HIV & AIDS Health Center

HIV/AIDS Symptoms

Many people do not develop symptoms after getting infected with HIV. Some people have a flu-like illness within several days to weeks after exposure to the virus. They complain of fever, headache, tiredness, and enlarged lymph glands in the neck. These symptoms usually disappear on their own within a few weeks.



 

• Following initial infection, you may have no symptoms. The progression of disease varies widely among individuals. This state may last from a few months to more than 10 years.
  
  
  
  
  • During this period, the virus continues to multiply actively and infects and kills the cells of the immune system. The immune system allows us to fight against the bacteria, viruses, and other infectious causes.
    
    
    
    
  • The virus destroys the cells that are the primary infection fighters, called CD4+ or T4 cells.
  
  
  
• Once the immune system weakens, a person infected with HIV can develop the following symptoms:
  
  
  
  
  • Lack of energy
    
    
    
    
  • Weight loss
    
    
    
    
  • Frequent fevers and sweats
    
    
    
    
  • Persistent or frequent yeast infections
    
    
    
    
  • Persistent skin rashes or flaky skin
    
    
    
    
  • Short-term memory loss
    
    
    
    
  • Mouth, genital, or anal sores from herpes infections.
  
  
  
• AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. The definition of AIDS includes all HIV-infected people who have fewer than 200 CD4+ cells per microliter of blood. The definition also includes 26 conditions that are common in advanced HIV disease but that rarely occur in healthy people. Most of these conditions are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and other organisms. Opportunistic infections are common in people with AIDS. Nearly every organ system is affected. Some of the common symptoms include the following:
  
  
  
  
  • Cough and shortness of breath
    
    
    
    
  • Seizures and lack of coordination
    
    
    
    
  • Difficult or painful swallowing
    
    
    
    
  • Mental symptoms such as confusion and forgetfulness
    
    
    
    
  • Severe and persistent diarrhea
    
    
    
    
  • Fever
    
    
    
    
  • Vision loss
    
    
    
    
  • Nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting
    
    
    
    
  • Weight loss and extreme fatigue
    
    
    
    
  • Severe headaches with neck stiffness
    
    
    
    
  • Coma
  
  
  
• People with AIDS are prone to develop various cancers such as Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer, and cancers of the immune system known as lymphomas. Kaposi sarcoma causes round, brown, reddish or purple spots that develop in the skin or in the mouth. After the diagnosis of AIDS is made, the average survival time has been estimated to be 2-3 years.