It costs about Sh10,000 per year to manage opportunistic disease associated with those with the HIV virus if they know their status compared to Sh250,000 for the same case for those who are not aware of opt to hide their situation. Photo/LIZ MUTHONI
What are the symptoms of HIV infection?
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Due to the nature of HIV infection and the resultant destruction of the immune system, HIV and AIDS may present themselves in widely varying ways.
Many of the symptoms do not result from the HIV infection, but from other infections that opportunistically occur due to the lowered immunity. To simplify the clinical picture, symptoms are classified in different syndromes:
1Acute Retroviral Syndrome — Soon after infection (6 to 8 weeks)
May have no symptoms
May bear mild to severe flu-like symptoms
Mononucleosis-like Syndrome
Fever
Swelling of lymph nodes/glands
Pharyngitis (sore throat)
Skin rash
Joint and muscle pains
Non-specific symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, fungal infections (either of the mouth or vagina) or nerve disorders.
2Asymptomatic Infection
May only present with persistent swelling of lymph nodes in different parts of the body.
3Symptomatic Infection (Usually long-standing symptoms, or recurrent ones, despite treatment)
Fever for more than one month
Diarrhoea for more than one month
Persistent vaginal thrush (fungal infection)
Various cancers
New onset or persistently recurrent genital or oral herpes (cold sores)
Herpes zoster (also called shingles)
Blood disorders
Persistent pelvic inflammatory disease (infection of the female reproductive tract)
Heart disease
Renal disease and/or renal failure
Skin disorders such as seborrheic dermatitis
4AIDS Defining Opportunistic Infections (When one presents with these, they are said to be having AIDS)
Cryptosporidiosis (fungal brain infection — headaches, fever, altered brain function)
Cryptococcus (fungal infection of brain, lungs or skin)
Cryptosporidiosis (fungal infection resulting in abdominal pain, prolonged diarrhoea, fever and weight loss)
Cytomegalovirus (viral infection affecting the liver and brain)
Herpes simplex (viral infection)
Histoplasmosis (bacterial infection affecting the lungs, liver and blood)
Isosporiasis (lung infection)
Mycobacterium infections (for example, Mycobacterium Tuberculosis or Avium Complex that affect any organs in the body)
Fungal pneumonia
Recurrent severe typhoid blood infection
Brain toxoplasmosis (parasitic brain infection)
— This is Part One of a three-part series on HIV/Aids. Catch more on the subject next week. Send your other medical questions to nation@askadoc.co.ke
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