World AIDS Day 2017: Can ginger reduce vomiting in HIV/AIDS patients?

Constant vomiting can cause HIV positive patients to go off their medication. Can ginger be of help?

Within 2-4 weeks of getting infected by the HIV, the symptoms start slowly manifesting on the infected person's body. Some early signs include weight loss, ulcers, swollen lymph nodes and headaches. This cluster of symptoms also includes gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, which leads to a lot of associated health problems in HIV/AIDS patients. Vomiting, especially, can take a toll on the person's health. Complications are inevitable especially if the nausea and vomiting is frequent. The cause for constant nausea and vomiting in patients is mostly due to the medications. Antiretroviral drugs are known to cause these gastric troubles. That apart, the viral load, ongoing infections and inflammation in the body can also result in sickness in the patient. Here are some of the early signs of HIV infection.

What are the complications of nausea and vomiting in HIV/AIDS?

The first and probably the worst complication of nausea and vomiting in HIV/AIDS patients is that they go discontinue the antiretroviral medicine because the sickness becomes too much for them to bear. One of the main components of vomit is the erosive gastric acid. Constant vomiting causes the air passages, mouth, throat and teeth to come in contact with the powerful gastric juices, which can then damage the lungs, the throat and the enamel of the teeth. Vomiting can also cause nutritional deficiencies and electrolyte imbalance in the patient, which is not good from the point of view of their health. Eventually, the immune system can weaken, making them vulnerable to opportunistic infections. Here are some common causes of nausea and vomiting.

How can ginger help HIV AIDS patients?

Ginger is a powerful anti-emetic, which helps in curbing nausea and vomiting. For centuries, ginger has been used for tackling a variety of gastrointestinal problems. Its often prescribed to pregnant women who experience vomiting during their pregnancy. Read the health benefits of ginger.

From HIV/AIDS patients' perspective who find it difficult to continue their medication due to nausea, ginger could offer some hope. A 2014 study published in the Expert Opinion on Drug Safety proved that ginger could actually be efficient in reducing antiretroviral-induced nausea in HIV/AIDS patients. In the two-year long study, 102 HIV positive patients who were given ginger found that their nausea abated during the course of their treatment.

Apart from ginger, there are other herbs that could offer relief from nausea as well. To counter antiretroviral-induced nausea, patients could try having preparations made from peppermint, cloves and lime.

References:

Dabaghzadeh, F., Khalili, H., Dashti-Khavidaki, S., Abbasian, L., & Moeinifard, A. (2014). Ginger for prevention of antiretroviral-induced nausea and vomiting: a randomized clinical trial. Expert opinion on drug safety, 13(7), 859-866.

Chubineh, S., & McGowan, J. (2008). Nausea and vomiting in HIV: a symptom review. International journal of STD & AIDS, 19(11), 723-728.

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