Symptoms of HIV

HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is a type of virus that causes infection in the human body. This infection slowly destroys the immune system, rendering the body helpless against other infections.

HIV can be transmitted rather easily, through the help of bodily fluids. This means that HIV can be transmitted through sexual contact. HIV can also spread when infected people share syringes and needles with other people. Another way to spread HIV is through the transfusion of contaminated blood and even through the use of contaminated organs.

Although HIV infection is a very dangerous condition, its symptoms are not always easy to spot. HIV symptoms are usually confused as manifestations of other diseases so it is best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis.

The common HIV symptoms include frequent bouts of fatigue, fever, headache, muscle pain as well as diarrhea and sore throat. In some cases, skin infections are also prevalent. This includes conditions like rashes and dermatitis. For women, there may be recurring episodes of vaginal yeast infection. Mouth sores may also be observed. Since HIV targets the body’s immune system, the disease definitely affects the lymphatic system. This results in the swelling of the lymph nodes.

More specifically, HIV symptoms start with flu-like symptoms. The infected person usually has high fever as well as noticeable swelling in the lymph nodes located in the armpits and in the neck. Since these symptoms are also common to other diseases, most people will not realize that they have HIV. Later, the symptoms will progress. The lymph nodes will stay swollen for more than three months.

As the virus ravages the immune system, the infected person will experience symptoms like having thrush in the mouth, suffering from cold sweats, radical weight loss as well as persistent diarrhea. At this point, the person should get a blood test to confirm the diagnosis.