HIV and the Body

The length of time that a person can live with HIV ranges drastically from person to person. If the HIV infection is detected early and the individual is responsible and seeks proper medical attention and takes good care of his/her body, then this individual can lead a long, healthy life. However, if the HIV infection is not caught early on and is allowed to progress into AIDS, it can be very destructive and can kill a person within a matter of years. So, it is important to remember to take care to protect yourself against the spread HIV and to seek the appropriate medical attention if you are infected.

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system. This is the system that is in charge of defending the body against the spread of sickness and disease. So, when a body is infected with HIV, it becomes weaker and has a difficult time preventing illness.

As for the symptoms of HIV, this is a tricky question as HIV/AIDS does not have any unique symptoms. Within seven to ten days after infection, a person will usually fall ill with a fever, but this is often overlooked as a mere common illness. A person infected with HIV often suffers from nausea, diarrhea and flu-like symptoms during the early stages of infection. However, this is not always the case, and these symptoms are also common to many other illnesses. The early stage of infection—the first three to six months—are known as a window period during which time the HIV test will come back negative, even when the person is infected. Often individuals are infected with HIV for sometime before it is recognized. AIDS is always accompanied by at least two opportunistic diseases, commonly TB, pneumonia, STIs or dermatological infections, but does not have any symptoms that are common to every patient. The symptoms for HIV/AIDS are difficult to recognize and are easily misinterpreted for symptoms caused by other illnesses. The only way to know for sure whether or not you are infected with HIV is to be tested.