HIV is a virus that affects the immune system and slowly destroys the immune system's ability to fight disease.
Once this deterioration of the immune system reaches a certain level the infected person is diagnosed as having AIDS, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
It is at this stage that the person becomes extremely vulnerable to various conditions and many latent pathogens reactivate and start their life cycle once more.
One illness that seems to affect a lot of people who have been infected with HIV and have progressed to the AIDS phase of the condition is influenza.
Even people who have a fully functional immune system are at risk of contracting the influenza virus and getting really ill as a result.
Influenza also has a number of potential complications attached to it.
If your immune system is compromised by HIV then you are even more at risk of contracting this virus and the chances that you will suffer from some of the potential complications is increased a great deal.
However, there are things that can be done to decrease the chances of contracting the virus and those infected with HIV should consider these options carefully.
The first item to consider is a vaccine against the influenza virus.
The vaccine contains the inactivate virus.
What it does is allow your immune system to produce the correct antibodies in response to the non-dangerous inactive virus so that if the active virus invades your system the immune system is already primed to react appropriately and this reduces the risk of you becoming seriously ill and risking complications that may arise from an influenza infection.
Of course, there are times when this is not a good idea.
If there is any condition that affects the person with HIV that would ordinarily indicate that the influenza vaccine is not appropriate, then they should not get the vaccine as these contraindications remain true even for those infected with HIV.
Another thing to do is to ensure that you eat a healthy diet.
This is not always easy in today's economic crisis, however, it can help to strengthen your immune system and help it to combat all forms of infection not just the influenza virus.
The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is highly recommended as these contain a vast number of vitamins and other nutrients that support the immune system.
Failing this, it is advisable to ensure that a daily multivitamin is taken to offer the body the vitamins and nutrients that it may not be getting in sufficient quantities from the daily diet of the affected individual.
In conclusion, individuals infected with HIV are at a higher risk for contracting influenza and suffering from its potential complications than those not infected with HIV.
If you are not certain whether you are able to get the influenza vaccine or not, and are infected with HIV, then consult your medical practitioner to ascertain whether you should be vaccinated or not.