If you recently engaged in high-risk behavior, the best way to confirm HIV infection is to get an HIV test. Get tested for your own sake and for the sake of others: HIV is highly infectious in the early stages. The body hasn't produced antibodies to HIV yet so an antibody test may not pick it up. There are, however, some symptoms that can indicate you are HIV-positive. You may experience flu-like symptoms known as acute retroviral syndrome (ARS). A mild fever, about 102 degrees F, is one of the first signs of ARS. The fever is usually accompanied by other mild symptoms such as fatigue, swollen lymph glands, sore throat and headache.
Indicators of HIV Infection
- Fatigue is another symptom of HIV. It is caused by the inflammatory response generated by the immune system. Fatigue is both an early and later sign of HIV. My friend Terry started worrying about her health when she suddenly got out of breath before covering her daily three miles walk. She had tested HIV positive two decades earlier.
- Achy muscles and joint pains are usually mistaken for flue or other viral infections, syphilis or hepatitis but are actually signs of HIV as are swollen lymph nodes. Lymph nodes constitute your body's system of immunity and will get inflamed when HIV is present. Many of them are found around the armpit, groin, and neck area.
- Skin rashes can occur early or late in the course of infection. These are typically boil-like with itchy pink areas on the arms. Rashes can also appear on the trunk of the body.
- Short- term nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, according to Dr. Malvestutto, affects 30% to 60% of people in the early stages of HIV. They can also occur as a result of antiretroviral therapy or as opportunistic infections.
- Weight loss is the result of a depleted immune system. It is an indicator of a more advanced illness. The patient loses a lot of weight even when they feed well. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one is considered to have wasting syndrome if they lose 10% or more of their body weight and have suffered from diarrhea and fever for more than one month.
- Prolonged dry Cough is an early sign but can also be experienced by very ill patients. These can presage serious opportunistic infections such as Pneumocystis, pneumonia (PCP) cytomegalovirus, a type of herpes virus; and yeast infections such as thrush. Night sweats and nails changes such as clubbing, splitting or discoloration (black or brown horizontal or vertical lines). This is often due to fungal infections. Yeast infections such as mouth thrush caused by Candida also occur in the later stages of HIV.
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating is a sign of HIV- related dementia and may be accompanied by memory and behavioral problems. Cold sores (oral herpes) or genital herpes can be a sign of both ARS and HIV infection. Other symptoms of HIV include numbness and tingling in the hands; weakness and menstrual irregularities.
