Strategies for maintaining your general health: Different ways to help you maintain your overall general health

January 2007     View PDF     View Schedule     En español

Biological health

Your basic biological health is something that a doctor can help you to understand and develop tailored strategies for promoting and improving. While people living with HIV often see a doctor four times each year, many times both HIV specialists and patients can forget about basic health screening and maintenance. This includes physical exams, vaccinations, other preventive measures as needed and age-appropriate screening.

For information on what is looked for in a routine exam, what’s meant by age-appropriate screening, general recommendations on vaccinations and a list of special health considerations, call Project Inform’s Infoline at 1-800-822-7422. Also available is information on standard tests, vaccines and issues to deal with during a first visit to a doctor after finding out that you’re living with HIV. Taking care of your biological health includes more than seeing a doctor. The following on the next two pages are a few examples.

Nutrition
Your body needs nutrients in order to work properly. Often, when people are really hungry they’ll get a headache, feel dizzy or may find themselves in a bad mood. How often and what do you typically eat in a day? What does good nutrition mean to you and what can you do to improve what you eat?

Having realistic goals about your nutrition that fit with your life is key to success. What this often means is small but steady improvements. For example, if a normal breakfast for you is a cup of coffee and a pastry on your way out the door, is it possible to add a glass of juice?

While it’s great to consult a nutritionist (especially one who specializes in HIV), there are probably ways you can improve on your general nutrition now. For some this means eating more, for others eating less and for others it’s about eating different foods. For more information on nutrition, read the publications, Nutrition and Weight Maintenance and Take Charge of Your Food, available from Project Inform.

Relax!
The chemicals that your body produces when you experience stress can weaken your immune system. This can leave immune cells more prone to infection, crippling the ability of your immune system to rebuild itself. It’s nearly impossible to completely avoid stress, but efforts to reduce and manage stress are important to our physical and mental health.

Can you identify the things that cause you stress that you could eliminate from your life? When you can’t avoid the things that cause you stress, are there ways you can reduce or manage it better? Some find that exercise decreases stress levels. Other ways include getting a massage, taking a hot tub, talking with friends, laughing, getting out of the house, going to a movie, spending time with people you love, reading a good book, finding a good support group, and finding a good therapist. Keep trying different methods until you find what works best for you. Then find ways to incorporate it into a daily, weekly or monthly routine.

Exercise
A few pounds of muscle mass (lean body mass) can make a difference in whether someone recovers from a severe life-threatening infection. There are many reasons why exercise is good for us, from helping muscles and bones remain strong to improving the function of our heart and lungs.

There are ways you can improve how you exercise or the amount of exercise you get each day. Some people love to go to the gym and work out; others wouldn’t set foot in one if someone paid them. If you typically don’t exercise, consider taking a walk for twenty minutes each morning and/or at the end of the day. Maybe you’ll never go to the gym, but you may enjoy going for a hike, riding a bike or simply taking the stairs in your building. Ask yourself, “What can I do to improve the kind or quality of exercise I get each day?”

Sleep
When you sleep, your body has a chance to heal. In general it’s recommended that people get eight hours of sleep each night. The amount of sleep needed differs to some degree between individuals. It can also vary based on the other things going on in your life. Ask yourself, “Do I get enough sleep each night?”

When someone is depressed they might sleep more or even have trouble sleeping. Often, when someone is fighting an infection his or her body demands more rest. If you sleep too much, it’s important to figure out why. Are you depressed or fighting an infection? Do you have low red blood cell counts (anemia)?

If you’re sleeping too little, it’s also important to figure out why. Are you depressed, drinking coffee or other caffeine drinks too late at night, or is something else going on? If you find your life is just too busy to find time for sleep, strive for small but steady improvements. If you sleep only five hours a night, can you make time for five and a half or six hours?