HIV Symptoms In Men And Women
Hiv aids symptoms are relatively the same in both men and women. Just a few weeks after infection there is a flu-like infection that lasts for two to three days. Many people don’t take this seriously and assume its common cold. There is also a rash that develops in parts of the body. This rash is characterized by a cluster of pinkish pimples with bluish or blackish heads. Other people do not experience any symptoms at all for many years after infection.
The Appearance of HIV Signs in Men and in Women
Patients can take up to 10 years before symptoms associated with HIV AIDS show up. On this note it’s important for people to go for Voluntary Counseling and Testing especially those who have more than one sexual partner or those with risky behavior. Risky behavior that leads to transmission includes multiple sexual partners, use of hypodermic syringes while injecting drugs. Apart from general symptoms, there are other symptoms specifically to be found in women. Normally there are increased vaginal infections with yeast infection being the leading symptom. Genital warts are another sign that also affects both men and women. Other signs include:-
- There is swelling of lymph glands mostly in the neck and underarms. These indicate a sign of infection in the immune system and that the system is trying to fight it.
- Both men and women experience fevers frequently that always come with night sweats. The body temperature goes up higher than the normal 38 degrees.
- People infected with HIV and Aids are always fatigued. Any small exercise done would amount to total body fatigue.
- A sudden loss of weight could indicate HIV and AIDS infection especially if the person affected is neither fasting nor dieting or doing a lot of exercises
- Diarrhea could be a symptom of HIV and Aids especially when it’s combined with loss of appetite.
- Mouth ulcers and blemishes in the mouth could indicate an HIV AIDS infection
There are other signs that occur at a later stage when the immune completely down and somebody has what is termed as full blown AIDS. This happens if the initial symptoms are not treated early enough and the patient is not put on ARV’s immediately.
- Dementia –Because the HIV virus tends to affect the brain cells, the patient might experience problems with their mental abilities. They might act as if they are mentally handicapped, forget people’s faces and also hallucinate.
- Night Sweats – As much as this is among the initial signs of HIV and Aids it also appears right before a person degenerates into the last stage of AIDS. These are as a result of very high temperatures and are accompanied by body chills. Sometimes the patients complain about feeling very cold at room temperatures. Then immediately after its high fevers again. It keeps fluctuating.
- Severe Weight loss- Due to Chronic diarrhea the patient ends up losing up so much weight which cannot be replaced because of decreased appetite. Decrease in appetite could also be a side effect of medication used to reduce the effects of HIV AIDS. The digestive system cannot absorb most of the nutrients thus leading to decrease in weight too.
- Infections – These include; Kaposi’s sarcoma which is a form of cancer, TB, Meningitis, Pneumonia and Herpes Zoster. These are caused by various parasites and since the body’s immunity system is down they can have a fatal effect on the patient. They are referred to opportunistic infections and can be very serious indeed.
It’s very important to note that you don’t get HIV AIDS by hugging, sweat, kissing or from day to day interactions. Other illnesses cannot be named as signs of HIV and AIDS but what doctors call opportunistic diseases. These are just common diseases that affect people with HIV and Aids not because they are signs but reason being the general immunity system is low. The body cannot fight any diseases on its own as it normally does the infected people tend to catch any disease that comes along. At the end of the end it’s only a blood test that fully certifies whether one is HIV positive or negative. You might have some of the above symptoms but not suffer from the same.
