Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), attacks and kills cells within the immune system. These white blood cells, also known as CD4 positive T cells, are important for fighting off infections. Consequently, the signs of this viral infection can also be the result of a weakened immune system.
Acute Symptoms
When patients are first infected with HIV, they often have no symptoms, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. However, within a month or two, they will experience an acute reaction to the viral infection. Patients may develop headaches, a fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes in the neck and groin. These symptoms are very similar to the flu and are frequently mistaken as some other viral illness. The acute symptoms generally go away anywhere from one week to one month after they begin and rarely result in a visit to a doctor.
End-Stage Symptoms
After the initial flu-like illness, many patients do not have any symptoms of the infection for years because their immune systems are still able to compensate for the infection. Over time, however, the body's defenses are overrun, leading to a variety of symptoms. Patients with this end-stage disease may experience a persistent fever, chronic diarrhea, extreme fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. These symptoms can last for several months. Patients may also develop sores and discolored patches of skin as well as sudden weight loss. As the disease progresses, it can cause blurred vision and confusion.
Opportunistic Infections
HIV infections can also be detected by the appearance of certain diseases that almost never affect people with healthy immune systems. These opportunistic infections include pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, a rare type of lung infection, as well as toxoplasmosis, which is a parasitic infection of the brain. Patients may also develop severe diarrhea as a result of a cryptosporidia infection. Fungal infections that can affect HIV patients include candida, which can cause fungi to grow in the mouth and vaginal cavity, as well as infections of the meninges, which is a layer of tissue that surrounds the brain,
