There is no permanent cure for HIV infection or AIDS. However, availing treatment can stop the progress of the disease and allow infected people to live a relatively healthy life. Since getting rid of HIV is impossible, treatment will be focused on slowing down the progression of the virus in the body and addressing the symptoms. The regimen focused on controlling HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART. ART can keep infected people healthy for many years. It lessens the “viral load” – the amount of virus in the blood and other body fluids. ART is prescribed to anybody who is infected, irrespective of how long they have had the virus or the state of their health. Treatment should be started immediately after the diagnosis, so that the progress of HIV can be slowed down. High viral load is linked to bad outcomes. If the virus is drug-resistant, then the physician needs to elect different drugs for the treatment. There are many antiretroviral drugs in the market, and a combination of drugs is usually prescribed to a single person. Each person responds to the drugs differently, so it is imperative that the progress of HIV be monitored constantly to determine which combination of drugs are the most effective.

Ulcers are formed when the digestive tract becomes damaged or inflamed. The ulcer that forms in the stomach is called gastric ulcer while the ulcer that forms in the duodenum (upper part of the small intestine) is called duodenal ulcers. Duodenal ulcers may often cause abdominal pain. The pain may start a few hours after eating. But, in most cases, the abdominal pain caused by duodenum ulcers is worse when the stomach is empty. The pain may start between meals, at night, or first thing in the morning. Research shows that ulcers are the result of an infection caused by the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) bacterium. While there may be other factors that contribute to the development of ulcers, H. pylori are considered to be the key factor responsible for causing ulcers. If the ulcer is not treated on time, it can lead to certain complications. Some of these complications may prove to be fatal. Complications associated with duodenal ulcers are: Bleeding: Ulcers cause internal bleeding. If the bleeding continues, it will lead to anemia. A person who has internal bleeding may see blood in their vomit or stools. A person with internal bleeding should seek immediate medical attention. Perforation:

There are two main types of hypertension or high blood pressure. Primary or essential hypertension No specific cause for this has been proven. Secondary hypertension This happens when high blood pressure results as a consequence of an illness or condition. Additionally, other types of hypertension include: Malignant hypertension occurs when the blood pressure shoots up suddenly and goes back to being normal once treated. Isolated systolic hypertension has no particular cause that has been diagnosed but it is generally found as people age. Many with a poor diet also have this type of blood pressure. White coat hypertension is the condition where a person’s blood pressure shoots up while at the doctor’s clinic or hospital and goes back to normal in other settings. Stress or fear is believed to cause this. Resistant hypertension happens when medication does not help the reduction of blood pressure. Causes of hypertension Aging As we grow older, blood vessels naturally harden, losing their elasticity resulting in hypertension. Obesity Weight gain increases the heart rate and causes the arteries to become thicker and stiff, reducing the ability of the blood vessels to circulate the blood all over the body. This results in hypertension. Diabetes Diabetes increases the amount of fluid present in our body and also reduces the elasticity of the blood vessels.

Migraines are severe, persistent and really painful headaches. The pain can last from a few hours to even days, which makes it quite an unpleasant adversary to millions of people every day. In fact, according to the American Migraine Association, they affect 12 percent of the population or 36 million people in the country. Although migraines can affect anyone, chances are greater if you: are between the ages of 15 and 55 years. are a woman (3 times more likely to have it than men) have other medical conditions, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, epilepsy or sleep-related issues. have a family history of migraines (Thanks mom!) Scientists are not clear on what exactly causes migraines but it is agreed upon that genetics and environmental factors appear to factor in. Migraines could be caused due to abnormal activity in the brainstem and its interaction with the trigeminal nerve, which is an important pain pathway. Certain imbalances involving serotonin, which helps regulate pain in your nervous system, is suspected as well. The serotonin levels drop during migraines. This may lead to the trigeminal nerve releasing neuropeptides, which end up travelling to the brain’s outer covering (meninges), causing the resultant pain. For some people, migraines are set off by certain factors which are called triggers.

Uveal melanoma or ocular melanoma occurs in the cells that produce melanin in the eyes. Melanomas form in the eye where they cannot be seen; so ocular melanomas are difficult to detect. This problem is compounded because ocular melanoma does not cause any early symptoms. The causes of ocular melanoma are not clearly known. There are three parts in the eye that can be affected. The iris gives the eye its color. The choroid layer is full of blood vessels and tissue and lies between the white of the eye (sclera) and the retina at the back. The ciliary body lies in the front of the uvea (the area between the white of the eye and the retina). It secretes the aqueous humor (the transparent liquid in the eye). Certain people are at a higher risk of contracting ocular melanoma due to factors like Age Older people are more prone White skin People with white skin are at a higher risk Light-colored eyes People with blue or green eye color Ultraviolet exposure Prolonged exposure to light from the sun especially during the middle of the day and the use of sun lamps and tanning beds to get a tan are high-risk factors Heredity Certain inherited conditions such as dysplastic nevus syndrome, and abnormal color in the uvea, called ocular melanocytosis are risk factors Gene mutation Certain abnormal genes that are passed on from parents to children The symptoms of ocular melanoma include Dark spot on the iris that is growing Poor vision or loss of vision in one eye Changes in the shape of the pupil (at the center of the eye) The sensation of seeing floaters (imaginary specks that look like they are floating in front of the eye) Sensation of flashes Loss of peripheral vision Red, bulging and painful eye Having ocular melanoma can cause complications such as Vision loss due to retinal detachment caused by large melanomas A growing melanoma can cause pressure in the eye to increase.