Know About HIV/AIDS!

HIV/AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been conclusively known to be the causative agent for AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) which is a major killer disease of the modern times affecting almost 50 million people around the world.

The virus that causes ‘ Aids’ – HIV belongs to a family of viruses known as retroviruses. HIV looks like a rolled up porcupine. It contains two snakes like single strands of RNA along with reverse transcripts firmly wrapped up in a core, giving HIV its characteristic appearance.

On entering the white blood cells known as CD 4 cells, HIV produces its own DNA and sees to it that this gets inserted into the DNA of the host cell. The viral DNA has enough power and information to direct the destiny of the cell. It can force the cell to manufacture several new copies of HIV. However due to certain trigger and regulatory mechanisms, the viral DNA lies dormant in the host cell for several years before it begins to do the damage.

It has been known that CD4 lymphocytes are mainly affected by the HIV when these classes of lymphocytes are destroyed. It produces an immunological imbalance in the body and weakens the resistance to several opportunistic infections, consequently leading to death. The medicines available at present produce a decrease of the viral load, but as they are immunosuppresents they can produce a deterioration of the patients’ immunity.

People infected with HIV may take 7 – 10 years to develop AIDS.

Ayurveda Management

AID/HIV in Ayurveda may be considered as Ojakshaya, meaning the loss of Vital Energy or immunity. The symptoms, Signs and Causative factors (Nidan), and the Treatment aspect has been described in many Ayurvedic Treaties like Charak Samhita, Susrutha Samhita and Ashtanga Hrudaya, Bhavprakash, Vaidya Chintamani and Chakradatta etc.

Ojas is essence of our body. Ojas is otherwise explained as ‘Bala’ (strength or immunity) and ‘Dhatusara’. Ojas is of two types namely, ‘para ojas’ and ‘Apara ojas’. The ‘ojas’ of para(excellent) type is eight drops in quantity, is located within the heart and death occurs when this get depleted. The other type ‘Apara ojas’ is also known as ‘sleshmaka ojas’, the quantity of which is described as Ardha Anjali and distributed throughout the body. When this ojas is not affected the bodily functions will be normal.

In conditions like HIV/AIDS, where loss of ojas is a prominent feature, people are found to be susceptible to various other diseases or infections.