HIV, or human immune deficiency virus, is the virus that causes AIDS. People who have contracted HIV may not immediately know they have the disease, as it can take several months or even years for symptoms to appear. The only way to determine a proper diagnosis is to have a blood test done at a clinic or through a medical doctor. Early detection combined with medical treatment will likely help keep AIDS at bay and decrease the odds of dying from the virus. For those suffering with HIV, there are some physical signs that are associated with the condition.
Skin Changes
Many people with HIV often show physical signs of having tumors or skin lesions. These tumors are generally benign tumors of the lymph node glands. As infection increases, the lymph nodes work harder to fight it the disease off, resulting in swollen lumps in the neck, armpit and sometimes the groin area. Other changes in the skin include the presence of lesions. These lesions are often referred to as Kaposi's sarcoma. The lesions develop in the blood vessels just underneath the skin. These are generally malignant or cancerous in nature and can be found inside the body in the lungs, mouth, brain and liver and often the skin area resembles black and blue bruises or spots.
Weight Loss
Weight loss occurs as the body begins to adjust its metabolic rate. It may doing this as a way to fight off the HIV virus itself or because of a low-grade fever. The body begins to burn calories for fuel at a more rapid pace than that of a normal, healthy person. In the later stages of HIV, weight loss can be drastic. This is due to a combination of both fighting off the infection and medication.
Thrush
Thrush is a type of yeast infection that generally affects the mouth area of those infected with HIV. This yeast infection stems from a fungus that is often referred to as Candida Albicans. With thrush, the HIV patient begins to slowly develop patches of white, milky, scale on the interior of their mouth. These patches can also be found on the tongue and gum area. Thrush can also make areas of the mouth burn, especially when eating. It can also take away the patients sense of taste in some cases. In some situations, a patient may develop oral hairy leukoplakia. This is an infection that is very similar to thrush and is often not considered life-threatening. A physician can differentiate between the two and make a proper diagnosis and establish a treatment plan.
Night Sweats
Night sweats, or sleep hyperhidrosis, is also a common sign of HIV. Night sweats occur when the body is responding to an advanced infection within the body--generally associated with HIV. Most cases of night sweats occur throughout the night, when someone is sleeping. The body begins to sweat excessively, and in some cases soaks through the person's clothes and the bed linens.
Flu-like Symptoms
Another physical sign of the presence of HIV is having a myriad of flu-like symptoms. This could be brought about at the sign of an additional infection during the course of having HIV. These symptoms are generally malaise--or an overall ill feeling, tiredness, body aches, nausea and vomiting and in some cases dizziness.
