Early Symptoms of HIV

The worries about possible HIV exposure and HIV symptoms are very stressful and it is necessary to understand that although you may wish to look into the early symptoms of HIV it is much more prudent to see a medical expert for a HIV blood test. Early symptoms of HIV are not perfect indicators and it is much safer and easier to take a blood test to detect the virus than self diagnosing and panicking at home. If symptoms do occur, which is in around 60% of people, they will usually be within 6 to 9 weeks of infection. Symptoms during this time are known as Acute HIV Syndrome and can include the following:

· Sore Throat
· Fever
· Headaches
· Rash
· Chest infection or coughing
· Mouth Ulcers
· Vomiting
· Diarrhea
· Swollen lymph glands
· Joint or muscular pain

These are for the most part quite common symptoms and you could just as easily be experiencing any other of the many diseases or infections these symptoms can be attributed to. The only sure way to be positive about whether or not you have HIV is to have a blood test. The blood test will detect the virus within your blood and also count the CD4 in your bloodstream. HIV attacks CD4 and results in a low CD4 count, in a healthy uninfected person the CD4 count would usually be between 500 and 1,500 per micro litre of blood. In severe cases after an extended period of time from infection of HIV the count drops below 200 and this is when AIDS is diagnosed.