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The Number One Sign of AIDS

Defining the No. 1 sign of AIDS--or acquired immune deficiency syndrome--is challenging as there are many symptoms related to AIDS, and different symptoms occur during different stages of the disease. In its earliest incarnation--HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus--different symptoms present themselves differently than during later stages of full-blown AIDS.

  1. Early HIV Symptoms

    • Upon initially being infected with the HIV virus, people can experience many seemingly innocuous symptoms. These symptoms are usually mistaken for signs of a regular flu or cold, and are disregarded. Such symptoms include sore throat, headache, fever, rash and swollen lymph glands. These symptoms typically occur within two to four weeks of becoming infected with the HIV virus, which is the precursor to AIDS.

    Later Symptoms of HIV

    • As the HIV virus spreads through a person's body, it continues attacking and destroying immune cells. Although symptoms of HIV may remain dormant for up to eight or nine years, the virus is still silently damaging a person's autoimmune system. During later stages of HIV, symptoms may include diarrhea, fever, weight loss, shortness of breath and coughing. Swollen lymph nodes--considered by many to be the No. 1 sign of AIDS and HIV--are also present.

    When HIV Becomes AIDS

    • As many as 10 years after contracting the HIV virus, many sufferers begin experiencing far more serious symptoms as the disease nears full-blown AIDS. The Centers for Disease Control defines and diagnoses AIDS by the presence of a positive HIV antibody test and either the contracting of an opportunistic infection due to the impairment of the body's immune system, or a body lymphocyte count below 200 (the normal range falls between 800 and 1,200).

    Symptoms of AIDS

    • When AIDS is officially present in a person's body, her immune system is unable to fend off infections and she will begin suffering from the symptoms of various ailments. Common symptoms include chills and fevers over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for multiple weeks; night sweats that soak the sheets; chronic diarrhea; white spots or lesions on the tongue or in the mouth; weight loss; blurred vision; dry cough; shortness of breath and persistent headaches.

    When To Seek Medical Attention

    • Since there is no No. 1 sign of AIDS, if you feel you may have been exposed to the virus, it is critical to get tested for HIV as soon as possible. This can help you deal with the symptoms and seek treatment more productively if you are infected, and can keep you from transmitting it to others. If you are sexually active and are not involved in a monogamous relationship, getting a yearly HIV test is highly recommended.

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