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Clinical Manifestations of HIV infection

Introduction

HIV infected persons are asymptomatic (without symptoms) early after the infection. The infected persons show symptoms after 2 to 15 years after initial infection. The time interval between development of AIDS symptoms may range from to 15 years (Infected to “full blown” AIDS development). When the CD4 –T cell count is less than 200 (Normal: 500 to 1500), then the patient is considered to have AIDS. AIDS Related Complex (ARC) is a less serious condition than AIDS. In ARC, the patient test positive for AIDS infection and often has less sever symptoms than classical AIDS.

Symptoms of HIV infection

Stage 1: No Symptoms -

In the first stages of HIV, the symptoms don't show up

People can live with AIDS for years without knowing it

Blood tests will show antibodies after they form to fight the AIDS virus, but it takes the antibodies three months to appear.

That means that if you take a blood test right after you have sex, the virus won't show up for another three months

Stage 2: Mild Illness -

At this stage, the virus grows within the white blood cells and destroys them.

When most of the cells are destroyed, the immune system is destroyed and the body weakens.

Some symptoms they might have include :

1) Feeling tired

2) Weight Loss

3) General symptoms of - cough, diarrhea, fever, or
sweating at night

Stage 3: Severe Illness -

By this time, the AIDS virus has nearly destroyed the body's immune system

The body has great difficulty fighting off germs.

Also, patients can develop a rare type of cancer called "Kaposi's Sarcoma".

AIDS doesn't kill anyone, but other infections and cancer do.

Clinical Manifestations of HIV infection

AIDS is characterized by a pronounced suppression of the immune system and the development of unusual neoplasms and wide variety of severe opportunistic infections.

The more serious symptoms in adults are often followed by diarrhea and dwindling that can induce :

1) Fatigue.

2) Malaise.

3) Weight loss.

4) Fever.

5) Shortness of breath.

6) Chronic diarrhea
White patches on the tongue (hairy leukoplakia,
oral candidiasis)

7) Lymphadenopathy.

8) Disease symptoms in the gastrointestinal tract
from the esophagus to the colon are common.

The period between primary infection with HIV and the first appearance of clinical disease is usually long in adults, averaging about 10 years.

Death occurs about 2 years later after clinical appearance of disease.

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