Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

Weight Loss
It is important to maintain a healthy weight as you age. Excess weight combined with the strain of aging can make you more susceptible to illness and can shorten your life. However, changes in metabolism and the difficulty of eliminating poor habi  More »
HLCMS

Swollen Lymph Nodes
Lymph nodes are small glands that filter lymph, the clear fluid that circulate through the lymphatic system. They become swollen in response to infection and tumors. Lymph circulates through your entire body through channels similar to blood ves  More »
HLCMS

Unintentional Weight Loss
Unintentional weight loss is the process of losing weight without dieting or increasing physical activity. It may occur following a loss of appetite or when you are consuming the same amount of calories as usual. Either way, it is usually cause fo  More »
HLCMS

Mouth Lesions
Mouth sores are common ailments that affect about 80 percent of Americans at some point in their lives. These sores can appear on any of the soft tissues of the mouth, including the lips, cheeks, gums, tongue, and floor and roof of the mouth. You  More »
HLCMS

Pain
Pain is a universal human experience. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines pain as "an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders

Blood Component Transfusion
The process of transferring whole blood or blood components from one person (donor) to another (recipient).  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer

History and Physical Exam
The health status of populations and of individuals is assessed for many reasons. Assessing needs for care helps guide the allocation of resources— diagnostic assessments guide treatment, prognostic assessments contribute to planning, and assessin...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health

Absolute CD4 Count
A T-cell count is a blood test that measures the number of T-cells in your body. T-cells are a type of white blood cells, which may also be called lymphocytes. These cells work to fight off diseases. Sometimes your body has too many or too few T  More »
HLCMS

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
ELISA, or EIA, is an acronym for enzyme-linked immuno assay. ELISA is a test that detects and measures antibodies in your blood. This test can be used to determine if you have antibodies that are related to certain infectious conditions. Antibodie  More »
HLCMS

HIV-1 Western Blot Assay
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an infectious disease that attacks the immune system. If it is not treated, it can develop into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is a prolonged and fatal illness. HIV is spread through vagi  More »
HLCMS

Oraquick Rapid HIV-1Antibody Test
AIDS tests, short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome tests, cover a number of different procedures used in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV patients. These tests are sometimes called AIDS serology tests. Serology is the branch of immunology ...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Zidovudine
ZIDOVUDINE, ZDV (zye DOE vue deen) is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Selenium
Selenium is a trace mineral found in soil, water, and some foods. It is an essential element in several metabolic pathways. Selenium deficiency can occur in areas where the soil content of selenium is low and it may affect thyroid function and cau...  More »
NaturalStandard

Abacavir
ABACAVIR (a ba KA vir) is an antiretroviral medicine. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Ubiquinone
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystroph...  More »
NaturalStandard

Enfuvirtide
ENFUVIRTIDE (en FYOO vir tide) is an antiretroviral drug. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV. This medicine is not a cure for HIV. It will not stop the spread of HIV to others.  More »
GOLD

Acupuncture
The practice of acupuncture originated in China 5,000 years ago. Today it is widely used throughout the world and is one of the main pillars of Chinese medicine. There are many different varieties of the practice of acupuncture, both in the Orient...  More »
NaturalStandard

Reiki
Reiki is a Buddhist practice that is approximately 2,500 years old. The name "Reiki" is derived from two Japanese words: rei meaning universal spirit and ki meaning life energy. Mention of Reiki can be found in the Tibetan sutras and in ancient re...  More »
NaturalStandard

Guided Imagery
Throughout history, many cultures have used imagery for therapeutic purposes, including the Navajo, ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Chinese. Religions such as Hinduism and Judaism have also practiced imagery. In modern times, the term "guided image...  More »
NaturalStandard

Chiropractic Manipulation
Spinal manipulative therapies are those that are used on the human skeleton, particularly the spinal area, to relieve muscular or skeletal pain , relieve tension, improve the mobility of joints and, in the case of the oriental therapies, to "unblo...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine

Massage
Various forms of therapeutic superficial tissue manipulation have been practiced for thousands of years across cultures. Chinese use of massage dates to 1600 BC, and Hippocrates made reference to the importance of physicians being experienced with...  More »
NaturalStandard

Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a potentially fatal contagious disease that can affect almost any part of the body but is mainly an infection of the lungs. It is caused by a bacterial microorganism, the tubercle bacillus or Mycobacterium tuberculosis . Altho...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Kaposi's Sarcoma
Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cancerous tumor. It commonly appears in multiple locations on the skin and around the nose, mouth, genitals, and/or anus, but can also attack the internal organs. It's caused by a virus called the human h  More »
HLCMS

Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia
Pneumocystis pneumonia is a lung infection that occurs primarily in people with weakened immune systems—especially people who are HIV-positive. The disease agent is an organism whose biological classification is still uncertain. Pneumocystis carin...  More »
HLCMS

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rapidly progressive neuromuscular disease caused by opportunistic infection of brain cells (oligodendrocytes and astrocytes) by the JC virus (JCV).  More »
HLCMS

Candidiasis
Candidiasis is an infection caused by a species of the yeast Candida , usually Candida albicans . This is a common cause of vaginal infections in women. Also, Candida may cause mouth infections in people with reduced immune function, or in patient...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine

Universal precautions
These are procedures to be followed by all staff who are caring for a patient believed to be harboring a highly contagious dangerous pathogen, such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), that is transmitted in blood, blood products, and oth...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health

Condom use
Male condoms are thin sheaths of latex (rubber), polyurethane (plastic), or animal tissue that are rolled onto an erect penis immediately prior to intercourse. They are commonly called "safes" or "rubbers." Female condoms are made of polyurethane ...  More »
Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine