How to Detect HIV Early on
You shouldn’t wait until you notice the first signs of HIV to visit your local Cibolo emergency room. One thing most people get wrong about HIV is that sexual intercourse is the only way you can get infected. However, HIV can get transmitted through certain body fluids, such as blood, semen, rectal and vaginal fluids, and breast milk. As such, people can get the disease not only by having unprotected sex but also through needle sharing. According to the CDC, the risk of getting HIV varies depending on the type of exposure to the virus.
Although individual symptoms vary, there are three common stages of the infection.
Early Stage
Over half of HIV infected patients have flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle aches, sore throat, night sweats, and fatigue within the first two to four weeks after acquiring the virus. These symptoms can last from a few days to more than a month. In some cases, however, the acute stage of HIV infection presents no sign at all. Moreover, because the symptoms are common to a variety of other conditions, most people don’t make the connection and fail to visit a doctor.
Chronic Stage
During the chronic stage, the virus is still active and multiplies at a low rate. Again, people with an HIV infection may not present any troubling symptoms, but they can infect others.
AIDS Progression
Without proper treatment and care, HIV will progress into acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). People in this stage may experience rapid weight loss, recurring fever, extreme fatigue, pneumonia, sores, and neurological disorders like memory loss or depression. Patients who don’t receive AIDS treatment have a three-year life expectancy.
Conclusion
If you suspect that you may have an acute or chronic HIV infection or you just want to ensure you are in good health, the services of our emergency care facility in Cibolo can be of great help. Check our website and look for a location near you.
Sources
https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/about-hiv-and-aids/symptoms-of-hiv
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24152939
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25151564
