The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes AIDS. People who have HIV, however, may seem perfectly normal even though the virus is steadily weakening their immune system. Once the immune system is sufficiently weakened, illnesses known as opportunistic infections may develop, producing a wide set of symptoms. Therefore it is not possible to categorically diagnose AIDS based on a single set of symptoms alone.
Symptoms in Common with Opportunistic Infections
The Mayo Clinic says that at the onset of AIDS, opportunistic infections take advantage of the weakened immune system. Opportunistic infections can be bacterial, protozoal, viral or fungal in nature. In addition, certain kinds of cancers may develop as result of AIDS.
Some of the symptoms of opportunistic infections common with AIDS include soaking night sweats, shaking chills, high fever, dry cough, chronic diarrhea, persistent white spots or lesions on the tongue, headaches, blurred vision and weight loss.
The University of California, San Francisco cites other symptoms to also include coma, coughing and shortness of breath, difficult or painful swallowing, extreme fatigue, memory loss and confusion, nausea, abdominal cramps, vomiting, seizures and lack of coordination. Avert notes that the best way to determine whether these symptoms indicate AIDS is to be tested.
Symptoms Associated with HIV and AIDS
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention redefined AIDS to mean being infected with HIV. An AIDS diagnosis, however, also requires at least one of the following conditions: the development of an opportunistic infection and a CD4+ T cell count of 200 or less.
In addition, the University of California, San Francisco cites symptoms such as prolonged diarrhea, recurring fever, pneumonia, unexplained fatigue, rapid weight loss, swollen lymph glands in the arm pits, groin or neck and red, brown, pink or purplish blotches on or under the skin, inside the mouth, nose or eyelids. There may also be white spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth or in the throat.
AIDS Symptoms in Children
According to the Mayo Clinic, children with AIDS typically develop symptoms such as difficulty gaining weight, difficulty growing at a normal rate, difficulty walking and delayed mental development. What's more, AIDS-afflicted children may experience severe forms of common childhood illnesses such as ear infections, pneumonia and tonsillitis.
Although it is prudent to state that having any of the previously mentioned symptoms is not enough to categorically indicate an HIV infection or AIDS. It is still necessary to seek medical advise and get tested for the presence of HIV antibodies in order to know categorically whether or not a person has the disease.
