Sounding the Alarm: The Latest Symptoms of HIV Aids

In the year 1993, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) redefined the meaning of AIDS as more than just being infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). To be diagnosed with AIDS, the patient should be positive for the HIV antibody test.

In addition to that however, he should also have an opportunistic infection (an illness that usually occurs once the immune system is impaired) or he should have a T-4 lymphocyte count of no more than 200 instead of having a concentration of 800 to 1,200.

These signs that are associated with AIDS are among the latest symptoms of HIV AIDS when the infection is already at its latest phase. During the latest phase of the HIV – AIDS, which typically occurs ten or more years after the infection started, the immune system of the patient has become severely impaired. This means that the person will become very susceptible to various infections which can be fatal.

Signs and symptoms of the opportunistic infections

When the patient is already in the latent phase infection, he will not just experience the symptoms of HIV AIDS. He might also experience some symptoms of opportunistic infections. The most common of which is the PCP or Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. When a person has PCP, he will observe significant and possibly sudden weight loss over just a short period of time. Head aches and blurred vision might be experienced as well. In some cases, the patient can also experience chronic diarrhea.

A person which is infected with PCP will typically have soaking night sweats accompanied with dry cough, as well as shortness of breath, especially at night. He will also observe some white spots or weird lesions on his tongue or inside or around his mouth. What’s more alarming than most symptoms of HIV AIDS are the high fevers (which will usually be higher than 38 degrees Celsius) and possible convulsions that the patient will experience for several weeks and even months.

Latent symptoms of the HIV infection

When the infection is already in its latent phase, the patient will experience more severe symptoms of HIV AIDS. Aside from the notable signs that signify opportunistic infections, the patient will also experience constant and unexplained fatigue regardless of his day to day activities.

HIV infection will also cause persistent fevers and severe headaches. Other than that, the patient might experience pain in various parts of his body, especially with swelling lymph nodes. The patient may also experience symptoms of other illnesses that are likely to develop. This may include Kaposi’s sarcoma, cervical cancer and lymphoma. GP