Due to the fact that the immunodeficiency virus in most cases is asymptomatic (with the exception of the acute stage of HIV infection), it is difficult to detect the disease without passing a special test. But the signs of AIDS, which are manifested quite clearly, just become a natural consequence of a running HIV infection.
The manifestation of AIDS at five stages of the disease
In connection with the above, it can be argued that AIDS is the final form of the development of the immunodeficiency virus. This disease itself can occur for a fairly long time, and in its development it goes through the following five stages, for each of which has AIDS signs corresponding to it.
1. A sharp exacerbation of the disease. It comes 1-3 months after a person becomes infected. It is characterized by fever, deterioration in general health, an increase in lymph nodes, sore throat and headaches. In some cases, a rash may also appear in a wide variety of parts of the body. The duration of the stage is 14-20 days.
2. An asymptomatic period that can last from 2 to 10 years or even longer. The only sign (and even then not always) is a slight increase in lymph nodes.
3. PHL (persistent generalized lymphadenopathy). The stage is characterized by a strong increase in lymph nodes. The duration of PHL is not more than 3 months.
4. Pre-AIDS (AIDS-associated complex). Here the symptoms are more pronounced. This is a sharp decrease in human body weight (about 10%), and ongoing diarrhea, and fever, and a strong cough (dry and turning into suffocation), and the presence of a large number of skin disorders.
5. The final stage of AIDS formation. The above symptoms are permanent and greatly progressive.
In addition, according to the WHO classification, four forms can be distinguished in the disease, depending on which symptoms of AIDS prevail in the clinical picture.
Signs of AIDS with pulmonary disease
In this form of AIDS, the predominant place is occupied by the symptoms of pneumonia (hypoxia, shortness of breath, cough, chest pain), which, in turn, develop against the background of increasing weight loss, fever and a general worsening of the patient's condition. X-ray in the lungs revealed extensive infiltrates.
Signs of AIDS with a neurological form of the disease
As a result of numerous studies, which included the study of autopsy material, with HIV infection, manifestations of diverse and heterogeneous pathologies of the nervous system are extremely frequent (up to 95%). These are symptoms such as meningitis, encephalopathy, myelopathy, encephalitis.
Signs of AIDS in the gastrointestinal form of the disease
Here the leading place is occupied by recurring (persistent) diarrhea, which is accompanied by progressive weight loss, intoxication and dehydration. The patient's stool is watery, frequent, often fetid and with impurities of pus, mucus and blood. Loss of fluid with only one stool per day is up to 10-15 liters. Some patients report excruciating pain in the intestines. Sometimes diseases such as a stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, hepatitis, cholecystitis, chronic colitis develop, and bleeding in the stomach and intestines and other lesions of the digestive system can also occur. Also, AIDS of this form can be accompanied by lesions of the intestinal tumor character (primarily lymphoma and Kaposi’s sarcoma).
Signs of AIDS with a febrile illness
This form is characterized by periodic rises in body temperature (to febrile) against the background of weight loss, general malaise, and growing weakness. In a number of patients with the above symptoms, microbacteria were found in biopsy specimens of lymph nodes, bone marrow, and liver.