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Most people will have symptoms about three weeks after they have been infected with HIV. These symptoms are similar to those of glandular fever and include:
• Fever and night sweats
• Aching muscles and tiredness
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands
• Diarrhoea
• Skin rash and ulceration of the inside surface of the mouth and genitals
• Headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light
These early symptoms are called the HIV seroconversion illness. This is because the illness coincides with the start of the production of antibodies to the virus.
Antibodies are blood proteins made by the immune system that recognise and attach to organisms invading the body. HIV antibodies become detectable in the blood during the course of the illness.
The usual HIV test (rapid test or ELISA) detects these antibodies. The seroconversion illness is usually brief, lasting a week or two.
Thereafter most people remain symptom-free for a long time, on average 10 years. Then symptoms associated with the advance of HIV disease, roughly in order of appearance, may include:
• Unexplained weight loss (more than 10% of body weight)
• Swelling of glands in the neck, armpit or groin
• Easy bruising
• Recurring and unusual skin rashes, often itchy
• A thick, white coating of the tongue or mouth (oral thrush) or vagina (vaginal thrush) which is severe and recurs
• Ongoing vaginal discharge and pain in the lower abdomen
• Sinus fullness and drainage
• Recurrent herpes
• Shingles
• Persistent sore throat
• Recurring fevers lasting more than 10 days without an obvious cause
• Night sweats or chills
• Persistent cough and/or shortness of breath
• Persistent severe diarrhoea (longer than a month)
• Changes in vision
• Pain, loss of control and strength of muscles, paralysis
• Discoloured or purplish growths on the skin or inside the mouth or nose
• Difficulty with concentration, inability to perform mental tasks that have been done in the past, confusion, personality change
HIV symptoms in children
Symptoms are slightly different in children. Common symptoms include:
• Persistent oral thrush
• Recurrent bacterial infections, such as ear infections
• Recurrent gastro-enteritis
• Swollen salivary glands (parotitis)
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
• Enlargement of the liver and spleen
• Failure to grow or reach normal points in development at the right time (such as talking, walking)
• Fever and night sweats
• Aching muscles and tiredness
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands
• Diarrhoea
• Skin rash and ulceration of the inside surface of the mouth and genitals
• Headache, sore eyes and sensitivity to light
These early symptoms are called the HIV seroconversion illness. This is because the illness coincides with the start of the production of antibodies to the virus.
Antibodies are blood proteins made by the immune system that recognise and attach to organisms invading the body. HIV antibodies become detectable in the blood during the course of the illness.
The usual HIV test (rapid test or ELISA) detects these antibodies. The seroconversion illness is usually brief, lasting a week or two.
Thereafter most people remain symptom-free for a long time, on average 10 years. Then symptoms associated with the advance of HIV disease, roughly in order of appearance, may include:
• Unexplained weight loss (more than 10% of body weight)
• Swelling of glands in the neck, armpit or groin
• Easy bruising
• Recurring and unusual skin rashes, often itchy
• A thick, white coating of the tongue or mouth (oral thrush) or vagina (vaginal thrush) which is severe and recurs
• Ongoing vaginal discharge and pain in the lower abdomen
• Sinus fullness and drainage
• Recurrent herpes
• Shingles
• Persistent sore throat
• Recurring fevers lasting more than 10 days without an obvious cause
• Night sweats or chills
• Persistent cough and/or shortness of breath
• Persistent severe diarrhoea (longer than a month)
• Changes in vision
• Pain, loss of control and strength of muscles, paralysis
• Discoloured or purplish growths on the skin or inside the mouth or nose
• Difficulty with concentration, inability to perform mental tasks that have been done in the past, confusion, personality change
HIV symptoms in children
Symptoms are slightly different in children. Common symptoms include:
• Persistent oral thrush
• Recurrent bacterial infections, such as ear infections
• Recurrent gastro-enteritis
• Swollen salivary glands (parotitis)
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin
• Enlargement of the liver and spleen
• Failure to grow or reach normal points in development at the right time (such as talking, walking)
