AIDS SYMPTOMS

The progression from HIV to AIDS occurs in different stages.

In many people the initial infection may be asymptomatic (no apparent symptoms). Others may develop flu-like symptoms such as headache, fever and tiredness, which are self-limiting. The individual is extremely infectious during this period.

Someone infected with HIV may not develop any symptoms of the disease for years. However, during this time the virus continues to destroy the immune system.

As the infection advances, typical symptoms include:

AIDS refers to the most advanced stage of HIV infection. There are specific criteria used to define AIDS.

These criteria include the measurement of CD4 cells (cells that help fight infection) and the presence of opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections can cause:

AIDS sufferers are also more prone to certain cancers like Kaposi’s sarcoma (a rare skin cancer) and lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system).

There are a small number of people who have been infected with HIV for more than 10 years but who have not developed AIDS. This group is currently being researched.