Symptoms And Stages Of Hiv Infection
FAST FACTS
- There are three stages of HIV infection. The symptoms vary in type and severity from person-to-person.
- Stage 1 after initial infection can feel like flu but not everyone will experience this.
- Stage 2 is when many people start to feel better and may last for 10 years or more. During this time a person may have no symptoms.
- Stage 3 is when a persons immune system is very badly damaged and can no longer fight off serious infections and illnesses.
- The earlier a person is diagnosed with HIV and starts treatment, the better their health will be over time.
- Some people dont get any symptoms during stages 1 and 2, and may not know they have the virus, but they can still pass on HIV.
The signs of HIV infection can vary in type and severity from person-to-person, and some people may not have any symptoms for many years.
The stages below describe how HIV infection progresses in the body if it is left untreated. Without antiretroviral treatment for HIV, the virus replicates in the body and causes more and more damage to the immune system.
However with effective treatment, you can keep the virus under control and stop it from progressing. This is why its important to start treatment as soon as possible after testing positive.
Symptoms Of The Early Stages Of Hiv
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Symptoms of HIV can vary between individuals however the first signs of infection generally appear within the first 1-2 months. Many, but not all, people will experience severe flu-like symptoms which is your bodys natural response to the virus. This is called the seroconversion period.
Its during this time that its crucial to identify if HIV is the cause, as your viral load is very high which greatly increases the risk of passing it on. And the only way to know for sure is by getting tested.
How Can A Woman Reduce Her Chances Of Contracting Hiv
HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids like blood and semen. Using injection drugs, having unprotected sex and having multiple sex partners increases the chances of acquiring HIV. The only way to be absolutely certain you do not become infected with HIV is to not have sex and not use injection drugs. You also can avoid infection by only having one sex partner as long as your partner does not have HIV and has sex only with you. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention , using a male or female condom every time you have vaginal or anal sex can greatly lower your risk of infection. Using condoms for oral sex will reduce your risk for other STDs as well. It also is important not to douche, since douching removes some of the normal vaginal bacteria that can protect you from infection.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Later Hiv
As HIV weakens someones immune system, they may experience signs of other illnesses:
- weight loss
- an increase in herpes or cold sore outbreaks
- swollen glands in the groin, neck or armpit
- long-lasting diarrhoea
- tiredness.
But remember: people who dont have HIV can also get any of these they can be the signs of other illnesses.
A weakened immune system may leave someone more open to serious infections such as:
- tuberculosis
How Does Hiv Start
HIV: where did it HIV come from? Chimpanzees in Central Africa are thought to be the source of HIV infection in humans. Humans probably acquired the simian immunodeficiency virus from the blood of these chimpanzees when they hunted them for meat and came into contact with their infected blood during this process.
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When To Contact A Doctor
Anyone who is showing symptoms of HIV should contact a doctor as soon as possible. This is especially important if the individual has recently had sexual contact with someone else or shared a needle with someone else.
HIV can remain asymptomatic for a long time. For this reason, anyone who has recently had unprotected sex and is concerned about exposure to HIV should contact a doctor as soon as they can, even if they do not have any symptoms. The same goes for anyone who has recently shared a needle.
It can be difficult to discuss the possibility of having HIV. However, without proper treatment, HIV can be life threatening. In these situations, it is very important for people to put their long-term health first and to discuss the matter with a doctor.
What Can Effective Hiv Treatment Do
HIV medication keeps you healthy so you can live a normal lifespan.
Treatment can also reduce your viral load to undetectable levels so that you wont be able to pass on HIV to anyone else. It can take up to six months from starting treatment to become undetectable, so its important to test and start treatment on time.
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So What Does This Tell Us
In the past, we might have reasonably presumed that a person presenting with a serious, HIV-related illness was simply infected years ago and was only just now becoming symptomatic.
We now understand that, in some patients, serious disease can accompany even the earliest stages of infection.
Even more surprisingly, we now know that these conditions tend to occur in patients with healthier immune systems. According to the research, individuals with a stronger immune response were more likely to experience a severe acute episode than someone with a moderately suppressed system.
While the mechanisms for these disorders are not entirely clear, we do know that certain factors can increase their likelihood, including an extremely high viral load in early infection and the type of virus the person is infected with .
We are also gaining greater insight into the rate and extent of HIV infiltration in the gut and brain, and the factors that might predispose a person to serious gastrointestinal and central nervous system infections.
The research strongly supports HIV testing of all Americans ages 15 to 65 as part of a routine doctor’s visit. No longer can we presume a person to be at low risk simply because he or she is not presenting with classical signs of infection.
HIV Doctor Discussion Guide
What Is Usually The First Sign Of Hiv
HIV, or the human immunodeficiency virus, exists within the bodies of more than 1.2 million Americans. Each year, more than 35,000 new infections emerge. If left untreated, the virus can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome .
Since the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, more than 700,000 Americans have died from complications stemming from this disease. Even though HIV is no longer in the news all that often, it is clear that the disease continues to make an impact in this country. This blog will help you understand HIV, the symptoms of the disease, and how you can get help.
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Symptom : Nausea Vomiting And Diarrhoea
Many people experience digestive system problems as a symptom of the early stages of HIV. However, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea can also appear in later stages of infection, usually as the result of an opportunistic infection.
It is important to stay hydrated. Diarrhoea that is unremitting and not responding to usual therapy might be an indication of HIV, and it would be best to seek the advice of a doctor to help determine its cause.
Symptoms Of Acute Hiv Infection
Many people develop symptoms of acute HIV infection two to four weeks after contracting HIV. Symptoms can last for several weeks and are similar to other viral infections such as flu. Signs and symptoms can include the following, starting with the most common:
- Sore throat
- Diarrhea
Some HIV-infected people do not have any symptoms, or may have symptoms that are mild and not particularly troublesome.
All these symptoms can also be caused by other illnesses. If a person has symptoms following potential exposure to HIV, they should be tested for HIV as soon as possible. People concerned that they may be experiencing symptoms of acute HIV can also use the free Ada app to carry out a symptom assessment.
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Can Hiv Symptoms Appear In 3 Days
Approximately 40 percent to 90 percent of people will experience mild to moderate symptoms of the flu during this time, while the rest will not experience any symptoms at all. It is not uncommon for these signs to appear within 7 to 14 days of exposure, but they can also appear as early as 3 days after exposure.
What Are Symptoms Of An Sti
Different STIs can cause different symptoms. Sometimes STIs dont cause any symptoms at all.
Gonorrhea or chlamydia can cause:
-
Burning when urinating
-
Muscle aches
-
Sore throat
Many times, people with an STI dont have any symptoms, so they dont realize they need treatment. This is how people can unknowingly pass an STI to someone else.
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Get Treated To Prevent Symptoms
The symptoms and illnesses described above are likely the result of advanced HIV, which means that the virus has been growing unchecked in your body for months to years.
If youâre not on ART or youâre not taking it exactly as youâre supposed to, now is the time to start taking it correctly. These medications will lower the amount of the virus in your blood so your immune system can recover. Even people with uncontrolled HIV can get the right treatment and go on to live a healthy life. Make sure to follow your doctorâs advice regarding your HIV medicine and other medicines prescribed for your specific conditions.
You may need to change your meds if you canât stand the side effects or if theyâre not controlling your disease well. But donât stop taking them before you talk to your doctor.
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Hiv Test Window Period
The window period is the amount of time between when a person is first infected and when a test is able to accurately diagnose HIV infection: The following numbers are a guide, as the exact numbers may vary between tests and labs.
- Antibody tests: 21 to 84 days after infection
- Fourth generation tests: 13 to 42 days after infection
- Nucleic acid tests: seven to 28 days after infection
The first number for each test is the earliest possible time that an HIV infection can be detected with that test. However, each person responds differently to infection, so, in some cases, HIV may not be detectable until much later . If an early HIV test produces a negative result, it is advisable to have another test after the end of the window period.
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What To Expect Next
If you find out you are HIV-positive, its important to keep in mind the condition is treatable. Antiretroviral therapy is recommended for all people with HIV, regardless of how long theyve had the virus or how healthy they are. It works by lowering the amount of virus in the body to very low levels. This treatment can also slow the progression of the infection and protect the immune system.
Taking ART medications is vital to slowing the progression of HIV. Left untreated, HIV will progress to the second stage. During this stage, people may experience no symptoms at all. If no treatment is administered, an individual can stay in this stage for 10 to 15 years.
For people who have no symptoms of an acute HIV infection, it takes an average of seven years to proceed to AIDS.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hiv
No two people with HIV will have the same symptoms, and some may not have any at all. But the infection can cause some common changes over time.
In the first few weeks: These first, flu-like symptoms happen because your body is reacting to HIV. Your immune system is trying to fight it off. The symptoms at this stage can include:
- Rash
- Aches and pains in muscles and joints
Keep in mind that even if you have these symptoms, that doesnât automatically mean you are HIV-positive. Many different illnesses can cause these problems. Talk to a doctor or an HIV testing facility if you think you might be infected.
At this early stage of HIV infection, itâs important to know that you may not get accurate results from an HIV test. It can take 3-12 weeks for enough signs of the virus to show up on routine tests for the infection, which measure antibodies against HIV. A new kind of screening, called a nucleic acid test, can detect the virus itself during this early stage, but itâs expensive and not usually used for routine HIV testing.
Let the testing site or your doctor know if you think you might be recently infected. Also, be sure to use a condom every time you have sex, and take other steps to prevent spreading the virus.
After years with untreated HIV, youâre likely to get infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi that your body is no longer strong enough to fight off. They can be a sign that your infection has gone from HIV to AIDS. You might have:
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What To Do If You Have These Symptoms
Assume you have COVID if you have these symptoms, and get tested. And follow the public health fundamentals and help end this pandemic, no matter where you liveget vaccinated or boosted ASAP if you live in an area with low vaccination rates, wear an N95 face mask, don’t travel, social distance, avoid large crowds, don’t go indoors with people you’re not sheltering with , practice good hand hygiene, and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.
Stage : Chronic Hiv Infection
At this stage, the infection becomes chronic rather than acute.
- Doctors may call this stage asymptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency.
- The HIV remains active, but the virus does not reproduce quickly.
- Some individuals have no symptoms during this stage.
- If an individual takes HIV medication, this stage may last for a decade or longer, although it can progress more quickly in some cases.
- HIV can transmit to other people during this stage, unless the person with HIV has been taking antiretroviral therapy for at least 6 months and has an undetectable viral load.
- At the end of this stage, the HIV levels in the blood increase, and immune cells called CD4 cells decrease.
- As the virus increases, and the immune system gradually fails, the condition progresses to stage 3.
- In some people, especially those who take HIV medicine as prescribed, HIV will not progress to stage 3.
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Treating The Rash At Home
A Timeline Of Hiv Symptoms
What is HIV?
HIV is a virus that compromises the immune system. Theres currently no cure for it, but there are treatments available to reduce its effects on peoples lives.
In the majority of cases, once HIV infection takes hold, the virus stays in the body for life. However, unlike what may occur with infections by other types of viruses, HIV symptoms dont suddenly appear and peak overnight.
If left untreated, the disease progresses over time through three stages, each with its own set of possible symptoms and complications some severe.
Regular antiretroviral treatment can reduce HIV to undetectable levels in the blood. At undetectable levels, the virus wont progress to the later stages of HIV infection. In addition, the virus cant be transmitted to a partner during sex.
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If You Have Omicron Here’s When Symptoms Start
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