Early Signs Of HIV To Be Aware Of

The Stages Of HIV

There are three known stages of HIV, and depending on the stage the patient is in, their symptoms may vary. The first stage of HIV is known as acute or primary HIV infection, and it is also called acute retroviral syndrome. During this initial stage, many individuals experience flu-like symptoms, as the immune system is actively trying to fight off the virus within the first two to six weeks. The second stage of HIV is the clinical latency stage, where the virus becomes less active, though it is still living in the body. During the second stage, many patients experience little to no symptoms at all while the viral infection progresses at very low levels. During this stage, untreated HIV will be killing CD4 T-cells and destroying the immune system, and the more cells that are destroyed, the more vulnerable an individual is to other infections. This second phase can last a decade or longer.

The final phase of HIV is also commonly known as the AIDS stage. During this phase of the disease, the immune system becomes critically damaged and is highly susceptible to opportunistic infections due to the body’s CD4 T-cell number dropping below 200. Once the disease progresses into this stage, symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS becomes apparent. These symptoms include rapid weight loss, nausea, vomiting, fever, chronic fatigue, purplish spots on the skin, shortness of breath, yeast infections, bruises and bleeding that cannot be explained, cognitive impairment and many more.