Most Common HIV Symptoms

The primary stage symptoms of HIV/AIDS

HIV infection spreads in three stages. The first or the primary stage is called acute infection or seroconversion, which typically takes place within two to six weeks after revelation or getting infected. At this stage, body’s immune system makes a fight against HIV.  The symptoms of acute infection appear identical to other viral diseases and are normally compared to those of the flu. Such symptoms may continue for a week or two and then completely vanish as the virus travels to the non-symptomatic stage.

The initial symptoms of acute HIV infection includes headache, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, aching muscles ,sore throat red rash without itching and usually on the torso and accompanied with fever.

The Second Stage without Symptoms of HIV
After the seroconversion stage, the immune system loses the fight with HIV and symptoms fade away. HIV infects steps in the second stage, which can be a longer duration and without symptoms, called the asymptomatic or latent period.  This is the time when patients do not recognize that they have the infection and can transmit HIV to other people. This duration can last for ten or more years.

During this period without symptoms, HIV slowly starts killing the CD4 T cells destroying the immune system. The number of CD4 T cells can be quantified through blood tests in this period. The normal person has a CD4T cell count of 450 – 1400 cells per microliter. The number goes on changing regularly depending on the health of the person. The number of CD4T cells of an HIV infected person goes down gradually making the individual susceptible to other infections and in danger of developing AIDS.