what are the sign of hiv

The symptoms of HIV can vary depending on the stage of the disease. During the first stage, known as acute HIV infection, about two-thirds of people will have a flu-like illness within 2 to 4 weeks after infection. These flu-like symptoms can include fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and mouth ulcers. However, some people do not have any symptoms at all during this early stage of HIV. During the second stage, HIV infection may not cause any symptoms for several years, but the virus continues to multiply and destroy immune cells. During this time, people may develop mild infections or chronic signs and symptoms such as fever, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, weight loss, oral yeast infection, shingles, and pneumonia. If HIV is left untreated, it can progress to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), which is the late stage of HIV infection. Symptoms of AIDS can include rapid weight loss, recurring fever or profuse night sweats, extreme and unexplained tiredness, prolonged swelling of the lymph glands, diarrhea that lasts for more than a week, sores of the mouth, anus, or genitals, pneumonia, and skin rashes or bumps. Its important to note that not everyone with HIV will experience symptoms, and the only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.