AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a chronic life long disease caused by the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) virus. By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight off viruses, bacteria and fungi that cause disease, reports Mayo Clinic. AIDS may be contracted through unprotected sex, sharing of intravenous needles, accidental needle sticks, or during childbirth through mother to child transmission. Signs and symptoms of HIV/AIDS differ depending on the stage of your disease.
Early Infection
According to Mayo Clinic, when first infected with HIV, you may have no signs or symptoms at all, although it's more common to develop a brief flu-like illness two to four weeks after becoming infected. Basic symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, sore throat, mouth sores and swollen lymph glands. You may also develop a rash, known as a maculopapular rash, which usually affects the trunk and extremities. Many infected persons will not experience early symptoms of infection, but are still contagious and may spread HIV/AIDS to others.
Later Infection
After the initial infection and seroconversion, the virus becomes less active in the body, although it is still present, states AIDS.gov. It may take up to ten years for additional symptoms to appear. As the HIV virus rapidly multiplies and destroys your body's immune cells, you may develop mild infections or symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, weight loss, fever, fatigue, cough and shortness of breath.
Latest Phase
In 1993, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) redefined AIDS to mean the presence of HIV infection as shown by a positive HIV-antibody test plus the development of an opportunistic infection or a CD4 lymphocyte count of 200 or less, according to the Mayo Clinic. Basic symptoms during the latest phase of infection include night sweats, high fever, shortness of breath, mouth lesions, diarrhea, blurred vision and weight loss.
