HIV Symptoms
Hiv symptoms you may experience are numerous. But these may vary in individuals. The first time you come in contact with HIV, you may notice or experience something like a short ‘flu-like’ illness because your immune system would make an attempt to fight and destroy the virus. Most people who are infected with HIV experience a short, flu-like illness that occurs two to six weeks after infection. After this, HIV often causes no symptoms for several years.
The flu-like illness that often occurs a few weeks after HIV infection is also known as seroconversion illness. It’s estimated that up to 80% of people who are infected with HIV experience this illness.
Now, if you observe any of the following signs below, these are early signs and you should never ignore them.
The first sign you are going to experience among the HIV symptoms is Fever and others include.
Sore throat
Tiredness
Diarrhea
Joint/ muscle pain
Swollen glands (n0des)
Skin/body rash
The symptoms usually last one to two weeks but can be longer. They are a sign that your immune system is putting up a fight against the virus.
However, these symptoms are most commonly caused by conditions other than HIV, and do not mean you have the virus.
If you have recently put yourself at risk (either through unprotected sex or injecting drugs), you should get tested. You can order a HIV testing kit from a trusted pharmaceutical company and know your status within 2 days.
What Do I Need to Know About Early HIV Symptoms?
When the HIV virus first enters your body, you may experience a short ‘flu-like’ illness.
This is known as the ‘seroconversion illness,’ and it occurs because your blood is being converted from HIV negative to HIV positive by the production of antibodies.
Anyone that is infected with HIV will seroconvert at some stage, but only about 80% of patients will notice any symptoms.
Seroconversion usually occurs 1 – 3 weeks after infection, but could take up to 6 months.
Common Early HIV Symptoms – Fever, Chills and Sore Throat
The most common early signs are ‘flu like’ symptoms that you’d expect from most 24-hour bugs.
You are likely to start with a high fever, chills and sweats which may be accompanied by a sore throat and mouth ulcers.
You may find it very difficult to chew or eat, which may result in rapid weight loss.
You may also develop a severe headache, have difficulty concentrating and feel weak and unsteady on your feet.
Swollen Lymph Nodes
Swollen lymph nodes can appear early on in seroconversion and last for a few weeks or more. After disappearing, they will probably reappear later on in infection and last for 3 months or more.
Infected nodes usually appear in the neck, armpits and groin area.
They may be slightly enlarged or as large as golf balls during HIV infection. They are also usually tender and painful to touch.
Joint and Muscle Pain
People with this infection often complain about severe muscle/joint aches or stiffness. This, accompanied by recent HIV risk behaviour, could be a possible symptom of HIV.
Severe joint and muscle pain can add to any existing feelings of fatigue, leaving you feeling exhausted.
Face or Body Rash
Many people experience a ‘maculopapular rash’ (a flat, red skin rash that’s covered in raised bumps) in the early stages of HIV infection.
The rash can appear anywhere on the body, but it will mostly be found on the face, chest and palms.
It will probably last for about 2-3 weeks and should not itch or be irritating in any way.
The rash may appear as ulcers in the mouth or on the genitals.
Diarrhoea and Vomiting
Diarrhoea and vomiting during seroconversion illness is rarer, but it’s still an early sign of HIV infection.
How Long Do the Early Symptoms of HIV Last?
It depends on the person. It can last from 1 – 6 weeks or it could not occur at all!
You might suffer intense initial symptoms for about a week, and then just feel severely fatigued for the rest of the month, or you might be experiencing symptoms all the way through.
What Should I Do If I Notice HIV Symptoms ?
If you start noticing any of the early symptoms of HIV, and you have put yourself at risk of HIV infection then you need to get a HIV Test.
You need to wait for a sufficient number of antibodies to build up in your system for an accurate result. This takes about 1 – 3 months.
You can ask your doctor for a viral load test (which will detect any HIV circulating in your blood stream) but these are rarely used in HIV testing. These tests are very sensitive and have a tendency of showing up false-positives, so if you take the test and this happens to you, you will be referred for an HIV antibody test to confirm your status.
The 4th Generation (antigen/ antibody) test is the most commonly used HIV test used in the UK. It can give an accurate result from 4 weeks after exposure.
Early HIV Infection: High Risk of Infecting Others
You are 20 times more contagious during acute HIV infection than you are during long-term infection.
This is because the viral load in your blood is far higher during seroconversion than it is at any other stage.
If you suspect you may be seroconverting, do not have unprotected sex (or engage in other high risk behaviour) with anyone during this time.
