Flu-like symptoms are associated with the first infection of the HIV virus. They are commonly dismissed as being a severe cold or the flu. Occasionally they may cause meningitis, which is the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain, of other flu symptoms that may suggest a hospital stay is necessary. In the early years of AIDS research, scientists and researchers believed the HIV virus was quiet between the times of the infection and when AIDS is diagnosed. That is not true. The HIV virus is already destroying the cells that are the body's first defense against many infectious diseases.
The progression of the disease causes the T-cell's to drop below normal levels and allow infection. The normal level of T-cells should be around 800 to 1200 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. If the number drops a person may begin experiencing swollen lymph nodes, sores around the mouth, dandruff, or other skin problems. Minor infections can plague a patient with less than the amount of T-cells that are needed.
As the disease progresses, skin disorders and mouth sores get worse, and if the patient has herpes, their bouts of active herpes will begin to get more frequent and many people begin experiencing problems with shingles. Diarrhea, fever, and fatigue can be found in patients where the disease is progressing. With those signs, a person may have unexplained weight loss, joint and muscle pain, and tuberculosis may develop. Tuberculosis is the most common infection related to AIDS in the world. When the person has more decreases in CD4 cell counts, they develop the full AIDS disease.
A person with AIDS will develop an infection that causes pneumonia, diarrhea, meningitis, or an eye disease. A person may develop a disease caused by a fungus that is native to the area of the country they live in. Histoplasmosis and coccidiodomycosis are common in some parts of the country and an AIDS patient may easily develop these infections.
Another sign of developing AIDS is if a tumor would develop or the patient is diagnosed with one of several forms of cancer. Cervical cancer, Kaposi's sarcoma and some types of nonHodgkin's lymphoma may signal the onset of the AIDS disease. Brain problems may develop including AIDS induced dementia. The body may begin to waste away and the lungs can develop pulmonary lymphoid hyperplasia or lymphoid interstitial pneumonia. The latter two diseases are generally found in children who have developed AIDS.
If you have been tested and found to be HIV positive, any of the symptoms mentioned should cause you to seek medical attention. If you don't know if you are HIV positive, but do know you could be at risk because of your sexual activity or drug use, it is best to see a doctor at the first sign of any of the signs or symptoms. Diagnosing the disease early may prolong your life and give you a better quality of life while fighting this disease.
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