Blood Tests, What They Mean

Have You Noticed a Change...

• . . . in your energy level?
• . . . in the things you are able to do?
• . . . in your strength during day-to-day tasks?

If you're noticing that you have less energy during everyday activities, and if you feel more tired than usual, you might have anemia.

Here are the general symptoms of anemia:

• The most common is lack of energy
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Loss of sex drive
• Inability to concentrate
• Shortness of breath

The symptoms of anemia can become so severe that some people can become bedridden. They can't work or even perform basic daily activities, like food shopping or taking the dog for a walk.

If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, you may have anemia without even knowing it. Take the Anemia Self-Assessment and discuss the results with your doctor.

Lab Test Educators

Your doctor will have you regularly take several important lab tests, in addition to your complete blood count (CBC). The results from when you first take these tests will be the baseline against which future readings will be measured. These tests include:

• Viral load measurement
• CD4 cell (or T-cell) count
• Kidney and liver function tests
• Hepatitis B serology
• Hepatitis C virology
• RPR or VDRL

Of these, the viral load (or V-load) and CD4 (or T-cell) tests are the most important to understand.

Viral Load

A viral load test is a measure of the amount of HIV in the blood. It is the most important test available for determining disease progression.

The viral load test often is done when you have blood taken for T-cells or other lab tests. By measuring the HIV activity in your blood, the test shows how quickly or slowly the virus is multiplying. If your virus is very active, the T-cells will be destroyed and your T-cell count will decrease.

Have a viral load test before starting antiretroviral therapy, and confirm it with a second test. Have another test 1 month after starting the meds to be sure they're working. Then get a test every 3 months to be sure the drugs still work. Click here to get a blank printable Viral Load/CD4 Cell Count Chart on which you can enter your test results.

CD4/T-Cells

The HIV virus replicates very quickly at first, and your viral load can be greater than 1 million. The virus slows as your CD4/T-cells react and it reaches a set point, the level of which determines subsequent progression. The higher your viral load, the sooner you will lose T-cells and progress to an AIDS diagnosis

The goal is to keep your viral load as low as possible. Whether you are on medications (such as antiretroviral therapy) or not, you measure your viral load every 3 months. If your viral load is undetectable, it does not mean that you are now HIV-negative. Rather, the tests cannot measure low enough to detect all of the virus in your blood and additional virus which could be "hiding" elsewhere in your body, such as your lymph system.

Therefore, if you stop taking your medications or miss some doses, your V-load will start to rise and reach a new set point. Because your V-load can go up quicker than drugs can lower it, you should stay on your medications..

If your viral load rises, you'll have another V-load test. If it keeps going up, you may be switched to different medications.

Keeping track of your V-load and CD4/T-cell measurements is vital - you will know how active your virus is (V-load) and how suppressed your immune system is (CD4/T-cell). Click here to get a blank printable Viral Load/CD4 Cell Count Chart on which you can enter your test results.