HIV Signs Symptoms Every Person Must Know

Just the mere mention of the word HIV can already send shivers down your spine. It is without a doubt one of the most feared ailments by humans.

It can kill you especially if you’re not able to treat right away just because you’re unaware of HIV signs symptoms which your body’s already experiencing.

The rise of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus has alerted populations worldwide. Once infected with HIV, a person lives with this for the rest of their lives. [HIV Infection]

HIV signs symptoms vary according to the phase of infection. Sometimes, the symptoms are hard to detect that the doctor has to perform several tests.

The early HIV signs symptoms occur between 6 weeks and 3 months after infection with the HIV virus.

During this stage, the body forms antibodies to the virus, and some people may show symptoms while others may not. The symptoms of early infection usually include the following:

  • Flu
  • Rashes
  • Muscle aches
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Rashes
  • Sore throat
  • Fever

However, for most cases, HIV signs symptoms are completely absent, making it difficult to detect at all until the much later stages. Despite the lack of HIV signs symptoms, a person infected with HIV is still contagious and can transmit the disease to others, especially if they are pregnant.

Because of the difficulty in diagnosing HIV, the only sure way to test if the HIV signs symptoms should be of worry is by taking an HIV test, and if detected early enough specific treatment may be prescribed.

Later stages of infection occur about 10 years or more after the initial infection. At this stage, this is when the more serious HIV signs symptoms begin to occur, and those who are infected begin to suffer from an extremely weakened immune system.

They become more vulnerable to infection and disease that don’t normally affect the rest of the general population. Some persons can go on for 8-9 years after infection without showing any symptoms at all. However, the virus will still continue to destroy cells at this point until the disease progresses.

Without the proper treatment, HIV signs symptoms infection will progress to AIDS, or Auto Immune Deficiency Syndrome. This occurs between 10 and 15 years of HIV signs symptoms, and it will present itself more distinctly through the following health conditions:

  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Extreme exhaustion
  • Persistent white spots in the tongue or mouth
  • Weight loss
  • Shaking chills and high fever
  • Dry cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Unexplained body rashes
  • Susceptibility to bruising
  • Chronic yeast infections
  • Blurred or distorted vision
  • Night sweats
  • Swollen lymph nodes that last for longer than a month

If the HIV signs and symptoms have evolved to AIDS, one also becomes more susceptible to various serious diseases and cancers since the immune system is no longer as strong as it was before.

In order to prevent the risk or to detect HIV signs and symptoms early, you should see a doctor and get a test done annually if you engage in sex with multiple partners or frequently share needles with others during drug use.

It is also important to detect HIV early in order to prevent passing this on to your baby if you are pregnant.