HIV attacks and suppresses the immune system, leaving the infected person vulnerable to illnesses like common colds and some forms of cancer that would otherwise be readily fought off.
Sexual contact, the use of contaminated needles or needles, and blood or other body fluids are all potential routes of transmission for HIV.
One's likelihood of becoming HIV positive can be gauged by looking out for the following, as listed by VeryWellHealth:
1. Weight Loss That Happens Quickly But Can't Be Explained
Patients with HIV often experience a loss of weight as the disease progresses.
Unintentional and rapid loss of 10% or more of body weight, including both fat and lean muscle, can be considered a medical emergency.
HIV wasting syndrome is another term for this illness. With the help of antiretroviral medications, which keep the virus at bay and force the immune system to recover, the disease is not as widespread as it once was. Those who have not had HIV treatment are more likely to experience severe wasting.
Although the cause of HIV-related wasting remains unknown, it is believed that chronic inflammation caused by the virus speeds up the body's metabolism and reduces levels of male hormones (which are needed to create lean muscle).
Malnutrition, prolonged diarrhea, TB, and cancer are additional causes of wasting that demand prompt medical attention.
2. Lymph node swelling
In the early stages of HIV, as the body works to fight the infection, swelling of the lymph nodes may occur.
There may be a noticeable increase in the size of the lymph nodes under the arms, in the neck, the groin, or behind the ear. Sometimes tenderness or pain might be associated with lymph node swelling.
Tender lymph nodes may persist for weeks or months after the other symptoms of early HIV infection have subsided.
Tuberculosis and HIV-related malignancies are two examples of opportunistic diseases that frequently cause swollen nymphs.
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