Are there any symptoms of HIV? If so, what are they?

Answer 1

Don't look for symptoms! Take a HIV test, or get whomever you're involved whit to do the same. They say signs like hairloss, a white tongue and weight loss are indicators on HIV, but you can never be certain.

Answer 2

What Are the Symptoms of HIV Infection?
Describes the common symptoms of early infection and explains why testing is the only sure way to determine whether HIV is present.hivinsite.ucsf.edu/hiv?pageHow Can I Tell if I'm Infected With HIV? What are the Symptoms?
Learn about getting tested for HIV, the infection that can develop into AIDS. Discusses HIV warning signs and the fact that some infected people experience no symptoms. From the Centers for Disease Control.
Category: AIDS/HIV Resources
www.cdc.gov/hiv/pubs/faq/faq5.htm - More from this site - Save

Answer 3

My brother died of AIDS, I have a friend who has been HIV positive for the past 18 yrs. I know several people who are either HIV positive or have full blown AIDS. I can tell you from experience the only symptom of having HIV is having unprotected sex with someone who may be infected, sharing a needle with someone who may be positive, or having a blood transfusion from possibly infected blood. There are no symptoms of having HIV at first it isn't until much later that the symptoms show up and by that time it is to late. If you have had unprotected sex, or shared a needle with someone get in and get tested right now. Make sure you tell your partner or the person you shared a needle with that you are being tested and that they need to get tested as well. Do not wait until next year because you may not have a year.

Answer 4

What are the symptoms of HIV and AIDS?
It is not possible to reliably diagnose HIV infection or AIDS based on symptoms alone.

People living with HIV may feel and look completely well but their immune systems may nevertheless be damaged. It is important to remember that once someone is infected they can pass on HIV right away, even if they feel healthy.

As time passes without effective treatment, HIV weakens an infected person's immune system, making them much more vulnerable to opportunistic infections. These infections are caused by germs that are around us all the time but which can normally be fought off by a healthy immune system. Once HIV has broken down the body's defences, such infections can take hold and produce any of a wide range of symptoms - some of them very severe. Certain cancers also become more common when the immune system is weakened.


Such symptoms are, however, not caused directly by HIV, and they can't by themselves be interpreted as definite signs of HIV infection or AIDS. A diagnosis of AIDS requires signs of severe immune deficiency, which cannot be explained by any factor except HIV. This generally requires an HIV test.

The only way to know for sure whether a person is infected with HIV is for them to have an HIV test.

Answer 5

Thats a very serious thing to play around with.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - Test Overview [Medical Test]
A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test detects antibodies to HIV in the blood. This determines whether an HIV infection is present (HIV-positive). HIV infects white blood cells called CD4+ cells, which are part of the body's im

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - Why It Is Done [Medical Test]
A test for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is done to:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - How To Prepare [Medical Test]
No special preparation is needed before having this test.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - How It Is Done [Medical Test]
The health professional drawing blood will:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - How It Feels [Medical Test]
You may feel nothing at all from the needle puncture, or you may feel a brief sting or pinch as the needle goes through the skin. Some people feel a stinging pain while the needle is in the vein. However, many people do not feel any pain

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - Risks [Medical Test]
There is very little risk of complications from having blood drawn from a vein.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - Results [Medical Test]
A human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test detects antibodies to HIV in the blood. This determines whether an HIV infection is present (HIV-positive). ELISA results are usually available in 2 to 4 days. Results of the other tests, such

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - What Affects the Test [Medical Test]
Factors that can interfere with your test or the accuracy of the results include:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - What To Think About [Medical Test]
What To Think About

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Test - References

Viral Load Measurement - Test Overview [Medical Test]
A viral load test measures how much human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is in the blood. Viral load is first measured when you are diagnosed with HIV infection. This initial measurement serves as the baseline, and future viral load measure


This is as much info as i could get, but if you think that you got it, you should get madical help as soon as possible. It shortens your life spand by a few 20 years of so!

Answer 6

I'm not ture i think you can have HIV way before you have any symptoms. If you are worried you should be asking a doctor! That's nothing to play around with.

Answer 7

u shud take a HIV test,because there are no real symptoms in the initial stages and if u wait for symptoms u might be too late. so get tested.

Answer 8

The Center for Disease Control can give you a more detailed list of what you're wanting to know. Go to CDC.gov and click on HIV and look at the list of symptoms they provide.

Answer 9

HIV infection progresses in stages. These stages are based on your symptoms and the amount of the virus in your blood.

The incubation period::
The time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when early symptoms develop—may be a few days to several weeks. Flu-like symptoms are common in this first stage of infection, which is called acute retroviral syndrome. Symptoms of acute retroviral syndrome are often mistaken for symptoms of another viral infection, such as influenza or mononucleosis, and may include:

Abdominal cramps, nausea, or vomiting.
Diarrhea.
Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin.
Fever.
Headache.
Muscle aches and joint pain.
Skin rash.
Sore throat.
Weight loss.

These first symptoms can range from mild to severe and usually disappear on their own after 2 to 3 weeks.

Established stage::
After you become infected with HIV, you may go many years without any other sign of illness. When symptoms come back, they may be vague and hard to describe (although some people complain of feeling fatigued or achy all over). A health professional may suspect HIV if symptoms persist or if a cause (such as influenza) of the symptoms cannot be identified. HIV may also be suspected when several of the following symptoms are present:

Confusion
Diarrhea or other bowel changes
Difficulty concentrating
Dry cough
Fatigue
Fever
Loss of appetite
Mouth sores
Nail changes
Night sweats
Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin
Pain when swallowing
Personality changes
Repeated outbreaks of herpes simplex
Shortness of breath
Tingling, numbness, and weakness in the limbs
Unexplained weight loss
Yeast infection of the mouth (thrush)

Late stage::
During the last stage of HIV infection, the disease progresses to AIDS. Some of the symptoms of AIDS include fatigue, weight loss, diarrhea, fever, night sweats, and thrush (infection in the mouth). During this time, it also becomes easier for you to develop certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer, which are more likely to develop when you have a weakened immune system.

If HIV goes untreated, AIDS develops in most people within 12 to 13 years after they first become infected. With treatment for HIV, the progression to AIDS may be delayed or prevented.

A small number of people who are infected with HIV develop AIDS within about 3 years if they do not receive treatment. It is not known why the infection progresses faster in these people.

Answer 10

Not of HIV, but yes when it develops to full blown Aids. Because the immune system isdepleted, the body will contract any and every virus floating around and not be able to fight back. A simple cold can lead to pneumonia and subsequently death.