzee in West Africa as the source of HIV infection in humans. They believe that the chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency virus (called simian immunodeficiency virus, or SIV) most likely was transmitted to humans and mutated into HIV when humans hunted these chimpanzees for meat and came into contact with their infected blood. Studies show that HIV may have jumped from apes to humans as far back as the late 1800s. Over decades, the virus slowly spread across Africa and later into other parts of the world. We know that the virus has existed in the United States since at least the mid- to late 1970s.

What are the stages of HIV?

HIV disease has a well-documented progression. Untreated, HIV is almost universally fatal because it eventually overwhelms the immune system—resulting in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV treatment helps people at all stages of the disease, and treatment can slow or prevent progression from one stage to the next.
A person can transmit HIV to others during any of these stages:
Acute infection: Within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, you may feel sick with flu-like symptoms. This is called acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) or primary HIV infection, and it’s the body’s natural response to the HIV infection. (Not everyone develops ARS, however—and some people may have no symptoms.)
During this period of infection, large amounts of HIV are being produced in your body. The virus uses important immune system cells called CD4 cells to make copies of itself and destroys these cells in the process. Because of this, the CD4 count can fall quickly.
Your ability to spread HIV is highest during this stage because the amount of virus in the blood is very high.
Eventually, your immune response will begin to bring the amount of virus in your body back down to a stable level. At this point, your CD4 count will then begin to increase, but it may not return to pre-infection levels.
Clinical latency (inactivity or dormancy): This period is sometimes called asymptomatic HIV infection or chronic HIV infection. During this phase, HIV is still active, but reproduces at very low levels. You may not have any symptoms or get sick during this time. People who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) may live with clinical latency for several decades. For people who are not on ART, this period can last up to a decade, but some may progress through this phase faster. It is important to remember that you are still able to transmit HIV to others during this phase even if you are treated with ART, although ART greatly reduces the risk. Toward the middle and end of this period, your viral load begins to rise and your CD4 cell count begins to drop. As this happens, you may begin to have symptoms of HIV infection as your immune system becomes too weak to protect you .
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome): This is the stage of infection that occurs when your immune system is badly damaged and you become vulnerable to infections and infection-related cancers called opportunistic illnesses. When the number of your CD4 cells falls below 200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood (200 cells/mm3), you are considered to have progressed to AIDS. (Normal CD4 counts are between 500 and 1,600 cells/mm3.) You can also be diagnosed with AIDS if you develop one or more opportunistic illnesses, regardless of your CD4 count. Without treatment, people who are diagnosed with AIDS typically survive about 3 years. Once someone has a dangerous opportunistic illness, life expectancy without treatment falls to about 1 year. People with AIDS need medical treatment to prevent death.

How can I tell if I’m infected with HIV?

The only way to know if you are infected with HIV is to be tested. You cannot rely on symptoms to know whether you have HIV. Many people who are infected with HIV do not have any symptoms at all for 10 years or more. Some people who are infected with HIV report having flu-like symptoms (often described as “the worst flu ever”) 2 to 4 weeks after exposure. Symptoms can include: Fever, Enlarged lymph nodes, sore throat and rashes.
These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. During this time, HIV infection may not show up on an HIV test, but people who have it are highly infectious and can spread the infection to others.
However, you should not assume you have HIV if you have any of these symptoms. Each of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses. Again, the only way to determine whether you are infected is to be tested for HIV infection.
Two types of home testing kits are available: one involves pricking your finger for a blood sample and reading the results in 15 minutes. The other involves getting a swab of fluid from your mouth, using the kit to test it, and reading the results in 20 minutes.
If you test positive for HIV, you should see your doctor as soon as possible to begin treatment.

Is there a cure for HIV?

For most people, the answer is no. Most reports of a cure involve HIV-infected people who needed treatment for a cancer that would have killed them otherwise. But these treatments are very risky, even life-threatening, and are used only when the HIV-infected people would have died without them. Antiretroviral therapy (ART), however, can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected with HIV and lower their chance of infecting others. It is important that people get tested for HIV and know that they are infected early so that medical care and treatment have the greatest effect.
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HIV

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HIV testing

When to test:

Our HIV test is 3rd generation HIV rapid test. It detect Anti HIV antibody (IgG, IgM, IgA)..

Lets look at what is (IgG, IgM, IgA)?

Immunoglobulins are protein molecules. They contain antibody activity and are produced by the terminal cells of B-cell differentiation known as ‘plasma cells’. There are five classes of immunoglobulin (Ig): IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD and IgE. In normal serum, about 80% is IgG, 15% is IgA, 5% is IgM, 0.2% is IgD and a trace is IgE.1

Quantitative serum immunoglobulin tests are used to detect abnormal levels of the three major classes (IgG, IgA and IgM).

 

Antigens are foreign substances that cause your immune system to activate. The antigen is part of the virus itself and is present during acute HIV infection (the phase of infection right after people are infected but before they develop antibodies to HIV).

Most, but not all people, will make enough antigens and antibodies for the test to accurately detect infection 2 to 6 weeks (13 to 42 days) after the possible exposure to HIV.

Why test?

Take the test if you have been exposed to another person’s blood, semen, vaginal fluids or breast milk, for example through unprotected sex (vaginal, anal or oral) or sharing injection drug equipment.

Benefits of testing include:

  • Reduced anxiety about your health
  • Information about risk, safer sex, etc.
  • Earlier medical care if you are infected

The meaning of test results:

  • Negative means no HIV antigen or antibodies found, either because you have not been infected with HIV, or you have not yet developed antigen or antibodies that can be seen on the test. (For most people, antigen or antibodies can be identified on the test within 2 to 6 weeks after infection.)
  • Positive means HIV antigen or antibodies were found. A follow-up test will be conducted. If the follow-up test is also positive, HIV is present and you are able to infect others. It does not necessarily mean that you have symptoms.
  • Indeterminate means that the test result is unclear and should be repeated.
Categories
HIV

Early Stage Symptoms of HIV

What Do I Need to Know About Early HIV Symptoms?

When the HIV virus first enters your body, you may experience a short ‘flu-like’ illness.
This is known as the ‘seroconversion illness,’ and it occurs because your blood is being converted from HIV negative to HIV positive by the production of antibodies.
Everybody infected with HIV will seroconvert at some stage, but only about 80% of patients will notice any symptoms.
Seroconversion usually occurs 1 – 3 weeks after infection, but could take up to 6 months.

Common Early Symptoms – Fever, Chills and Sore Throat

The most common early signs are ‘flu like’ symptoms that you’d expect from most 24-hour bugs.
You’ll probably start with a high fever, chills and sweats which may be accompanied by a sore throat and mouth ulcers.
You may find it difficult to chew or eat, which can cause rapid weight loss.
You may develop a severe headache, have difficulty concentrating and feel weak and unsteady on your feet.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

Swollen lymph nodes can appear early on in seroconversion and last for a few weeks or more. After disappearing, they will probably return later on in infection and last for 3 months or more.
Infected nodes usually appear in the neck, armpits and groin area.
They may be slightly enlarged or as large as golf balls during HIV infection. They are also usually tender and painful to touch.

Joint and Muscle Pain

People with this infection often complain about severe muscle/joint aches or stiffness. This, accompanied by recent HIV risk behaviour, could be a possible symptom of HIV.
Severe joint and muscle pain can add to any existing feelings of fatigue, leaving you feeling exhausted.

Face or Body Rash

Many people experience a ‘maculopapular rash’ (a flat, red skin rash that’s covered in raised bumps) in the early stages of HIV infection.
The rash can appear anywhere on the body, but it will mostly be found on the face, chest and palms.
It will probably last for about 2-3 weeks and should not itch or be irritating in any way.
The rash may appear as ulcers in the mouth or on the genitals.

Diarrhoea and Vomiting

Diarrhoea and vomiting during seroconversion illness is rarer, but it’s still an early sign of HIV infection.

How Long Do the Early Symptoms of HIV Last?

It depends on the person. It can last from 1 – 6 weeks or it could not occur at all!
You might suffer intense initial symptoms for about a week, and then just feel severely fatigued for the rest of the month, or you might be experiencing symptoms all the way through.

What Should I Do If I Notice Symptoms?

If you do start noticing any of the early symptoms of HIV, and you have put yourself at risk of HIV infection then you need to get a HIV Test.
You need to wait for a sufficient number of antibodies to build up in your system for an accurate result. This takes about 1 – 3 months.
Categories
HIV

Are my skin problems because of HIV?

Are problems with the skin like spots/warts/rashes common in people with HIV?

I was diagnosed 6 years ago and I keep having outbreaks of spots, and patches of dry skin. This is really getting me down!
Skin problems used to be a common symptom in HIV positive people before there was effective HIV treatment (ART). This is because skin problems were one of the first symptoms as HIV damages the immune system.
With ART, most people get a good CD4 response that means that skin problems related to are now less common. Problems that developed before starting ART often resolve as your CD4 count gets stronger.
But HIV isn’t the whole explanation because HIV negative people also commonly have skin problems, including rashes, warts and spots.
If your HIV doctor can’t resolve these problems then ask to be referred to a skin specialist, The specialist will look at your skin problems and test for other causes that may have nothing to do with HIV.
If the specialist doctor cannot explain the cause (no changes in diet, washing powder, allergies etc), then you could consider switching HIV treatment to see if it makes a difference.
Several HIV drugs can cause rash as a side effect and sometimes this can be serious.
Categories
HIV

What is the difference between 3rd generation and 4th generation HIV test?

The 3rd generation tests look for antibodies (the body’s immune response), 4th generation tests look for both antigens (proteins from the virus itself) as well as antibodies. This means the fourth generation test is more accurate in a shorter time as it does not only rely on the speed at which the body can generate an immune response.
As far as the numbers are concerned. Anything below 0.25 is negative. No-one will get 0. Your result of 0.06 means you do not have HIV.

But according to WHO research test reveals..

“Fourth generation assays for the detection of HIV-1 p24 antigen and HIV-1/2 antibodies have the potential to identify infected individuals earlier in the disease course, including individuals in the seroconversion phase (window period characterised by presence of HIV-1 p24 antigen and incomplete HIV-1/2 antibodies) and acute infection (characterised by presence of HIV nucleic acid and/or HIV-1 p24 antigen but not HIV-1/2 antibodies). These assays are generally of superior seroconversion sensitivity to assays of earlier generations. Therefore, they should be considered as the first-line (screening) assay where feasible.

However, recent data show that the HIV-1 antigen detection component of some fourth generation assays may be lacking in sensitivity.”

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OraQuick In-Home HIV Test

OraQuick® is the first FDA-approved oral swab in-home test for HIV-1 and HIV-2. It’s an oral swab test that doesn’t require blood. It’s completely private. And it’s based on the same HIV test that healthcare professionals have used since 2004.

Oral HIV test kit Qraquick brand. It’s a saliva HIV Test kit. Oral HIV Test kit can buy here in aileenwo.com.

Do you know HIV Saliva Test Window Period? Ask us.

It’s easy because you don’t need to prick your fingers but using a test saliva HIV test kit. A Simple home HIV saliva test kit, suitable for everyone. It’s 100% accurate.

The OraQuick Test Kit includes:

1. Step-by-step directions
2. An oral swab test stick and tube with solution
3. Pictorial Guide Usage

How Oral Testing Works

 Most people assume that blood is involved in HIV testing. But with OraQuick® an oral swab is used for testing and requires no blood. By collecting oral fluid from your gums, you collect fluid similar to that used in blood testing.

So the OraQuick Test detects antibodies for HIV, not the virus itself.

You just gently swipe the test swab along your upper gums once and your lower gums once. Then you insert the swab inside the test tube provided and get your results in just 20 minutes.

Safe and approved by the FDA for use by adults (17 years of age or older), OraQuick is the first and only HIV test that delivers your results with all the comforts and privacy of home.

Cara guna oraquick hiv test kit

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