HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes the disease AIDS. This virus is passed from one person to another through blood to blood contact (blood transfusions with HIV infected needles and sexual contact). In addition, an infected pregnant woman can infect her baby with HIV during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is acquired when the HIV infection weakens the immune system so that individual cannot fight certain diseases and infections.
How do I know if I have HIV / AIDS?
Dental problems such as bleeding gums, oral herpes lesions, and fungal infections are among the first signs of AIDS. However, you should not assume they are infected if you have any of these symptoms because these occur in people without the disease. The only way to determine if you are infected is to get tested for HIV. Consult your doctor or other healthcare professional.
An HIV positive does not mean that you have AIDS. AIDS is a medical diagnosis made by a doctor based on specific criteria. You also cannot rely on symptoms to know whether you are infected with HIV. A large number of people infected with HIV have no symptoms for several years.
The following may be warning signs of HIV infection:
- Rapid weight loss
- Hacking cough
- Relapsing fever or night sweats intense
- Pronounced fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes in the armpits, neck or English
- Diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
- White spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, mouth or throat
- Pneumonia
- Red, pink or purple inside the mouth, nose or eyelids brown spots on or under the skin,
- Memory loss, depression and other neurological disorders