The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a fatal disease that weakens the immune system to the point that it can no longer fight off opportunistic infections and certain types of cancers. Doctors at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation report that AIDS often is referred to as advanced HIV disease. HIV is a progressive illness that can take years before any signs are apparent and even longer to show late symptoms of HIV.
Infections
People with late-stage HIV, or AIDS, begin getting consistent opportunistic infections--types of illnesses that people with normal immune systems don't typically get. Some of the most common infections that affect people with late symptoms of HIV include pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, toxoplasmosis, candidiasis and mycobacterium avium complex disease.
Digestive Disorders
Doctors at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases report that patients with late stage HIV symptoms often experience a number of digestive disorders. Rapid weight loss usually accompanies these symptoms as well. Diarrhea that lasts longer than a week at a time is a sign that HIV is progressing.
Sores
Sores begin to appear on the mouth, anus and genitals during the late stages of HIV and what is often called full-blown AIDS. Patients develop red, pink, purple or brown blotches on the skin or just under the top layer of skin in the mouth, eyelids or nose. Lymph nodes become swollen and engorged for extended periods of time. Lymph glands in the neck, groin or armpits may become enlarged.
Neurological Disorders
Patients with advanced stage HIV tend to become disoriented at times and may become depressed as their symptoms worsen. Memory loss is a common symptom of late stage HIV. Patients begin to experience severe fatigue, a tiredness that cannot be relieved with rest. Doctors at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke report that people with end-stage HIV symptoms often become forgetful and lose cognitive motor skills because of the infectious invasion of the nerve cells. Behavioral changes often are accompanied by encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. Other AIDS-related nerve disorders that occur include gait disorders, vision loss, anxiety, seizures and coma. Patients often lose sensations in their extremities because of the peripheral nerve damage and experience severe headaches and stroke.
