The Symptoms of HIV Infection

You may not develop any symptoms of HIV infection for more than ten years.  This fact is scary when you consider the sexual history of your partners.  Some will develop flu-like symptoms immediately after exposure to the infection.  These include headache, tiredness, enlargement of the lymph nodes in the neck, and a fever.  These will disappear within a few weeks.  You may not develop any added signs of HIV or AIDS for many years.  Scientists are studying reasons some patients develop AIDS faster than other patients who have been exposed.  There are still no clear answers to that question.

During the time between infection and showing symptoms you may not feel bad, have any signs of the disease, but you can still infect others.  During the time you may not have symptoms, the virus will continue to multiply and kill the cells of the body’s immune system.  That immune system is vital in helping our body fight off virus and bacterial infections.  The primary cells for infection fighting are the CD4+ or T4 cells. 

For those with their immune cells being attacked may begin to feel some minor symptoms that can be passed off as flu, or many other kinds of physical problems.  The patient who is harboring the HIV virus may start feeling tired and complain of having little or no energy.  They may have unexplained weight loss even though they are eating healthy diets and are not trying to lose weight.  The patient may experience excessive sweating and frequent episodes of fever. 

More symptoms of the HIV virus include persistent yeast infections in women.  This can easily be passed over as a symptom because yeast infections are frequent and can be caused by many other problems.  Antibiotics can cause yeast infections, it can be passed back and forth between sex partners, and can easily be caused by use of some personal hygiene products.  No wonder it is easy to miss this important symptom!

Did You Know? 

The signs of symptoms of AIDS or HIV are different depending on what stage the infection is in. When a person is first infected they may have flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes but recover quickly. This flu-like sickness may occur two to six weeks after being infected and is not always associated with the possibility of HIV infection. Even if you do not have any of these symptoms until years later, you can still infect other people with the virus. Once your body is invaded with the HIV or AIDS virus, your immune system is under attack. Even though you may not be having any symptoms, you can still pass the disease on to another person. Meanwhile, even if you are symptom free, your cells that coordinate your immune system are slowly being destroyed. You can remain this way for as many as ten years but during that time you will begin it experience more frequent infections as your immune cells are destroyed. You may experience chronic symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, shortness of breath, cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss.

Skin problems or frequent rashes can also be dismissed as routine skin problems, but they are a symptom of the HIV and AIDS disease.  Dry flaky skin is also a problem that many people experience but often do not associate with AIDS.  Skin rashes that are persistent and are hard to get rid of can be a symptom of AIDS or caused by weather conditions or many other medical problems.  Short-term memory loss and herpes sores on the mouth, genital, or anus can also be a symptom that should be looked at by a doctor.

AIDS is an advanced stage of the HIV infection.  There are more than 26 conditions that are common to patients who have HIV that rarely happen in healthy people.  Most of these are conditions caused by parasites, fungus, bacteria, virus, and other organisms. 

AIDS Facts Aids and HIV is currently infecting more heterosexuals than homosexuals because the gay community has become far more aware of safer sex practices. Practice safer sex if you have more than one sexual partner or if you are in a new relationship. Get yourself tested regularly.

The early symptoms of AIDS may include a persistent cough, shortness of breath, and difficult or painful swallowing.  They may also include seizures and a total lack of coordination in the body.  If you have had unprotected sex or shared needles or syringes during drug use, you may be a potential AIDS victim.  You should have an HIV test.  The earlier your disease is detected, the more the disease can be controlled and slowed.

Important Information in AIDS and HIV Issues

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