Signs of HIV Infection
Know the Signs of HIV/AIDS.
One thing that has allowed HIV infection to spread so far so fast is the lack of symptoms at first. Many people infected with HIV for 10 or more years have no symptoms of illness. They can still infect other people during this time unless they practice safe sex. The only way to know if you are infected is to be tested. Because a test is a snapshot of your health at one given time, it is wise to be tested periodically. It can take three to five months from exposure to HIV infection to when HIV can be found in a blood test. When HIV infection begins to make an impact on a person’s immune system, he or she may show signs such as:
-A deep tiredness that cannot be explained
-A dry cough
-A fever that comes and goes
-Blotches that can be red, brown, pink or purplish under the skin or inside the mouth, nose or eyelids
-Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
-Heavy night sweats
-Memory loss, depression or other neurological disorders
-Rapid weight loss
-Swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin or neck
-White spots or odd blemishes on the tongue, mouth or throat
Having these symptoms doesn’t mean a person has HIV or AIDS. Many illnesses have symptoms like these. Only an HIV test can make certain whether a person has HIV or not.