AIDS is the last stage of the HIV virus. Doctors usually make a diagnosis of AIDS when an HIV-positive person's CD4+ cell count drops below 200. This means the body is critically lacking in white blood cells to fight disease and, as a result, has a severely compromised immune system. Usually HIV has been present for several years without the person's knowledge. As a result, oftentimes these signs of AIDS are the infected person's first clue that he is HIV-positive.
Opportunistic Infections
When the CD4+ cell count drops below 200, a person is at greater risk for one of approximately 16 opportunistic infections, according to TheBody.com. These opportunistic infections are diseases that are so rare they usually only appear in a person with an extremely weak immune system. The Georgia Department of Community Health cites pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, extrapulmonary cryptococcal disease, toxoplasmosis of the central nervous system, pulmonary tuberculosis, disseminated atypical mycobacteriosis, and candidiasis of the esophagus, trachea, bronchi or lung as the most common opportunistic infections. Opportunistic infections such as Kaposi's sarcoma and primary lymphoma that affects the brain are also a common first sign of AIDS.
Flu-like Symptoms
It is common for sufferers to learn of their AIDS onset after visiting a doctor with extreme flu-like symptoms. GlobalChange.com reports that people experience overwhelming fatigue together with high fever and heavy night sweats
Wasting
AIDS wasting syndrome, also referred to as Slim's disease, is another common first symptom or sign of AIDS. According to AIDS.org, doctors diagnose this condition when a person has lost more than 10 percent of their body weight from chronic diarrhea lasting longer than a month. Victims lose fat along with lean body mass, and are at risk for dehydration. Several factors can exacerbate AIDS wasting syndrome, including a lack of appetite that results in decreased food intake, metabolism changes and nutrient absorption problems. There is no cure for this condition and treatment remedies work to curb diarrhea and ward off dehydration.
