HIV Infections - What Are The Symptoms Of It?

Another common symptom in the early symptomatic stage of an HIV infection is you may find that your toe or finger nails suddenly change in texture and appearance. Common changes that occur in the nails may include thickening or cracking of the nails, discoloration as well as splitting across the surface. This may occur due to fungal infections such as candida among others. Fungal infections can easily take hold in people who have weakened immune systems. Thus, if you have these symptoms along with other chronic problems, immediately get tested.

Once you contract HIV, the initial symptoms such as rashes on your body as well as fever, diarrhea, and other symptoms may not manifest until a few weeks or a few months. This stage, also known as the early symptomatic stage, may manifest as late as 6 months after you get the infection. It is thus highly recommended that if you have had unprotected sex or have been exposed to the virus in any way, you should immediately get tested.

Some of the well-known aspects of an HIV infection are fatigue, skin rashes, aching joints and diarrhea among others, but it has also been known to cause memory loss as well as depression. These problems primarily tend to occur as your immune system is severely compromised and the stress on your health takes a toll on your mind as well. Also, the weakened immune system may also result in chemical imbalances that may further result in memory loss and depression.

While HIV infections may cause you to have certain symptoms such as rashes on your skin as well as nausea and vomiting, this is only displayed during the first few weeks. These symptoms may go away in a month or two and you could easily brush them off as a temporary infection. However, HIV enters the asymptomatic stage after which no apparent symptoms may be shown outward, but it manifests within the body for years, slowly destabilizing your immune system. Thus, this makes it even more important to get tested for HIV as regularly as possible.