AIDS develop and can include

In the beginning of the disease, the virus reproduces itself in the lymph nodes and will start breaking down T cells which play an important role in a healthy immune system. Healthy T cell levels are 500-1500. A person with T cells under 200 or less is diagnosed with AIDS. Once the immune system has been critically damaged the symptoms of AIDS develop and can include:

• Swollen and tender lymph glands in the neck, armpits, groin
• Rapid weight loss
• Fatigue
• Dry cough (not due to allergies or smoking)
• Shortness of breath
• On going and persistent diarrhea
• Night sweats
• Fever that comes and goes for no apparent reason
• Purple spots on the skin, inside the mouth, anus or nasal passages
• Thrush
• Yeast infections
• Mental deterioration, confusion, memory loss
• Cancer, pneumonia and other auto immune diseases

The above are all full blown symptoms of AIDS and they can occur in as little times as one year after exposure or it can take as long as 15 years for these symptoms to appear. The person with AIDS is susceptible to certain diseases that contribute to the symptoms of AIDS.

A less serious form of AIDS is known as AIDS Related Complex (ARC). ARC is a condition where the individual tests positive for AIDS infection, but has less severe symptoms of AIDS. These symptoms are less severe because the damage to the immune system is not as severe as in a person who has full blown AIDS. These less severe symptoms of AIDS also include loss of appetite, fever, night sweats, tiredness, skin rash, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes. The person also has a lowered resistance to infection.

All of the above symptoms can be symptoms of other conditions. For instance, if a person has cancer, it does not always mean that they developed it because they have AIDS. However, a person with AIDS is at more risk of developing certain types of cancers. If one has the above mentioned symptoms of AIDS for a long time they should go to their doctor and asked to be tested for AIDS. AIDS can only be positively diagnosed by laboratory testing. Blood tests, saliva tests and an initial urine test can be done to determine if the individual has AIDS.