Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the immune system. A chronic, progressive illness, HIV interferes with the body's ability to fight off disease, making infected individuals more susceptible to acquiring life-threatening illnesses. Adults with HIV may live for months or years with no severe symptoms, although children born with HIV tend to show disease-related symptoms early on. As infection progresses, the weakening immune system allows increasingly serious infections.
Early Symptoms
According to the University of California, San Fransciso (UCSF) Medical Center, some people will develop HIV sero-conversion syndrome within one to two months after exposure to the HIV virus. This syndrome produces flu-like symptoms that are often mistaken for a minor illness and typically clear up within one to four weeks. These symptoms often include diarrhea, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, headache, muscle pain, nausea and vomiting, sore throat and a rash. Some people will also develop an enlarged spleen and thrush--a fungal infection of the mouth.
Chronic, Later-stage Symptoms
The later stage of HIV before the onset of AIDS is characterized by a number of chronic and bothersome symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, these symptoms can include soaking night sweats, persistent fatigue, shaking chills, high fever that is above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and persists for several weeks, chronic diarrhea, unrelenting headaches and chronically swollen lymph nodes. Severe herpes infections in the mouth, genitals or anal region, skin rashes or flaky skin, short-term memory loss and pelvic inflammatory disease in women may also occur. Shingles--a painful, blistering skin rash that affects the nerves--may also develop in the later phases of HIV infection, according to the UCSF Medical Center.
Advanced Symptoms
The most advanced phase of HIV may not appear until eight to 10 years after the time of initial infection. By this time, the person may meet the criteria for AIDS established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that include the development of an opportunistic infection (one that occurs as a result of an impaired immune system) and a CD4 lymphocyte count of 200 or less (normal levels fall with the range of 800 to 1,200). Additional symptoms can include a dry cough and shortness of breath, chronic diarrhea, headaches, continued night sweats, blurred or distorted vision, weight loss and white spots or lesions on the tongue or in the mouth, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Those with HIV are also at increased risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, including cervical cancer, lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma--a cancer that causes purplish, reddish or brown lesions to form on the skin.
Symptoms in Children
According to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, children born with HIV typically develop symptoms within the first two years of life. They may show delays in physical growth and have difficulty walking and gaining weight. They may also experience delays in their mental and cognitive development and be more prone to severe forms of common childhood illness such as ear and tonsil infections.
