HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HIV; EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HIV; EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
HIV is human immunodeficiency virus which once exposed to the virus it causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome which in turn causes progressive failure in the immune system causing deadly diseases like cancer and infections to thrive.
Within 2-4 weeks after being exposed to the various most people experience flu-like symptoms which may last for weeks. This flu has been described by experts as “the worst flu ever” which is called the primary HIV infection and the flu like symptoms are the body natural immune system reaction to the HIV infection.

THE COMMON EARLY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS ARE
FEVER
This is the most common symptom of primary HIV infection. Most patients experience mild fever of over 100 degrees F.
This fever is often accompanied by mild symptoms like sore throat, sore glands and sometimes fatigue
According to experts at this point the virus is moving to the blood stream and its being replicated at large numbers which leads to inflammatory reaction by the immune system

FATIGUE
Because of the inflammatory reaction by the immune system your now weak immune system tries to fight with the virus which leads to your body feeling derailed, tired and feeling lack of energy. Experts have always termed fatigue as both and early or late HIV symptom. Most victims at this stage don’t have energy and they run out of breath when doing simple tasks like walking on stairs.

PAIN ,ACHY MUSCLES ,SWOLLEN LYMPH AND NODES
These symptoms are often mistaken for flu that’s why primary HIV infection is often referred to as flu like symptoms. Lymph nodes are always located in the arms, groin and neck and are part of the immune system and get inflamed when there is an infection.
Surprisingly these symptoms are the same as those of syphilis and hepatitis so victims may sometimes mistake them for viral infection.

ACUTE HEADACHE AND SORE THROAT
You may start to have an acute headache or a sore throat few weeks after engaging in a risky behaviour. It does not necessarily mean you have been already infected but it’s good to go for a test once you start feeling these symptoms.

SKIN RASH
According to HIV experts skin rush can be both early and late symptom of HIV infection. If after a few weeks you start to see boil like rashes in your body I would advise you to go and see the doctor since you might be infected.

NAUSEA , DIARRHEA AND VOMITING
Research shows that about 60% of people have nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea which is always short term.

WEIGHT LOSS
This is common in late stages of the infection. Victims can lose up to 10% of their weight. It occurs because of depletion of the human immune system by the virus.
Victims lose weight even if they continue eating. HIV patients always experience weight lose if they stop eating ARVS
DRY COUGH
Most people dismiss this symptom as allergies but it’s often the earliest sign that you have been infected. If you start experiencing a dry cough few weeks after engaging in a risky behaviour then i recommend that you rush to the nearest health centre and get tested.

PNEUMONIA
This is one of the opportunistic infection which occurs due to weaken of the immune system.  Many other opportunistic infection might also occur but at different stages .
The other opportunistic infection includes toxoplasmosis and yeast infection such as thrush.

NIGHT SWEATS
Experts researched and found that half of the people infected experience night sweats during the early stages of infection.
The night sweats are not related to changes in the temperature of the room. They might come about because of the mild fever which is often leads to fluctuations in body temperature.