HOW CAN I TELL IF I HAVE HIV/AIDS?

Usually, the key pointers as to whether someone is down with a particular disease are its signs and symptoms. But in this case, you cannot rely on symptoms to tell whether you have HIV. 

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.

At the same time, it is VERY important to know the signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS so as to be health conscious and alert.

HIV/AIDS; SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of HIV vary, depending on the individual and what stage of the disease the individual is in. There are THREE stages, and they are:

●     The early stage (a.k.a acute infection or seroconversion)

●     The Clinical Latency stage

●     The late stage (progression to AIDS)

Below are the symptoms that some individuals may experience in these three stages.

NOTE: Not all individuals will experience these symptoms.

THE EARLY STAGE

This starts within 2-4 weeks after HIV infection, many, but not all, people experience flu-like symptoms, often described as the “worst flu ever.” This is called ACUTE RETROVIRAL SYNDROME (ARS) and it’s the body’s natural response to the HIV infection.

Symptoms can include:

·        Fever (this is the most common symptom)

·        Swollen glands

·        Sore throat

·        Rash

·        Fatigue

·        Muscle and joint aches and pains

·        Headache

These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

You should not assume you have HIV just because you have any of these symptoms. Each of these symptoms can be caused by other illnesses. And some people who have HIV do not show any symptoms at all for 10 years or more.

People in this stage are at high risk of transmitting HIV to others, even if there are no symptoms.

CLINICAL LATENCY STAGE

After the early stage of HIV infection, the disease moves into a stage called the clinical latency stage. During this stage, people with HIV typically have no symptoms, or only mild ones.

During this stage, the HIV virus reproduces at very low levels, although it is still active. Taking antiretroviral therapy (ART) can help an infected person stay healthy and live in this stage for several decades because treatment helps keep the virus in check. If not on ART, this clinical latency stage usually lasts about 10 years or shorter, and the infected person is still able to transmit HIV to others during this stage, even if you have no symptoms.

PROGRESSION TO AIDS

If no treatment is received for HIV infection, the disease typically weakens the victim’s immune system and progresses to AIDS, which is the late stage of HIV infection.

Symptoms can include:

·        Rapid weight loss

·        Recurring fever or profuse night sweats

·        Extreme and unexplained tiredness

·        Prolonged swelling of the lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck

·        Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week

·        Sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals

·        Pneumonia

·        Red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids

·        Memory loss, depression, and other neurologic disorders.

NOTE: Each of these symptoms can also be related to other illnesses. So the only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, get an HIV test, and do that VERY quickly. Most HIV tests detect antibodies (proteins your body makes against HIV), not HIV itself. But it takes a few weeks for your body to produce these antibodies, so if you test too early, you might not get an accurate test result. A new HIV test is available that can detect HIV directly during this early stage of infection. So be sure to let your testing site know if you think you may have been recently infected with HIV.

THE EARLIER YOU GO FOR THE TEST, THE BETTER YOU CAN HELP THE BODY FIGHT HIV, THE BETTER.

#ITSABOUTTIME

#Stayhealthy

Reference

AIDS.GOV