AIDS symptoms

introduction

AIDS symptoms depend on the stage of the disease and vary from patient to patient.The symptoms of AIDS disease are divided into three categories, which are characterized by the respective symptoms.

AIDS symptoms of category A

This category (A.) of the symptoms of AIDS is characterized by the fact that about 30% of patients show signs of a 3 to 6 weeks after the initial infection Mononucleosis (Glandular Pfeiffer fever) demonstrate. These include symptoms such as:

• fever
• Swelling of the lymph nodes
• Muscle aches and
• a enlarged spleen.

The screening test for HIV antibodies is still negative at this stage. A positive result usually shows up after about 1 to 3 months after infection.

Category B AIDS symptoms

In order to be able to classify AIDS in category (B), the viral load must rise (viral load refers to the detectable viruses in the blood) and the number of T-helper cells (special white blood cells that are part of the immune system) fall.
Category B is characterized by various diseases / symptoms that are caused by the constantly developing immune deficiency, but do not yet fall under category (C):

• Temperatures above 38.5 ° C or chronic diarrhea
• Tendency to bleed due to insufficient number of blood platelets (with no apparent cause)
• Whitish, non-removable coatings on the edge of the tongue
• Herpes zoster (Shingles)
• Fungal infections (in the throat or genital area)

AIDS symptoms of category C

There are diseases and symptoms that characterize and define the full picture of an HIV infection, i.e. AIDS. Which includes:

1. Wasting Syndromes:
   This is unwanted weight loss (over 10%) and chronic diarrhea or fever.

1. HIV-Associated Encephalopathy:
   This is a central nervous system (CNS) infection. In addition to the brain, the CNS also includes the spinal cord.

1. opportunistic infections:
   These pathogens almost never infect healthy people. These pathogens also attack less often in HIV - positive people who are under appropriate antiviral therapy. In the case of untreated HIV-positive people, however, these diseases have a complicated course and are difficult to treat.
   These diseases / symptoms include:

   • Toxoplasmosis
   • Fungal infections (Pneumocystis carinii, Candida albicans, cryptococci)
   • Bacterial infections (frequent pneumonia, atypical mycobacteria)
   • Viral infections (CMV, herpes zoster, Herpes simplex virus)

1. malignant tumors

   • Kaposi's sarcoma (blue-purple spots / knots mainly on the split lines of the skin)
   • Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (mostly B-cell type)
   • cervical cancer
2. HIV in children
   Children mainly contract AIDS directly from their HIV - infected mother. These children are mostly premature births, have deformed heads and damage to the CNS. They too suffer from symptoms of opportunistic infections, which very rarely affect healthy people.