Hiv Symptoms

Free app to know the symptoms of HIV virus

Use this app to learn about the symptoms of HIV and more about the virus

What is HIV?

HIV is a virus that damages the immune system. The immune system helps the body fight off infections. Untreated HIV infects and kills CD4 cells, which are a type of immune cell called T cells. Over time, as HIV kills more CD4 cells, the body is more likely to get various types of infections and cancers.

HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids that include:

blood

semen

vaginal and rectal fluids

breast milk

The virus doesn’t spread in air or water, or through casual contact.

Stages of HIV

stage 1: acute stage, the first few weeks after transmission

stage 2: clinical latency, or chronic stage

stage 3: AIDS

HIV is a lifelong condition and currently there is no cure, although many scientists are working to find one. However, with medical care, including treatment called antiretroviral therapy, it’s possible to manage HIV and live with the virus for many years.

Without treatment, a person with HIV is likely to develop a serious condition called AIDS. At that point, the immune system is too weak to fight off other diseases and infections. Untreated, life expectancy with AIDS is about three years Trusted Source. With antiretroviral therapy, HIV can be well-controlled and life expectancy can be nearly the same as someone who has not contracted HIV.

It’s estimated that 1.1 million Americans are currently living with HIV. Of those people, 1 in 5 don’t know they have the virus.

Below are the top 20 countries with people living with Hiv

Swaziland

Lesotho

Botswana

South Africa

Namibia

Zimbabwe

Zambia

Mozambique

Malawi

Uganda

Equatorial Guinea

Kenya

Tanzania

Central African Republic

Cameroon

Gabon

Bahamas,

The Congo,

Republic of the Guinea-Bissau

Rwanda

HIV can cause changes throughout the body. Learn about the effects of HIV on the different systems in the body.

What is AIDS?

AIDS is a disease that can develop in people with HIV. It’s the most advanced stage of HIV. But just because a person has HIV doesn’t mean they’ll develop AIDS.

HIV kills CD4 cells. Healthy adults generally have a CD4 count of 500 to 1,500 per cubic millimeter. A person with HIV whose CD4 count falls below 200 per cubic millimeter will be diagnosed with AIDS.

A person can also be diagnosed with AIDS if they have HIV and develop an opportunistic infection or cancer that’s rare in people who don’t have HIV. An opportunistic infection, such as pneumonia, is one that takes advantage of a unique situation, such as HIV.

Untreated, HIV can progress to AIDS within a decade. There’s no cure for AIDS, and without treatment, life expectancy after diagnosis is about three years Trusted Source. This may be shorter if the person develops a severe opportunistic illness. However, treatment with antiretroviral drugs can prevent AIDS from developing.

If AIDS does develop, it means that the immune system is severely compromised. It’s weakened to the point where it can no longer fight off most diseases and infections. That makes the person vulnerable to a wide range of illnesses, including:

pneumonia

tuberculosis

oral thrush, a fungal infection in the mouth or throat

cytomegalovirus (CMV), a type of herpes virus

cryptococcal meningitis, a fungal infection in the brain

toxoplasmosis, a brain infection caused by a parasite

cryptosporidiosis, an infection caused by an intestinal parasite

cancer, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and lymphoma

The shortened life expectancy linked with untreated AIDS isn’t a direct result of the syndrome itself. Rather, it’s a result of the diseases and complications that arise from having an immune system weakened by AIDS. Learn more about possible complications that can arise from HIV and AIDS.

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