What You Need To Know About The Early Signs And Symptoms of HIV infection
HIV is no longer a news, but most people still ignore the messages about getting tested to know their status.
HIV is a virus that attacks a person's immune system (antibodies that fight against any infection invading your body). It can weaken the immune system to the point where a person's body struggles to fight infections and disease.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It occurs when a person's body can no longer fight life-threatening infections.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.2 million people are currently HIV-infected in the U.S., and as many as 12.8 percent (1 in 8 people) remain unaware of their infection.
Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world. Although HIV prevalence among adults is remarkably small (3.1%) compared to other sub-Saharan African countries such as South Africa (19.2%) and Zambia (12.9%), the size of Nigeria's population means 3.5 million people were living with HIV as of 2015.
If a person receives treatment for HIV after an early diagnosis, they are less likely to develop AIDS.
It is vital for people to know their HIV status, as this can help them receive treatment and prevent them from transmitting HIV to other people.
Don't forget to read: What Is hepatitis c
What you should know about HIV
There are three stages of HIV infection.
Stage 1 after initial infection can feel like flu, but not everyone will experience this.
Stage 2 may last for 10 years or so, with no more apparent symptoms
Stage 3 is when the immune system has been so badly damaged that it can no longer fight off serious infections and diseases
What can increase HIV risk?
According to Centers For Disease Control and prevention (CDC), many factors can increase someone's chance of getting or transmitting HIV, either from having sex or sharing needles. Every exposure to HIV does not carry the same risk. Having a high viral load greatly increases the chance of transmitting HIV, and having a sexually transmitted disease can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV.
Using drugs and alcohol, or aspects of your relationships with sexual partners can also increase the chance of an HIV exposure.
It is important to know that many things work very well to decrease HIV risk.
What are the early signs and symptoms of HIV
Sometimes the signs of HIV differs from men an women.
According to the Office on Women's Health, some health issues, including sexually transmitted infections and vaginal yeast infections, are more common and more serious in women who have HIV.
In the early stage of HIV infection around one to four weeks of becoming infected with HIV, some people have flu-like symptoms. This may not last long (a week or two) and you may only get some of the flu symptoms or none at all.
Symptoms can include:
If a person has HIV and does not receive treatment, they may eventually progress to the late stage of the HIV infection, AIDS.
The symptoms of AIDS can also be related to other illnesses. Many of the more serious symptoms occur due to opportunistic infections. These are able to infect a person with AIDS due to their immune system being too severely damaged.
Symptoms of AIDS include:
1. Rapid weight loss
2. Severe night sweats
3. Fevers
4. Unexplained tiredness
5. Prolonged swelling of lymph glands in the groin, neck, or armpits
6. Severe diarrhea (which usually lasts for more than a week)
7. Sores located near the mouth, genitals, or anus
Pneumonia
8. Blotches on or under the skinblotches inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
9. Memory loss
10. Depression
Each of these symptoms can also be related to other illnesses. So the only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.
The earlier you have HIV diagnosed and start treatment, the better your likely long-term health, because many people do not have any symptoms for stages 1 and 2, HIV often gets transmitted from people who simply don’t know they are infected.
Read more on hiv.gov
HIV is a virus that attacks a person's immune system (antibodies that fight against any infection invading your body). It can weaken the immune system to the point where a person's body struggles to fight infections and disease.
If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS. AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. It occurs when a person's body can no longer fight life-threatening infections.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.2 million people are currently HIV-infected in the U.S., and as many as 12.8 percent (1 in 8 people) remain unaware of their infection.
Nigeria has the second largest HIV epidemic in the world. Although HIV prevalence among adults is remarkably small (3.1%) compared to other sub-Saharan African countries such as South Africa (19.2%) and Zambia (12.9%), the size of Nigeria's population means 3.5 million people were living with HIV as of 2015.
If a person receives treatment for HIV after an early diagnosis, they are less likely to develop AIDS.
It is vital for people to know their HIV status, as this can help them receive treatment and prevent them from transmitting HIV to other people.
Don't forget to read: What Is hepatitis c
What you should know about HIV
There are three stages of HIV infection.
Stage 1 after initial infection can feel like flu, but not everyone will experience this.
Stage 2 may last for 10 years or so, with no more apparent symptoms
Stage 3 is when the immune system has been so badly damaged that it can no longer fight off serious infections and diseases
What can increase HIV risk?
According to Centers For Disease Control and prevention (CDC), many factors can increase someone's chance of getting or transmitting HIV, either from having sex or sharing needles. Every exposure to HIV does not carry the same risk. Having a high viral load greatly increases the chance of transmitting HIV, and having a sexually transmitted disease can increase the chances of getting or transmitting HIV.
Using drugs and alcohol, or aspects of your relationships with sexual partners can also increase the chance of an HIV exposure.
It is important to know that many things work very well to decrease HIV risk.
What are the early signs and symptoms of HIV
Sometimes the signs of HIV differs from men an women.
According to the Office on Women's Health, some health issues, including sexually transmitted infections and vaginal yeast infections, are more common and more serious in women who have HIV.
In the early stage of HIV infection around one to four weeks of becoming infected with HIV, some people have flu-like symptoms. This may not last long (a week or two) and you may only get some of the flu symptoms or none at all.
Symptoms can include:
- Fever (raised temperature)
- Body rash
- Sore throat
- Swollen glands (especially of the neck area)
- Headache
- Upset stomach
- Joint aches and
- Pains muscle pain.
- Mouth ucler
If a person has HIV and does not receive treatment, they may eventually progress to the late stage of the HIV infection, AIDS.
The symptoms of AIDS can also be related to other illnesses. Many of the more serious symptoms occur due to opportunistic infections. These are able to infect a person with AIDS due to their immune system being too severely damaged.
Symptoms of AIDS include:
1. Rapid weight loss
2. Severe night sweats
3. Fevers
4. Unexplained tiredness
5. Prolonged swelling of lymph glands in the groin, neck, or armpits
6. Severe diarrhea (which usually lasts for more than a week)
7. Sores located near the mouth, genitals, or anus
Pneumonia
8. Blotches on or under the skinblotches inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids
9. Memory loss
10. Depression
Each of these symptoms can also be related to other illnesses. So the only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.
The earlier you have HIV diagnosed and start treatment, the better your likely long-term health, because many people do not have any symptoms for stages 1 and 2, HIV often gets transmitted from people who simply don’t know they are infected.
Read more on hiv.gov
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