Sometimes the two notions get confused but it is important to understand that AIDS represents a HIV infection in its advanced stage, when the system has already undergone a substantial damage. It is a condition when the treatment is impossible and so far no cure has been found and AIDS is considered irreversible. Although, it is not necessarily that every person with HIV will have AIDS. The statistics reports about half of such patients who are destined to end up with it in 10 years after the infection. The timing is highly individual and other factors like general health and personal lifestyle are also influential.

HIV has got several ways to spread and get into a person’s organism. First of all it is a sexual intercourse. This way is the most common as the virus enters the body through a vagina lining, penis, mouth and rectum. Saliva is not known to spread the virus but sill open mouth kisses are not recommended.

Another way of the virus spreading is a direct contact with infected blood that usually happens when needles and syringes are used. They can contain small quantities of contaminated blood and therefore evoke the infection. Blood transfusion should also be carried out with all the necessary precautions.

Infected mother is also able to transfer the virus to her baby. Although, the risk of it can be reduced if the anti HIV drugs “AZT” or Zidovudine are taken during the period of pregnancy. Cesarean section during delivery can also reduce this risk while breast-feeding increases it. Therefore breast-feeding is forbidden for HIV-infected women.

Though those above were the ways how the virus spreads there are other cases completely harmless. Hugging or just simple touching of a person is not infectious as well as sharing any household items. Tears and sweat, coughs or sneezing are quite safe and common saunas or swimming pools are too as soon as there is no blood or body fluids there. Still, it is recommended to abstain from sharing razors and tooth brushes.

HIV & AIDS has got the following symptoms: fever, rush, appetite loss, pain in muscles, swollen glands, headaches, etc. They resemble flu symptoms and are often confused. They disappear after a week and do not disturb for a few years afterwards until the infection reaches certain stage. Then more serious symptoms follow. They include loss of weight, seizures, fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes, diarrhea, rush, thrush, mouth lesions, frequent fevers, memory loss, even coma, and a number of others. The less the number of CD4+T cell becomes the worse the immune system works and a person feels. A patient becomes more susceptible to cancers (i.e. Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer, and lymphomas, or immune system cancers).

People who have been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS live no longer than 2-3 years and suffer a lot.

Viruses represent microscopic organisms with a parasitic nature. They can be divided into 4 following types: helical, complex, enveloped and icosahedral. They stay inactive when they are in the air but with entering a host’s body become active and share a symbiotic relationship with its host. They trigger an illness in the organism of a host by such an intrusion.

Mucous membrane cells represent the most vulnerable cells in the organism and therefore they are attacked first. That is why colds and flu and some other infections are the most frequent. With entering a body virus hides behinds the cells and therefore makes it hard to be detected and fought. But the infection begins to spread then and an organism produces antibodies to fight it and kill.

Bacteria, in their turn, do not need a host to perform the task. They are asexual and are able to reproduce by themselves. The air is filled with different bacteria and not all of them are harmful. They are differentiated according to their form: bacilli, spirochaetes, cocci and vibrio. The organism is able to produce plenty of antibodies to fight the bacterial infection; frequently antibiotic help is required as well. As it has already been said, bacteria do not require a host, act on their own accord and therefore are able to be killed by antibiotics.

There are also other facts important to know about viral and bacterial infections. The former usually stay in the organism for 10 days when the latter can be present up to a fortnight before it is got rid of.

Viral infection symptoms are runny nose, dry cough, watery eyes, sore throat and constant joint pains. Bacterial infections are characterized by continuously high temperature, a persistent cough and a thick nose discharge.

It is also essential to keep in mind that most antibiotics are presupposed for bacteria elimination and are unable to kill viruses; the only thing they can do is to relieve the symptoms of a viral infection a bit.

Nowadays there are a lot of effective vaccinations against the most harmful bacteria and viruses. But it is also true that however hard you try the chances to avoid all the bacteria and infection are nonexistent as there are so many of these organisms. There are no certain preventive measures for any infection case but it is important to be informed about the difference between the two infections – viral and bacterial – in order to proceed with the proper treatment.

The condition has got the following symptoms: fever, chills, nausea, dizziness and joint pain, also anemia and tachycardia. But mind that a condition is dangerous and can lead to coma or even death. Therefore this article is fully dedicated to information about the condition prevention.

• The first basic thing is information. That simple. If you are warned then you are armed. That is why make sure you get enough information about any place you go, wherever you decide to travel. Be wise and careful and if it is said children, old people, as well as pregnant women are not recommended to go here or there then it is, probably, better not to risk.
• Another important measure is to take anti-malaria medications. Make sure you check the type of drugs and their dosage with your healthcare provider as their effect is always individual. It is even more important that you take drugs if you go somewhere to a rural area. The most common malaria medications are Chloroquine, Mefloquine, Primaquine, Doxycycline.
• Malaria, though, is able to affect even a person who took drugs. Therefore it is essential to know the symptoms and recognize them in time. One of the first and significant symptoms is fever. Be very careful about it and provided you have traveled somewhere and got fever within a year – this is a reason to go and see a doctor.
• Keep in mind that mosquitoes like to lay eggs in stagnant waters therefore it should not be kept at home in order to prevent the breeding and spread of mosquitoes.
• The best way to prevent the condition is to refrain from mosquito bites. The main time of their activity is evening and night therefore the place where you sleep should be perfectly gauzed and also air-conditioned. Mosquito nets are a great help in the prevention of malaria. Insecticide-treated nets are broadly distributed by various organizations in rural areas.
• People who like adventures and hiking, and in general tourists who prefer wild nature are in a high-risk group.
• Spraying insecticides or mosquito repellents around the room before you are going to spend time there. Mosquito repellent creams are also of great use but it is recommended that you read the instruction carefully as the remedy can evoke allergy reaction, especially in children.
• Pay attention to your clothes because it may also be of help. Full-sleeved dresses or long trousers with thick socks and shoes are recommended even if it may be a little problematic in hot climate. Remember also that dark clothes attract mosquitoes a lot while light-colored one don’t and therefore should be preferred.
• If there are any suspicions that you might have malaria go and ask for medical help. In early stages the illness is effectively treated but if delayed or neglected it can have severe complications and in some cases are fraught with death.

It is very important that people were educated about malaria and its prevention. That is why there are so many campaigns carried out directed to make masse of people aware of the condition. It is even more essential to educate people from poverty-stricken areas where the risk is the highest. It will be easier to fight the condition if there is information how to do it and how to prevent.

Bacteria are able to cause ear infection but rarely, though viral infections frequently lead to ear ones. An upper respiratory tract infection, head injury, allergy to some drugs, extreme stress, benign tumor in the middle ear, alcohol abuse, and the like can be a reason as well.

The condition has certain symptoms and vertigo is one of the most prominent. It is characterized by whirling in the head when it is in a state of rest actually. It is some kind of balance disorder. The inner ear infection can be also accompanied by tinnitus (or ringing in the ears), nausea and vomiting, also stomach upset is possible. In severe cases of infection it can be even fraught with sudden hear loss.

Inner ear infection is able to recover without any special treatment in the majority of cases. In several weeks the symptoms generally subside and the person gains back normal hearing and restores balance. Therefore if this does not happen professional help is required. Perhaps your doctor will need to know your history and will put you through hearing and balance tests, CT or CAT scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, also eye tests, brain function tests, too, etc. All this is aimed to sort out the real reason of the condition and exclude the wrong presumptions. Do not try to cure the condition with antibiotics because inner ear infection is caused by a virus and antibiotic administration can only aggravate the condition.

With all this there is no need to be too much worried. It is not a dangerous condition and in most cases if relieves itself in a few weeks using the powers of own immune system. But should you suspect complications apply for medical aid at once.

The major means of influenza control is vaccination; and though some antiviral medicines can seem effective in fighting the condition they should not be considered an equal replacement for vaccination.

The following antiviral drugs are available and approved in the US: amantadine (Symmetrel), rimantadine (Flumadine), zanamivir (Relenza), and oseltamivir (Tamiflu).  However in 2006 CDC declared that the former two can not be used in the treatment of influenza as they developed a resistance to the drugs and may evoke undesired adverse effects; though the latter two can still be considered more or less effective.

These medications (zanamivir (Relenza) and oseltamivir (Tamiflu) were, actually, declared by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) the only efficient for the prevention of the condition and until a better means is found. It is generally required that people having influenza should start taking the drug within two days the infection has started to develop. In this case the administration of the remedy can either prevent the flu or interfere from its becoming too severe. Nevertheless there are some restrictions in the drug administration.

First of all, there is no necessity in antiviral medications if a person has a febrile illness and there is no risk of influenza. Secondly, patients with a confirmed diagnosis of novel influenza (H1N1) are advised to be treated with the remedy. Finally, the usage of the medicines in children should be considered according to the clinical judgment; it is also important to remember that seasonal influenza can be fraught with serious complications in children.

Tamiflu and Relenza are now considered number one medications for controlling novel H1N1 swine flu as so far the illness showed no resistance to them.

The medications, though being both initially purposed for the treatment of A and B influenza, differ in administration. Zanamivir (Relenza) is usually given for patients who have 7 years of age; when oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is used in patients of 1 year and older for the conventional flu.

Nevertheless the CDC has made several amendments in their administration, all connected with the spread of novel H1N1. People with a diagnosed severe influenza, children younger than 2 years of age, pregnant women, senior patients older than 65, patients having some chronic or immunosuppressive conditions and people on a long-term aspirin therapy are also allowed to take the medication.

The effectiveness of these medications can be estimated about 68%-89% in the cases of conventional flu, though, the effectiveness of the medications’ use for novel H1N1 has not been stated yet. It is required to take the drug for 10 days to prevent the condition and for 5 days in the purposes of treatment taking into consideration a patient’s condition, age, weight and the type of drug formulation. It is know that influenza viruses develop resistance to drugs but these two (Relenza and Tamiflu) so far proved reliable and are currently being studied on the subject of their effectiveness with novel H1N1 and bird flu.

It is normal situation when so-called seasonal flu strains appear but serious and uncontrolled outbreaks are also known. This happens when people have little resistance to the flu because of its new form; there is nothing to oppose to a new type of the flu and a lot more people get ill. Worldwide outbreaks are called pandemics and there were several such cases in the last century. The worst case of influenza was recorded in 1918. It got a name of the Spanish flu and became the reason of death of about 100 million people.

In 2009 people faced another pandemic and this time it came from Mexico. It is a new unknown before type of the fly and as people had no immunity to it was able to spread fast on an unprecedented scale. It got a name of H1N1 influenza A swine flu, or just H1N1 or swine flu, and was the first such a pandemic for so many years and caused many deaths.

Now it is important to know that influenza is caused by virus and not by a bacterium Haemophilus influenzae as it has been considered until 1933. The worst the bacteria can do is evoke lung, ear, eye, sinus, joint, and a few other infections, but not the flu.

Under encephalitis we understand an illness that affects the brain as a result of some viral infection. It may be chickenpox, Mono, flu, measles, mumps, and cold sores as well. As the consequence of its effect there occurs an inflammation in the brain. Further on it may lead to nerve cells damage and bleeding in the brain; the final outcome may be a brain damage.

What concerns meningitis the story is a bit different. In the result of this illness the tissues around the brain and the spinal cord get damaged. The reason may be bacteria as well as virus. This way or that, but there occurs the inflammation of the above mentioned tissues. Frequently meningitis is a result of a sinus infection.

These diseases are really serious and while treating them it is important not to confuse them. As it has already been said their symptoms are alluring in a way they seem similar. Hence, if some of the following sensation disturb you check with you doctor. This refers to severe headache and stiff neck, also nausea and vomiting. Provided you experience confusion, sleepiness, it is hard to remember things, you feel exhausted, easily irritated and disturbed do not leave it unattended. If you start experiencing light sensitivity, an abnormal amount of clumsiness and problems with a straight and steady gait this also may be a symptom. Pay special attention to these signs if you have just had a viral illness or have recently been bitten by mosquitoes.

Should you recognize any of these symptoms in you or your near-and-dear do not hesitate and take measures.  In order to treat the condition right it is necessary to know the exact diagnosis and since meningitis and encephalitis do require different treatments notwithstanding similar symptoms it is crucial to get things right.