AIDs symptoms can be subtle and difficult to spot. AIDs occurs if HIV goes untreated for an extended period of time.

AIDS stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, it is also referred to as stage 3 HIV.

AIDs is a condition acquired after contracting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) that causes deterioration at a cellular level disrupting the body’s immune system. Untreated HIV leads to AIDS symptoms.

Stage 1: Acute Symptoms

During the early stages of HIV also called the acute infection stage, the virus in the body replicates and reproduces itself at a rapid rate. With less or no symptoms altogether, the person starts experiencing effects ranging from mild to severe. These symptoms mimic flu or seasonal infection and often go unnoticed.

These symptoms include:

Rash
Gastric problems like nausea and vomiting
Fever
Sores in the mouth and oesophagus
Headaches

Stage 2: Asymptomatic Phase

During this stage, the flu-like symptoms go away and are followed by depletion and killing of healthy cells.

Without HIV care, the person can remain in this stage for 10 to 15 years. Unlike AIDS symptoms, the effects felt during this phase are nonspecific symptoms meaning the symptoms not specific to a particular disease or infection.

These symptoms include:

Body ache and fatigue
Lung problems like pneumonia, chest pain and shortness of breath
Swollen lymph nodes, sore throat and mouth ulcers
Loss of appetite

Stage 3: AIDS

The advancement of HIV can lead to the diagnosis of AIDS symptoms. Destruction of white blood cells makes the immune system vulnerable. In addition to the symptoms found in stage one and stage two other symptoms include:

Rapid weight loss
Highly susceptible to severe diseases
Neurological problems
Vaginal yeast infection
Changes in menstruation
Stomach pain
Pelvic inflammatory diseases
Fever and chills

A compromised immune systemmakes you more likely to develop complications such as:

Encephalitis
Meningitis
Retinitis
Pneumocystis
Tuberculosis
Tumours
Esophagitis
Chronic diarrhoea
Hepatitis C
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Toxoplasmosis
Lymphoma
Cervical cancer

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What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV is a pathogen that targets the immune system which renders the body’s defence against illness.

HIV is a retrovirus, and more precisely, a subgroup of lentiviruses, that cause illness slowly. There are two types of HIV namely HIV 1 and HIV 2.

HIV 1 is predominant affecting more than 90% of the human population as compared to its counterpart HIV 2 that is geographically limited to West Africa.

T- Helper cells also called CD4 cells are a type of white blood cells which are destroyed by this virus. HIV replicates and attaches itself to the cells that cause irreversible damage to the body’s ability to recognise and fight infection making it more susceptible to various diseases and cancer.

AIDS is the last stage of a spectrum of conditions caused by HIV. An individual suffering from untreated HIV moves towards three stages before experiencing AIDS symptoms.

Acute HIV: Flu-like symptoms that appear days or even weeks after contracting HIV
Chronic HIV: also referred to as clinical latency or asymptomatic stage, can last for several years.

AIDS: Occurs when CD4 cell count falls below 200, rendering the individual vulnerable to opportunistic infections and AIDS-defining symptoms.

How to protect yourself from AIDS

People can reduce their chances of contracting HIV and AIDS symptoms by:

Use condoms, male latex condoms are highly effective in preventing HIV and STI’s
Be monogamous and limit your sexual partners
Get tested for STI’s (sexually transmitted disease) and HIV
Get vaccinated for HPV and hepatitis B
Avoid sharing needles and drugs
Immediately consult a doctor if you are experiencing any above HIV or AIDS symptoms