HIV symptoms are quite difficult to identify, so the best way to confirm your HIV infection is to get tested for HIV at a clinic or counseling center, especially if a high-risk episode has occurred. , such as having unprotected sex or sharing condoms.
In some people, the first signs and symptoms appear a few weeks after infection with the virus and are similar to those of the flu and may go away spontaneously. However, even if the symptoms have disappeared, this does not mean that the virus has been removed and therefore remains “sleeping” in the body. It is therefore important that the HIV test is performed after a risky situation or behavior so that the virus can be identified and, if necessary, the initiation of treatment, if necessary. See how HIV is tested.
- The first symptoms of HIV infection may appear about 2 weeks after contact with the virus and may be similar to those of influenza.
- Such as:.
However, in some people, HIV infection does not produce any signs or symptoms and this asymptomatic phase can last up to 10 years. The fact that there are no signs or symptoms does not mean that the virus has been removed from the body, but that the virus is multiplying silently, affecting the functioning of the immune system and the subsequent onset of AIDS.
Ideally, HIV should be diagnosed during the initial phase, before developing AIDS, as the virus is still in low concentration in the body, which facilitates the control of its development with drugs. In addition, early diagnosis also prevents the virus from spreading to others, because from that moment on you should no longer have sex without a condom.
After about 10 years without causing symptoms, HIV can cause a syndrome called AIDS, which is characterized by a major weakening of the immune system. When this happens, the symptoms reappear, this time they include:
At this stage, it is also common for a person to have frequent infections such as tonsillitis, thrush and even pneumonia, and therefore can be thought of diagnosing HIV infection, especially when many frequent and repeated infections occur.
When AIDS has already developed, it is much more difficult to try to control the progression of the disease with medication and, as a result, many patients with the syndrome end up having to be hospitalized to prevent and/or treat the infections that occur.
AIDS treatment is done with a cocktail of medicines provided free of charge by the government, which may include the following remedies 😕 Etravirin, Tipranavir, Tenofovir, Lamivudine, Efavirenz, in addition to others that can be combined according to the protocol of the Ministry of Health.
They fight the virus and increase the quantity and quality of immune system defense cells. But, to have the desired effect, it is necessary to correctly follow the doctor’s instructions and use condoms in all relationships, to avoid contamination of others and help control the epidemic of the disease. Learn more about AIDS treatment.
The use of condoms is important even in sex with couples who are already infected with the AIDS virus. This care is important because there are several types of HIV viruses and, as a result, couples can become infected with a new type of virus, making it difficult to control the disease.
AIDS is a disease caused by the HIV virus that weakens the immune system, leaving the individual immuneally fragile and prone to opportunistic diseases that would usually be easily solved. Once the virus enters the body, the defense cells try to prevent its action and, when it appears to succeed, the virus changes shape and the body must produce other defense cells capable of stopping its multiplication.
When there is a smaller amount of HIV virus in the body and a good number of defense cells, the individual is in the asymptomatic phase of the disease, which can last up to about 10 years. However, when the amount of virus in the body is much higher than its defense cells, the signs and/or symptoms of AIDS appear, because the body is already more weakened and cannot slow down, not even diseases that would be easy to solve. Therefore, the best way to treat AIDS is to avoid recontamination with the virus and to correctly follow the prescribed treatment according to existing protocols.