and they may be unaware that they carry the virus.
What are the symptoms of HIV infection?
Some people may develop mild, temporary flu like symptoms that disappear after a few days or weeks following infection. Others may have persistent swollen glands. The earlier HIV infection is detected, the sooner medical treatment can begin, which may help people stay healthier longer.
Many of the symptoms of advancing HIV disease are similar to other health problems not related to HIV. The following symptoms should prompt a medical visit determine the cause and appropriate treatment.
Symptoms include:- swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin;
- continued fever or night sweats;
- weight loss of more than 10 pounds which is not due to dieting or increased physical activity;
- heavy, continual dry cough that is not from smoking or that has lasted too long to be a cold or flu;
- increasing shortness of breath;
- continuing bouts of diarrhea;
- thrush, a thick whitish coating on the tongue or in the throat, which may be accompanied by a sore throat;
- recurring vaginal yeast infections
- unexplained skin rashes, like psoriasis or seborrhea
- herpes infections that last longer than usual
When does HIV become AIDS?
People with HIV are diagnosed as having AIDS if
their CD4 cell count falls below 200 and develop two or more of the
serious conditions associated with HIV infection. * (CD4 cells are immune
cells that are damaged by HIV; see About
the Virus). These conditions include a number of unusual
infections (known as "opportunistic infections") and cancers,
as well as severe weight loss or wasting; and brain and nervous system
disorders. One of the most common opportunistic infections is a type of
pneumonia called PCP (Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia).
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* Because the term "AIDS" has a very precise meaning in
public health, physicians increasingly use the term
"HIV-disease" to describe the condition of someone with
symptomatic HIV-infection.