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Understanding HIV/AIDS: Information, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention

Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of HIV/AIDS?

HIV is never diagnosed by symptoms because an infected person may or may not show signs of disease.

HIV Infection: Symptoms of Acute Infection

HIV infection comes in three stages. The first stage is called acute infection or seroconversion, and it happens within 2 to 6 weeks after exposure or becoming infected. This is when the body's immune system puts up a fight against HIV. The symptoms of acute infection look similar to those of other viral illnesses and are often compared to getting the flu. The symptoms may last a week or two and then completely go away as the virus goes into a non-symptomatic stage.

The initial symptoms of acute infection include:

• Headache
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue
• Aching muscles
• Sore throat
• Red rash that doesn't itch, usually on the torso.
• Fever

Call Your Doctor If:

• You think you have come in contact with HIV. Doctors can now prevent HIV from taking hold in the body if they act quickly after initial infection. Healthcare workers, police, and firefighters who are exposed to HIV-infected blood often use a process that involves taking anti-HIV drugs to protect themselves. These drugs must be taken within hours or days of initial exposure.
  
  
• You may be tested using highly sensitive tests that detect actual viral material -- instead of antibodies -- in the blood. Regular HIV tests don't work this soon after infection. You may be given anti-HIV drugs that you must take for a prescribed period of time. There may be unpleasant side effects to these drugs, but they may stop HIV from infecting you.

Most people don't know they've been infected with HIV, but weeks later they experience the symptoms of seroconversion. These symptoms mean the body is struggling with HIV.

HIV Infection: The Period without Symptoms

After the first seroconversion period, the immune system loses the battle with HIV and symptoms go away. HIV infection goes into its second stage, which can be a long period without symptoms, called the asymptomatic period. This is when people may not know they are infected and can pass HIV on to others. This period can last 10 or more years.

During this period without symptoms, HIV is slowly killing the CD4 T-cells and destroying the immune system. Blood tests during this time can reveal the number of these CD4 T-cells. Normally, a person has a CD4 T-cell count between 450 and 1400 cells per microliter. This number changes constantly, depending on a person's state of health. For an HIV-infected person, the number of CD4 T-cells steadily drops, putting them in danger of other infections -- and in danger of developing AIDS.

HIV Infection and AIDS

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the advanced stage of HIV infection. When the CD4 T-cell number drops to 200, people are diagnosed with AIDS.

Once a person has a low level of CD4 T-cells, they may receive medications to prevent opportunistic infections. A person living with HIV or AIDS may take many different drugs -- not to treat infections, but to keep them from starting. Taking so many drugs can be expensive and pose challenges with side effects, but it's critical not to stop taking these medications without first talking with your doctor. Stopping the medications can cause a rapid increase in HIV levels and speed the progression to AIDS.

Some people don't know they were infected with HIV, and only discover their HIV-infection after experiencing some of these HIV-related symptoms:

• Being tired all of the time.
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck or groin.
• Fever lasting for more than 10 days.
• Night sweats.
• Unexplained weight loss.
• Purplish spots on the skin that don't go away.
• Shortness of breath.
• Severe, long-lasting diarrhea.
• Yeast infections in the mouth, throat, or vagina.
• Easy bruising or unexplained bleeding.

Call Your Doctor If:

Call your doctor if you experience any of the above symptoms. These are serious signs of disease, which could be HIV-related.

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