Eat a balanced diet

Treatment for hepatitis or tuberculosis

HIV is a lifelong condition. At various times, many people find that they need to get treatment for additional medical conditions, as well as their HIV.

Treatments for HIV and additional medical conditions need to be co-ordinated, especially as the medicines for one condition can sometimes affect the medicines for the other. If you see different doctors for different conditions, they must communicate with each other.

In particular, many people living with HIV also need treatment for viral hepatitis, or for tuberculosis.

Hepatitis

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are two different viral infections that affect the liver.

Having a healthy liver is important for everyone, especially people living with HIV. The liver is a vital organ, with many important functions including filtering unwanted substances from blood, extracting nutrients from food and manufacturing proteins and hormones. It plays a vital role in processing drugs and medicines too.

The liver can be damaged by drinking a lot of alcohol over a long period of time. It can also be damaged by the hepatitis B virus, or by the hepatitis C virus. Left untreated, hepatitis B and C are serious infections. They can lead to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer.

You can take treatment for both hepatitis and HIV at the same time. HIV treatment is safe and effective in people who have hepatitis B or C.

In fact, some of the drugs used to treat HIV are also effective against hepatitis B, lowering levels of hepatitis B virus in the body. You and your doctor should choose a combination treatment that includes drugs which act against both HIV and hepatitis B.

Treatment for hepatitis C is changing fast, although the newest treatments are not available in every country. The older treatment is usually a combination of weekly injections and daily tablets. This is effective for many people but gives some people unpleasant side-effects. The newer treatments only involve daily tablets. They are effective for almost all people and have fewer side-effects. A few months treatment for hepatitis C can get rid of this infection for ever.

Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection that people with HIV are vulnerable to when their immune system is weakened.

The bacteria can pass from one person to another through the air. The bacteria usually infect the lungs, but they can also infect other parts of the body (such as bones and joints).

People with healthy immune systems may have the bacteria but are able to keep the infection under control. However people with weakened immune systems (for example, weakened by having HIV and not taking HIV treatment), are unable to keep the bacteria under control.

If tuberculosis is making you ill, then you will usually need to take treatment for both tuberculosis and HIV.

· Anti-tuberculosis drugs will get rid of the bacteria and cure you of tuberculosis. This treatment usually takes six months, but can take longer.

· Anti-HIV drugs will reduce your risk of being infected with tuberculosis again in the future. They will strengthen your immune system.

Лечение Гепатита или туберкулеза

ՄԻԱՎ-ը պայման է ողջ կյանքի համար: Հաճախ շատերը գտնում են, որ կարիք ունեն բուժում ստանալու ոչ միայն ՄԻԱՎ-ի դեմ, այլ նաև ուրիշ հիվանդությունների: Կարևոր է, որ ՄԻԱՎ-ի և այլ հիվանդությունների բուժումը կոորդինացված լինի, քանի որ բոլոր դեպքերում էլ տարբեր դեղ

Healthy living

There’s a lot you can do to take care of your health. It’s not just about popping pills.

Eat a balanced diet

Good nutrition is important for everyone’s health. Nutrition helps your immune system and its ability to fight infections. Healthy eating also helps you become and stay a healthy weight, and can help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis.

People with HIV can usually follow the same healthy eating advice as everyone else. A good diet will consist of a balance of the following items:

· Fruit and vegetables.

· Bread, cereals, potatoes, pasta, rice and other carbohydrates.

· Milk, cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products.

· Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and other foods containing protein.

· Food and drinks high in fat or sugar – in much smaller quantities.

Vitamin and mineral supplements aren’t usually necessary. It’s generally best to get most of your nutrients from food.

If you often eat grapefruit or drink grapefruit juice, ask your doctor or pharmacist if this will affect your HIV treatment. Because of the way grapefruit interacts with some medicines, it can alter their effectiveness. This applies to two specific anti-HIV drugs and also to statins.

Get some exercise

Regular exercise is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle for everybody. It can improve your appearance and increase your life expectancy. It’s good for your heart, lungs, circulation, mobility and posture.

Exercise is also good for you mentally, since the body releases endorphins and other natural chemicals that make us feel good. It can help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. You may feel relaxed, energised, and sleep better.

Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous or competitive. Just a little mild or moderate activity can make a difference to health. You can start by walking to the local shop rather than taking the car or bus, or using the stairs instead of the lift.

If you’re more ambitious, and want to change your body shape or increase your strength, you can try a more intensive and structured training programme.

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 1032