In the early weeks after becoming infected with HIV, it’s not uncommon for people to be without symptoms. Some people may have mild flu-like symptoms, including:
1. fever
2. headache
3. lack of energy
Often, these symptoms go away within a few weeks. In some cases, it may take as many as 10 years for more severe symptoms to appear.
Most people with HIV develop skin problems Rash is the most common symptom of HIV. In a person with HIV, the skin can become extremely sensitive to irritants and sunlight. A rash may appear as a flat red patch with small bumps, and skin may become flaky.
Sores, or lesions, may form on the skin of the mouth, genitals, and anus, and may be difficult to treat. People with HIV are also at increased risk of herpes and shingles . With proper medication, skin problems may become less severe.
We all have lymph nodes throughout our bodies, including the neck, back of the head, armpits, and groin. As part of the immune system , our lymph nodes fend off infections by storing immune cells and filtering for harmful substances. As the HIV infection begins to spread, the immune system kicks into high gear. The result is enlarged lymph nodes , commonly known as swollen glands. It’s often one of the first signs of HIV. In people infected with HIV, swollen glands may last for several months.
HIV makes it harder for the immune system to fight off germs, so it’s easier for opportunistic infections to take hold. Some of these include pneumonia , tuberculosis , and hepatitis C . People with HIV are more prone to infections of the skin, eyes, lungs , kidneys , digestive tract, and brain . It may also be more difficult to treat common ailments like the flu .
Taking extra precautions, including frequent hand washing and taking HIV medications, can help prevent some of these illnesses and their complications.
People infected with HIV may experience long periods of low-grade fever .A temperature between 99.8°F and 100.8°F (37.6°C and 38.2°C) is considered to be a low-grade fever. Your body develops a fever when something is wrong, but the cause isn’t always obvious. Because it’s a low-grade fever, those who are unaware of their HIV-positive status may ignore the symptom. Sometimes, night sweats that can interfere with sleep may accompany fever.
Bacterial and yeast infections may be more common in women who are HIV-positive. They may also be harder to treat.
HIV also increases your risk of getting STIs, including:
* chlamydia
* trichomoniasis
* gonorrhea
* human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to genital warts or even cervical cancer
If you have genital herpes, your outbreaks may be worse and happen more often. Also, your body may not respond as well to your herpes treatment.
PID is an infection of your uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. PID in HIV-positive women may be harder to treat. Also, symptoms may last longer than usual or return more often.
10. Advanced symptoms of HIV and AIDS
As HIV progresses, symptoms can include:
* diarrhea
* nausea and vomiting
* weight loss
* severe headache
* joint pain
* muscle aches
* shortness of breath
* chronic cough
* trouble swallowing
In the later stages, HIV can lead to:
* short-term memory loss
* mental confusion
* coma
The most advanced stage of HIV is called acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). At this stage, the immune system is severely compromised and infections become increasingly hard to fight off. Certain cancers mark the transition from HIV to AIDS. These are called “AIDS-defining cancers” and include Kaposi sarcoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma . They also include cervical cancer, which is specific to women.
The importance of getting tested
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested It’s easy and you can do it anonymously. You can get tested at your doctor’s office, go to a local testing site, or do an at-home test. If you have any queries regarding health related issues feel free to contact us at WhatsApp number 9530069900. Our team of experts will provide you with accurate and relevant information and try to give solution to your problem.
There are 3 symptoms out of which if 2 are present then one is a suspected case of HIV+:
More than one month of fever
More than one month of diarrhoea
2 out if 3 sites of lymphadenopathy i.e. cervical (over the neck region) , axillary (armpit area) and the inguinal region (groin area). Lymphadenopathy is a conditon where there are swollen lymph nodes felt like oval to round swellings at the above mentioned areas.
If a person has any of the two above symptoms apart from other constitutional symptoms like weight loss without any effort or flu like symptoms or loss of appetite or a history of unprotected sexual exposure or blood transfusion or a needle injury then he/she should definitely go for the investigations which are:
ELISA TEST: its a screening test which if positive, the person will be subjected to definitive test.
WESTERN BLOT ASSAY: its the definitive test used to confirm the diagnosis of HIV+.