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What are the symptoms of HIV and AIDS?

You can not reliably diagnose HIV infection or AIDS when taking into account only the symptoms. The only way to know for sure if a person is infected with HIV is to be tested for HIV.

People living with HIV may feel and look completely well. However, it is possible that their immune systems are damaged. It is important to remember that once someone is infected with HIV can transmit the virus immediately, even if that person feels healthy.

HIV is the AIDS virus. If a person is infected with HIV do not make effective antiretroviral therapy, HIV weakens the immune system over time. As a result, will become more vulnerable to opportunistic infections.

Symptoms caused by opportunistic infections

These infections are caused by germs that surround us all the time, but normally can be combated by a healthy immune system. When the immune system is weakened enough, such infections will develop and produce a wide variety of symptoms, some of which may present with intensity. Some cancers can also become more common when the immune system is weakened.

These symptoms, however, can not be interpreted as definite signs of HIV infection or AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS requires signs that express important immune deficiency and whose appearance can not be explained by any other factor other than HIV. This generally be required for HIV testing.

Later symptoms of HIV infection

Some people who are infected with HIV do not notice any immediate change in your health. However, some suffer from flu within a few weeks short of becoming infected or develop rashes and swollen lymph them. These symptoms do not indicate the development of AIDS and generally disappear within a few days or weeks.