Symptoms

HIV may not cause symptoms for a number of years.

Early symptoms may appear a month or two after becoming infected. They may last a couple of weeks. These include:

• Rapid weight loss
• Dry cough
• Sore throat
• Recurring fever
• Night sweats
• Extreme, unexplained fatigue
• Swollen lymph nodes in armpits, neck, or groin
• White spots on the tongue or in the mouth or throat
• Headache
• Discomfort from light
• Rash
• Depression
• Irritable mood
• Memory loss or other neurological disorder

After these initial symptoms pass, there may be no symptoms for months to years. Then, the following symptoms may occur over the course of 1 to 3 years:

• Swollen lymph glands all over the body
• Fungal infections of the mouth, fingernails, toes
• Repeated vaginal infections ( yeast and Trichomonas)
• Development of lots of warts
• Exacerbations of prior conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, herpes infection
• Shingles
• Night sweats
• Weight loss
• Chronic diarrhea

It can be 10 years or more before HIV progresses to AIDS. This happens when T helper cell levels fall below certain levels and opportunistic infections arise. Examples of opportunistic infections and other complications of AIDS include:

• Thrush (an overgrowth of yeast)
• Pneumonia (particularly Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia)
• Invasive fungal infections (resulting in brain and/or lung infections)
• Toxoplasmosis infection
• Tuberculosis
• Viral brain infection
• Kaposi's sarcoma
• Lymphoma
• Cervical cancer
• Eye disease due to cytomegalovirus infection
• Intestinal infections, especially due to shigella, salmonella, and campylobacter
• Severe weight loss (wasting syndrome)
• Severe skin rashes
• Reactions to medications
• Psychiatric problems, including depression and dementia