Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine is a Toronto naturopathic clinic dedicated to providing safe and effective treatment of a wide variety of health conditions using natural therapies and the principles of naturopathic medicine.
Naturopathic medicine can play an important role in the successful management of HIV and AIDS. AIDS is a chronic, life-threatening condition caused by the HIV. HIV interferes with your body’s ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi and renders you more susceptible to infections and certain cancers.
HIV is an infection that is transmitted via body fluids (e.g., through sexual contact, sharing of needles for intravenous drug use, organ or tissue transplants, breastfeeding or birth [from an infected mother to child]). Late-stage HIV infection is called AIDS. Complications of HIV and AIDS include increased susceptibility to any number of infections (bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic) and certain cancers (Kaposi’s sarcoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), weight loss, depression, anxiety and dementia complex.
Professional healthcare should be sought out if you suspect you may have been infected with HIV or are at risk of contracting the virus.
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS
Symptoms of HIV and AIDS vary depending on the phase of infection.
Possible symptoms of early infection include:
• No signs or symptoms
• Brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after becoming infected
• Rash
Possible symptoms of later infection include:
• No signs or symptoms
• Lymph node swelling (often one of the first signs of HIV infection)
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Cough and shortness of breath
AIDS usually develops approximately 10 years after initial infection with HIV. AIDS is diagnosed by blood tests measuring levels of immune system cells in your blood. Possible symptoms of late infection (AIDS) include:
• Shaking chills or fever higher than 38 °C (100 °F) persisting for several weeks
• Persistent, unexplained fatigue
• Weight loss
• Soaking night sweats
• Swelling of lymph nodes lasting longer than three months
• Persistent headaches
• Blurred, distorted vision
• Persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or your mouth
• Dry cough and shortness of breath
• Chronic diarrhea
In children, possible symptoms of HIV infection include:
• Delayed mental development
• Difficulty gaining weight
• Difficulty walking
• Severe childhood infections (e.g., ear infections, pneumonia, tonsillitis)
Treatment of HIV and AIDS at Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine, the goals of HIV and AIDS treatment are to support the function of your immune system, manage symptoms of opportunistic infections and conventional treatments and ultimately prolong and improve life and quality of life.
Naturopathic treatment of any chronic health concern must be recognized as a process that involves identifying specific treatment goals, a thorough understanding by your naturopathic doctor of all factors affecting your health, including physical, psychological, emotional and lifestyle factors, development of a comprehensive treatment plan and execution of that plan through periodic monitoring and adjustment.
At Toronto-Centre Naturopathic Medicine a typical approach to treating HIV and AIDS may be to first identify and address underlying factors in your lifestyle (e.g., poor diet, poor stress management) that may contribute to suppressed immune system action, increase immune system activity using botanical (herbal) medicines and nutritional supplements and manage complications of HIV and AIDS using the appropriate natural medicines.
Where appropriate, a number of therapeutic options are available, to be used alone, or more often in a complementary fashion, including:
• Diet therapy
• Nutritional supplements
• Botanical (herbal) medicines
• Acupuncture
• Homeopathic medicines
• Homotoxicological medicines
• Lifestyle counseling
• Cleansing protocols
• Relaxation techniques
• Exercise prescription
• Hydrotherapy
References
Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. HIV/AIDS [Online]. [cited 2010 Jan 16]; Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids/DS00005.