Receiving an HIV diagnosis is a life-changing event, but with expert treatment, you could live a long, healthy life. If you’re HIV positive, visit LocalMD offices in Queens, New York City, Flushing, and Brooklyn, NY. The experienced internal medicine specialists offer proven antiretroviral therapy to prevent you from developing life-threatening complications. Call LocalMD to inquire about HIV treatment, or schedule a consultation online today.
HIV treatment is vital for anyone who tests HIV positive. After the initial acute phase of HIV infection, the disease enters a dormant stage (clinical latency) before eventually developing into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
AIDS can cause life-threatening complications, but treating HIV as soon as you get a diagnosis can delay its onset and even prevent AIDS from developing.
HIV treatment is a long-term commitment that requires expert assessment and monitoring. At LocalMD, you can be sure that you’re receiving the most advanced HIV treatment from experienced, compassionate doctors and nurse practitioners.
If you receive an HIV diagnosis, your provider needs to determine how advanced your disease is and the best treatment. They do this by running tests, including:
HIV targets and destroys CD4 T white blood cells. HIV progresses to AIDS if your CD4 T cell count goes below 200, although you might not have any symptoms yet.
A viral load test measures the quantity of HIV in your blood. HIV treatment aims to reduce the viral load until it’s undetectable, giving you the best chance of preventing AIDS.
Some HIV strains are resistant to medication, so your provider needs to check if the virus you have is one of the resistant strains.
Your LocalMD provider might use lab tests to look for infections and complications, such as:
Once they have your test results, your provider creates a personalized HIV treatment plan.
The primary HIV treatments are antiretroviral therapy (ART) medications. Everyone with HIV should take ART, which typically combines two or more drugs from several different classes to effectively reduce your viral load.
ART drugs maximize virus suppression, overcome drug resistance, and prevent new drug-resistant HIV strains from developing. Taking ART to have an undetectable viral load is the best way to stay healthy, but for HIV treatment to be effective, you must take your medications as prescribed and not miss any doses.
This ensures your immune system stays strong, making you less likely to get infections. It also reduces your risk of developing treatment-resistant HIV or transmitting HIV to others. If you experience side effects with ART, talk to your provider so they can alter your medications accordingly.
Call LocalMD or book an appointment online today to benefit from first-class HIV treatment.