subject: Visible Signs That a Person Has AIDS – What Are They? [print this page] Visible Signs That a Person Has AIDS What Are They?
First, we should draw a line between HIV and AIDS, so we can talk about the symptoms. HIV(Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection occurs when the virus enters the body of human. This means that the person is infected with the virus, that carries the virus, but that person is not ill. HIV infection, with no visible symptoms and signs of illness can last for years and remain unrecognized. AIDS (Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome) is the last and most difficult stage of HIV infection. In essence, it is a complete deterioration of the defense (immune) function of the organism, and the person is susceptible to various infections. We can distinguish four levels of HIV infection:
- Acute HIV syndrome, followed by a period of latency
- Increase of lymph nodes - a progressive generalized lymphadenopathy
- AIDS-related complex (ARC)
- AIDS
A few days or weeks after a person has been infected with the HIV virus, approximately 70% of them develop symptoms of acute HIV syndrome. Symptoms last about two weeks and they are similar to flu symptoms. Unfortunately, most of the infected do not notice them, but recognition of these symptoms in this early period would contribute to better treatment. Some of the symptoms are: fever, sore throat, rash, diarrhea, headache, loss of appetite, nausea...
After the first reaction of the organism, begins latency period during which there is no appearance of any symptoms, except sometimes slightly increased lymph nodes. HIV antibodies can be detected by testing in the laboratory, but the virus is difficult to trace in the blood. At this stage, the patient is infectious, and he can transmit HIV to others.
Next phase is increase of lymph nodes. This step can be skipped and patients can switch directly from latency stage in the ARC stage.
The main symptoms of ARC are the temperature, long-lasting diarrhea and weight loss along with some opportunistic infections, mouth candidiasis, vaginal candidiasis, herpes zoster, peripheral neuropathy, cervical dysplasia
Finally, AIDS stage. The patient in this stage can recover from opportunistic infections, but they soon re-occur, with severe and frequent symptoms. Curing of them all gets more and more difficult and ultimately the patient dies. Consequences are visible on the brain, intestines, joints, kidneys, blood forming organs and skin. General symptoms are present as in the ARC: temperature, diarrhea and loss of bodily mass. Weight loss is particularly pronounced and the patient in the final stage looks like a living skeleton.
