Most people newly infected with the HIV virus show few, if any, symptoms for a few years. But during this asymptomatic Having no symptoms period, HIV is actively multiplying, infecting, and killing cells in the immune system, particularly CD4+ T cells. People are very infectious during this early phase.
As the immune system weakens, symptoms begin to emerge.
Early Symptoms of HIV Infection
Some people, but not all, develop symptoms within a month or two of exposure to HIV. These people may have a flu-like illness with such symptoms as :
- Fever
- Rash
- Headache
- Loss of appetite
- Swollen glands (enlarged lymph nodesSmall, round or oval bodies connected by a network of vessels; they help remove bacteria and foreign particles from the circulation, and play a role in the body's immune defenses)
- Achy muscles and joints
These early symptoms usually disappear within a week to a month. Most HIV-infected people who experience these early symptoms won't see any more signs of the infection for at least a few years.
Later Symptoms of HIV Infection
Usually, it takes about eight to nine years between the time of infection and the appearance of later symptoms, although this varies from person to person. These symptoms signal that immune system function is deteriorating, due to declining numbers of CD4+ T cells.
Not all people with HIV infection develop further symptoms. For those who do, however, symptoms may include :
- Persistent, enlarged lymph nodes Small, round or oval bodies connected by a network of vessels; they help remove bacteria and foreign particles from the circulation, and play a role in the body's immune defenses
- Excessive fatigue
- Weight loss
- Frequent fevers
- Night sweats
- Chronic or frequent diarrhea
- Genital sores (sores around the penis or vagina)
- Thrush Oral candidiasis, an infection of the mouth caused by caused by the yeast-like fungus (an infection of the mouth caused by Candida, a yeast-like fungus) and mouth lesions
- Skin rash or flaky skin
- Joint stiffness and pain
- Bone pain
- Blurred vision
- Short-term memory loss
- Repeated bacterial, viral, or fungal infections
As the CD4+ T cell count continues to drop and the immune system deteriorates further, individuals may continue to experience the above symptoms as well as develop new ones.
What Symptoms Signal The Onset Of AIDS?
An HIV-infected person receives an AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency (or immune deficiency) syndrome, an advanced stage of a viral infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) diagnosis when he or she has :
- A CD4+ T cell count of less than 200, and/or
- At least one of more than two dozen opportunistic infections. Infections (rarely seen in healthy people) that that occur when a person's immune system is weakened due to HIV, cancer, or drugs that suppress the body's immune response and conditions.
In the United States, the most common AIDS-defining condition in both women and men is a lung infection called Pneumocystis carinii A type of pneumonia (lung inflammation) caused by a microbe called , seen in people with impaired immunity pneumonia A type of pneumonia (lung inflammation) caused by a microbe called Pneumocystis carinii, seen in people with impaired immunity, abbreviated PCP.
Other AIDS-defining conditions include severe body wasting and Candida infection of the esophagus, windpipe, or lungs.
The above information thankfully comes from the ehealthmd.com at the following link.
