If you are HIV+, here are some gastrointestinal diseases that you should be aware of:

• Oral thrush
• Diarrhea
• Pill-induced Esophagitis
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Oral Thrush

Oral thrush is a fungal infection of the mouth and tongue. In people without HIV, the fungus is unable to cause infection because of the presence of a healthy immune system. However, if you are HIV+, your weakened immune system makes you more vulnerable to infection by the fungus that causes thrush. You should be aware that there are additional factors that can increase your chances of getting thrush, such as:

• Taking antibiotics or steroid medications
• Receiving chemotherapy
• Being old or very young
• Having diabetes
• Having a CD4 cell count below 500

Symptoms of Oral Thrush

The symptoms of oral thrush include:

• Whitish, velvety spots in the mouth and on the tongue
• Reddish tissue beneath the white spots that can bleed

Your healthcare provider can usually diagnose oral thrush simply by looking in your mouth. If your healthcare provider is still unsure, he or she may take a mouth scraping to perform lab tests.

If you are HIV+ and are concerned that you may have oral thrush, it is important that you contact your healthcare provider immediately! Untreated oral thrush can spread to other organs of the body, and it can be fatal.

Treating Oral Thrush

How oral thrush is treated depends on how severe the infection is. If you are HIV+ and have a minor case of oral thrush, there are tablets and liquids that your healthcare provider can prescribe to help treat the infection. If you have oral thrush that spreads beyond the mouth, there are stronger medications, which can be used to treat the infection.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be caused by a virus, parasite, bacteria, or medication. If you are HIV+ and have diarrhea for longer than 1 week, contact your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider may request stool and blood samples to test for evidence of an infection. If these test results do not provide a clear answer, your healthcare provider may also perform a colonoscopy with biopsy to get at the root of the problem. Successful treatment of diarrhea changes depending on the cause of the condition. Regardless of the cause, drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. When you get your lab test results, talk with your doctor about what treatment options are right for you.

Pill-induced Esophagitis

Esophagitis is the medical term for inflammation of the esophagus. Pill-induced esophagitis is caused by taking your medications while lying down or with too little water. The best way to avoid this condition is to take your medicine with plenty of water in an upright position. If you have pain while swallowing your medication, talk to your healthcare provider immediately.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is the term used to describe a backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus. The major symptoms of GERD are a burning feeling in the chest and burping up stomach acid. A number of factors can cause GERD, including

• Certain medications
• Alcohol use
• Pregnancy
• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Drinking drinks with caffeine, such as soda and coffee

If you think that you may have GERD, talk to your healthcare provider. There are a number of things that you can do to treat GERD, including:

• Lifestyle changes—simple changes of some everyday behavior can help ease the symptoms of GERD. These include wearing loose-fitting clothing, quitting smoking, avoiding certain types of foods, eating smaller meals, and drinking less alcohol.
• Medications—there are also a number of medications that can help relieve the symptoms of GERD. Talk to your healthcare provider about which medicines might be right for you.