Gloria Kirungi
15 August 2008
opinion
Kampala — If you are on ARVs, it is important to note that eating well is a very important factor in living a healthier and longer life. Good nutrition helps to fight and resist opportunistic infections and reduces their frequency, delays the progression from HIV infection to AIDS, makes you look fine and maintain a healthy weight.
It also helps gain strength, build or maintain muscles, continue physical activity and remain productive. ARVs work effectively, reduce side effects and reduce mother to child transmission of HIV when backed up by good feeding.
People who eat well usually succeed in adhering to their ARV doses. They never feel too weak to swallow strong drugs and can manage the life-long treatment.
However, feeding is not as obvious as it sounds for people who are not sick. While ARVs are strong drugs, which can create additional nutritional needs, many have possible side effects which affect a person's desire, ability and response for and to food.
These side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, mild mental problems, loss of appetite and mouth wounds, which make the person fail to eat, digest and metabolise food, consequently leading to wastage and eventual malnutrition.
People living with HIV/AIDS must therefore discuss whatever factor that affects their feeding with the doctor or health worker who is supervising their antiretroviral therapy.
Regular check ups with a doctor or nutritionist are also important to find out if there is any interference in the food absorption. This will help alleviate nutrition related complications associated with HIV/AIDS.
All people on ARVs should seek medical nutrition therapy for most of the opportunistic diseases, monitor their weight regularly and have a dietician interpret their body composition in relation to nutrition status.
They should ensure they have healthy feeding habits and consult a doctor when they lack appetite. They also need to avoid alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and drugs abuse, drink plenty of water, practice safer sex or abstain, join a support group and do exercises.
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