Types Of Drugs For Hiv
Unfortunately, despite the advances in modern medicine, HIV (or human immunodeficiency virus) is a condition that cannot be treated; there are, however, many types of drugs for HIV that can help a patient manage his problem.
There are essentially three types of drugs for HIV. The first type is anti-HIV medications that aim at treating directly the virus infection. Reverse Transcriptase (RT) inhibitors, Protease Inhibitors, Fusion/Entry inhibitors, and Integrase inhibitors, are all such example of anti-retroviral drugs. RT inhibitors are used to prevent the development of the virus at a very critical stage of its life cycle, namely the reverse transcription process, during which HIV RNA is converted to HIV DNA by the virus. Now, the way those RT inhibitors work, is by being incorporated into the HIV DNA, thus preventing the conversion process. Protease inhibitors, on the other hand, interfere with the spreading of the various, since the virus uses the protease enzyme to achieve that. Fusion inhibitors, as the name suggests, affects the virus fusing ability; while Integrase inhibitors block the Integrase enzyme, through which the virus integrates viral genetic material into target host cells. To what is more, among the various types of drugs for HIV, there is also a unique category of drugs that is basically a combination of many drugs all used in a single product through a special formula.
The other two types of drugs for HIV are either drugs that treat the symptoms of the virus, or in some cases the symptoms caused by other drugs used to treat the infection, or drugs that aim at treating smaller infection that weaken the overall immune support and facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus. As you know AIDS, or acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome is a life-threatening condition that progressively affects the immune system until it fails completely, thus resulting allowing either for fatal opportunistic infections or for uncontrollable cancers that also become fatal. That is why, besides treating the HIV infection, it is also crucial that a patient successfully deals and prevents (if possible) other kinds of opportunistic infections. Such infections would normally require no more than a few days rest combine with anti-flu or antibiotic medication in a healthy person. But in the case of a patient suffering from HIV, that has an already weakened immune, system even a minor infection can lead to death. Plus, the types of drugs that are used to treat the HIV infection itself are so strong, that can cause various adverse effects; and in many cases, those side effects can only be managed with other medication.
A person suffering from HIV requires close and constant medical attention, since a doctor is the only one who can determine what types of drugs for HIV should be used in each case, depending on the severity of the condition, the virus’ stage of development, and of course the patient’s response. Plus he will be in a better position to evaluate the potential side effects of the various drugs, and suggest the most effective treatment.
