There are no definite symptoms of HIV as such. Especially in the early stages when something can really be done about it with the help of an early treatment. It takes a few years for HIV infection to show and by then its lat already in majority of cases.
The flue like symptoms that do appear early are so general that before we can think of HIV as one reasons for this it has disappeared. Symptoms like, fever, rash, enlarged glands, headache, pain in the joints and muscles, and loss of appetite.
We often discuss if there are any sure-fire symptoms of HIV infection. Things like experiencing digestive problems, feeling of un-well-ness, sores on tongue, scarring after being cut etc. People come up with all options and possibilities to get the answer about how to keep an eye on HIV symptoms.
Within the first few week’s of contracting H.I.V virus, flu like symptoms appear which also pass with time and the worst part is that after that it could be a decade before any other symptoms appear. And since most of us are not even suspecting HIV we treat it like any other flu or fever.
Thereafter it usually takes something like eight to nine years between the time of infection and the appearance of later symptoms, which varies from person to person. These symptoms are a sign of our deteriorating immune system. Because of declining numbers of CD4+ T cells.
The symptoms vary from person to person depending upon an individual’s metabolism and how the body has taken it. Other symptoms may include enlarged glands and rash. After this phase the course is very variable.
If HIV remains undiagnosed there may be no symptoms until the person gets sick because of low immunity. The rate at which the immune system declines is very, very variable, again depending upon individual’s metabolism. Common symptoms have many causes.
There are a few symptoms that are specific for HIV infection. Ultimately we encourage everyone to test at least once. Further testing depends on your ongoing risk.
Blood test is by far the best way to detect HIV. A test every once in a while is recommend not only for people who have multiple partners but also for people who visit dentists and have had an operation or blood transfusion recently.
Some more prominent symptoms, which appear after the initial infection phase, and some time having passed are persistent enlarged glands, excessive fatigue, weight loss, night sweat, repeated diarrhea, viral infection, sores in the genitals, flaky skin, blurred vision, chronic fever, short term memory loss, and pain in the joints, muscles and bones.
