Is late-stage AIDS painful?

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 13, 2024
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In the late stages of AIDS, human immune function is severely deficient, with all tissues and organs of the body being compromised, accompanied by multiple and various opportunistic infections and the occurrence of malignant tumors. This leads to symptoms such as skin itching, muscle pain, fever, diarrhea, and weight loss. If the nervous system is affected, dementia, loss of discriminative ability, or motor dysfunction may occur. Therefore, the late stages are quite painful.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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How to test for AIDS?

If you suspect you might have HIV for various reasons, or if you have had high-risk sexual behaviors, we generally recommend that patients go to a formal hospital and have a blood test for HIV screening. It's usually best to get tested between 1 and 2 months after potential exposure. If the test is negative, HIV can generally be ruled out. If the sexual behavior was high-risk, then another test can be conducted at the end of the third month. If there is frequent high-risk sexual activity, then another follow-up test can be done at six months. If all tests are negative, HIV can be ruled out. If a test is positive, further confirmatory tests should be done at a disease control center.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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What temperature does AIDS fever reach?

People with AIDS, especially in the late stages of the disease, are indeed prone to fever, which can manifest as either high or low-grade fevers. The severity of the fever and its occurrence are greatly linked to various opportunistic infections. If there is a concurrent bacterial infection, it typically results in high fevers, whereas tuberculosis co-infections might cause low-grade fevers and night sweats. If there are other co-infections, such as viral infections, these can also lead to either high or low-grade fevers at times. It’s difficult to specify a definite temperature for fevers in AIDS patients, as it can vary.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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How did AIDS originate?

AIDS is primarily contracted through sexual transmission, blood transmission, and mother-to-child transmission. After infection with the HIV virus, it destroys the body's immune function and invades the immune system, leading to a severe decline and defects in immune function. As a result, a series of opportunistic infections and opportunistic tumors may occur. Once AIDS is definitively diagnosed, it requires scientific and reasonable comprehensive treatment including antiretroviral therapy.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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What are the symptoms of AIDS?

Individuals infected with HIV typically do not exhibit noticeable symptoms during the latency period. During the acute phase, however, symptoms such as rash, fever, generalized lymphadenopathy, and cough are likely to occur. During the active phase of AIDS, due to severe immune deficiency, a series of opportunistic infections and malignancies may occur. These can include persistent coughing, sputum production, diarrhea, weight loss, and unexplained fever. Treatment and diagnosis should be tailored to the specific circumstances, with diagnosis primarily made through testing for HIV antibodies.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Treatment of AIDS

In fact, the treatment of AIDS requires systematic and standardized antiretroviral therapy. Once an HIV infection is confirmed, whether in the early stage, acute phase, or late stage, it is necessary to start antiretroviral therapy as soon as possible. Generally, this involves combining two nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with either a protease inhibitor or an integrase inhibitor, or a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. It is crucial to take the medication long-term and consistently without discontinuation, as stopping the medication can easily lead to a relapse of the condition.