Earliest Symptoms of HIV

The very early stages of HIV are a different experience for each person. Some people experience symptoms almost immediately after contracting HIV, while others may not experience any symptoms at all. A blood test can determine whether you are experiencing the symptoms of HIV. Treatment is focused on preventing HIV from becoming the fatal condition known as AIDS.

Fever

• One of the more common early symptoms of HIV is a fever. This fever is sometimes accompanied by a sore throat and a skin rash that may appear in random places on the body. Other flu-like symptoms that accompany the fever are headaches, night sweats and chills.

Fatigue

• Another common early symptom of HIV is fatigue. Difficulty sleeping will cause you to seem tired all day. In other cases, fatigue may seem to have no real origin. It will be difficult to focus during the day, and you will always feel like you are tired even after sleeping all night. Aside from insomnia, disruptions in normal sleep patterns may cause you to wake in the middle of the night.

Swollen Lymph Nodes

• Lymph nodes may begin to swell noticeably, primarily evident in the base of the neck. In some cases these swollen lymph nodes will disappear after only a few days, and that is why they are often regarded and dismissed as symptoms of the flu.

Abdominal Symptoms

• Abdominal distress may include nausea and vomiting. Abdominal pain and cramps can appear and disappear without warning. Bouts of diarrhea and unexplained weight loss can occur.

Potential

• Early symptoms of HIV are experienced anywhere from two to six weeks after contracting the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is possible that symptoms will disappear a week or two after they appear, which may lead you to dismiss them as the flu or a viral infection. Go to a doctor and get tested if you feel flu-like symptoms may be something more serious such as HIV.