Understand The Correlation Between Stress And HIV!

Stress is a major factor that leads to various complications in most of the health conditions. Hence, it is essential to deal with stress because doctors emphasize that if you can manage your stress, then you are already halfway through the treatment. But with HIV building up in your body it can be challenging to stay stress-free.

Effect of stress on HIV patients
Evidence has been found after extensive research that death may increase at times by 22% when an HIV patient starts taking lots of stress. So you can guess from the number what a huge impact stress has on HIV. Some other studies had brought to light a different angle of the effect caused by stress on HIV. It is said that the CD4 count and viral load increases by many folds in patients who have HIV and are under stressful conditions which have made them fall into the clutches of depression.

Steps that can be taken to curb stress-

1. As the first step, you must identify the reasons or factors that are leading you to take the stress. These factors may be straightforward ones and something from your day-to-day activities. For instance, some might feel depressed about consuming too many medicines for HIV on a daily basis while some others might feel stress out because of the financial strain imposed by the disease. Sometimes the stress results from emotional reasons like departing from a loved one or being separated from the mainstream life.
2. Once you have identified the reason behind your stress, you must put in some effort to get back to your daily routine and make your day organized. Mostly, it happens that people tend to extend their hours of regular activities and mess up with their biological clock. This should be avoided. Always keep fixed hours for your sleep, work and other activities. Add appropriate physical activities and proper diet to your routine which will help with your general health and help with managing stress.
3. You must also learn to handle your emotions. Seek help in this case by attending counseling sessions with trained professional, especially when it comes to managing your sex life. Talk to your doctor and get all your questions answered because sometimes lack of knowledge leads to the development of doubts which lead to anxiety and then depression. And most importantly, spend time with your loved ones to obtain complete stress relief. This is one of the best methods to have a positive outlook on life while suffering from HIV.

So, while under treatment for HIV make an effort to avoid stress entirely to improve the situation. Follow the advice of your doctor, take the necessary medications and adopt lifestyle changes to lead a happy life.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!