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Pathophysiological Process of HIV & Pain

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a serious disease that affects the immune system, making it increasingly difficult for the body to defend against infection. People with HIV experience a lot of pain by the disease. Pathophysiology is the study of changes caused by an injury or disease. The process of HIV and the pain it causes will be different for each sufferer; however, there are some pains common to all sufferers.

  1. HIV Medication

    • There is no cure for HIV, but there are about 30 drugs that have been FDA approved for its treatment. It is difficult to find the exact combination of drugs that will work for each individual, and some drug combinations can cause additional pain of one sort or another. Any pain an HIV sufferer experiences should be reported to a doctor immediately. Medications may be changed to try to alleviate the pain and tests may be done to see if it is due to an additional disorder. A doctor should be consulted before taking any medications to treat pain.

    Peripheral Neuropathy

    • Some HIV medications damage nerve endings. This damage usually causes pain in the feet, hands and face, and has been described as tingling, numbness and burning. As nerve degeneration continues the pain worsens and becomes more frequent. There are no FDA approved treatments for peripheral neuropathy. Some drugs, such as acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid may help to ease mild pain, but may interfere with HIV medications. Massage and acupuncture have been known to relieve the pain caused by peripheral neuropathy.

    Abdominal Pain

    • Some medications also cause abdominal pain, as well as causing the pancreas to become inflamed, which can also cause pain. Menstruation may also be made more painful by HIV, and the disease causes the sufferer to become more susceptible to sicknesses that cause abdominal pain. As the disease progresses, so the occurrence of these infections will usually increase. Painkillers may help to relieve the pain, but may interfere with HIV medications.

    Headache

    • Headaches are a common symptom of HIV. They are caused by muscle strain, stress and sometimes are a side effect of medication. As the disease progresses, headaches may become more frequent and more painful. There are many over the counter medications that can treat headache pain, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid.

    Post-Herpetic Pain

    • People who suffer from HIV also often have contracted herpes. Herpes is, like HIV, a life-long disease that causes sores to open on the skin. After herpetic sores have healed in HIV sufferers there may a lingering pain. Over-the-counter creams are available to treat herpetic sores, and anti-fungal medications may be needed to help to treat the symptoms and the pain. Anti-fungal medications can react with HIV medications.

    Joint and Muscle Pain

    • Joint and muscle pain is an unfortunate part of the aging process in general. However, people with HIV may suffer from more severe muscle and joint pain caused by arthritis, lack of exercise and aging. There are a number of therapies for muscle pain, such as heat packs and creams available in pharmacies. Massage may also relieve joint and muscle pain. Treatments containing medication may interfere with HIV medications.

    Infection

    • HIV makes the sufferer more susceptible to infection by other conditions as it attacks the immune system. As the disease progresses, more infections may be suffered and will become progressively worse as the body becomes less and less able to fight them. Treatments for these infections will depend upon the nature of the infection and the medication that is being taken for the HIV.

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