40% to 90% of people experience flu-like symptoms known as acute retroviral syndrome (ARS) within a month or two of HIV entering the body, but sometimes you can spend years without knowing that your wellbeing has been affected. As Michael Horberg, MD, director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente, says, ‘In the early stages of HIV infection, the most common symptoms are none,’ so it’s important to spot any sign that you may be HIV-positive.
According to Carlos Malvestutto, MD, instructor of infectious diseases and immunology in the department of medicine at NYU School of Medicine in New York City, many people whose wellness has been affected by HIV experience a mild fever. ‘At this point the virus is moving into the blood stream and starting to replicate in large numbers,’ he says. ‘As that happens, there is an inflammatory reaction by the immune system.’ This is normally accompanied by other mild symptoms, such as fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat, as well as skin rashes, nausea, digestive problems, and weight loss.
Fatigue can be both an early and later sign of HIV, as your immune system continues to produce an inflammatory response, causing you to feel tired and lethargic. Pain in the joints and muscles and swollen lymph glands are common to many viral infections, which is why this symptom of ARS often makes you think you have something less threatening, such as flu, mononucleosis, or even syphilis or hepatitis. Your lymph nodes are part of your immune system, located in your armpit, groin and neck, and so they tend to get inflamed when there’s an infection.
A HIV test is always advisable, especially if you’re recently engaged in high-risk behaviour. Don’t put it off, as HIV is most infectious in the earliest stage and so early testing is important for others’ wellbeing, as well as your own. An antibody test may not pick up HIV within a few weeks or months of infection, so it’s wise to investigate other test options such as one that detects viral RNA, as this is typically viable within nine days of infection. Contact a medical health professional for more information.
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