Between 40 and 90 percent of people develop flu-like symptoms within a month of the HIV virus entering the body, and this is known as acute retroviral syndrome or ARS. However, this isn’t always the case, with some people not developing symptoms for years or even up to a decade after the infection. Many people who have HIV, for this very reason, don’t realise that they have it, so it’s very important that you get tested regularly. This is especially vital if you’ve had unprotected sex with anyone or use intravenous drugs. There are some signs that you should be aware of so that you can detect the problem early and seek medical advice as soon as possible.
The first and most common symptom is a fever, which is often accompanied by a sore throat, swollen lymph glands and fatigue. During this stage the virus is spreading into the bloodstream and is duplicating in large numbers. The reaction of this is from the immune system which attempts to fight off the virus. The second is fatigue – everything you do will leave you tired and out of breath, even if it something minor or something you used to do regularly. Achey joints and muscles are also common – as previously mentioned, the flu-like symptoms can often get overlooked and passed off as a minor bug or virus. However, if the HIV virus has been contracted, this could well be to blame. A violent, boil-like rash may also appear, which is itchy and inflamed. This is often a sign for many people that they don’t just have a regular cold or flu virus.
Around 30 to 60 percent of people with HIV experience diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. If these symptoms are unresponsive to treatments, this could be an indicator that you’re suffering with HIV. You may have also noticed weight loss, which was once referred to as AIDS wasting. This is a sign of a more advanced stage of the disease and could be connected to the severe diarrhoea that many people with HIV suffer with. Weight loss is a sign that your immune system is depleted, but antiretroviral treatment has meant that this symptom isn’t as much of a problem for many patients now. A subtle yet prominent symptom is a dry cough, which a lot of people ignore out of habit. If you’ve had a cough on and off for more than a year, this is a sign you should be concerned about.
Around half of the people with HIV experience night sweats as well, which are more common in the later stages of the disease. They’re hard to ignore though, unlike the cough or nausea, being described as similar to those menopausal women deal with. They are unconnected to the temperature of the room and will leave your clothes and bed sheets drenched with sweat. It’s worth paying attention to your nails too, as these can highlight changes which are associated with HIV – thickening, discolouration or vertical black lines on the nail are all common in people with the virus. This is because of a fungal infection which your body is more susceptible to because the immune system is lowered. The same can be said of yeast infections, particularly in women, such as thrush.
If you’re concerned about any of the symptoms you have, or think that you’ve had symptoms which have been present for a long time, it may be worth speaking to your GP to arrange a HIV test. You should get regular HIV tests at your local GUM clinic if you’re sexually active to ensure you haven’t caught the virus.