As the HIV virus continues to multiply in the host's body it destroys the person's immunity completely and makes him prone to attacks by not only very serious debilitating diseases, but very mild infections as well.
The count of the helper T cells (CD4 lymphocytes), which are typically in the range of 600 to 1,000, drop below 200 after which the person begins to show other serious signs of the disease. With the person's immunity system completely damaged, he becomes easily susceptible to opportunistic infections and may frequently experience the more serious symptoms of AIDS such as the following:
1. Severe fatigue
2. Soaking night sweats and high fever is very common among HIV positive patients.
3. Frequent episodes of chronic diarrhea
4. Shortness of breath is very commonly experienced by HIV positive patients.
5. Swelling and hardening of lymph nodes which persists for more than three months
6. Excessive weight loss which is not deliberately achieved through increased physical exercises or through dieting
7. Severe persistent headache
8. The presence of a slightly purple or faded growth over the skin or inside the mouth is very common among HIV positive patients.
9. HIV positive children's growth is poor, usually characterized by poor weight gain, trouble in walking, and slow mental development. Such children are also very susceptible to infections such as those relating to the ear, nose and throat like ear infection (otitis media), pneumonia or tonsillitis. They are also easily prone to more bruising and bleeding than their healthy and normal counterparts.
10. Apart from these physiological symptoms, it is also very common to find certain mental and behavioral disorders such as personality changes, deterioration of cognitive abilities of a person and degenerated memory in HIV positive patients.
Alarming Facts!
Exposure to the HIV virus cannot be determined accurately by individuals; because as people do so many things, meet a lot of people, and live a fast-paced life, the brain gets loaded with too much information that small details, such as having a one-night stand over a couple of beers, might be forgotten. Moreover, there are no symptoms of AIDS that are evident at the onset of the infection.
There is no way for a person to know whether one has AIDS or not than to go to the nearest hospital or testing center and get tested for AIDS. This is due to the fact that one characteristic of the AIDS virus which is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has a latency period. This means that the virus stays dormant for weeks. This is also the reason why it takes at least 12 weeks for the AIDS test to show whether it is negative or positive. As such, symptoms of AIDS are not clearly manifested until such time that HIV has fully taken over the immune system.
If HIV infection produces no signs and symptoms this is referred to as asymptomatic infection. But most number of people experience symptoms similar to that of a flu accompanied by fever and rashes, swollen lymph nodes and sore throat two weeks after exposure. All these have been considered as symptoms of AIDS in its early stage. Apparently, all of these symptoms are the results of the weakening of the immune system as the human immunodeficiency virus continues to ravage a person's protective system. After these series of symptoms which is collectively known as the acute retro viral syndrome, latency period begins; this is the second stage. The virus lays dormant for a period of time. No symptom or illness is seen and the person may even appear healthy even if tests show positive for HIV.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines the person as having an AIDS T-cell count of less than 200, wherein the normal count is between 600-1,500 T-cells; and manifesting at least 1 of the 21 AIDS defining infections characterized as opportunistic.
Symptoms of AIDS appear in 5 ways: as pulmonary infections, gastrointestinal infections, neurological and psychiatric episodes, tumors and malignancies and other opportunistic infections. Symptoms of AIDS become apparent and more pronounced during the late stages of the disease.
Prevention is clearly better than cure as the old maxim goes. True, there is still no cure for AIDS but people can always help those inflicted with the disease make their condition bearable; and for those who are free of the virus, it is better to take precautions especially in the area of sexual practices. Sexual promiscuity should be avoided. Drug dependents should stay away from drugs and start getting clean; and people in need of blood products should only go to accredited and licensed blood banks and similar establishments.
If you are not certain whether you have AIDS or not you may gather information through reading various materials, talking to friends and family or doctors who are experts in the study of venereal disease; but the best way to make sure if you have symptoms of AIDS is to have an AIDS test.
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