People with HIV usually look or feel well for a number of years. They are not likely to feel ill or notice any symptoms during the first few years of their infection.
All the same, over time the virus attacks their body, causing a drop in their CD4 cells (or T cells, a blood cell that plays a role in your body fighting off infections).
As HIV weakens someone’s immune system and their CD4 count drops, they may experience signs of other illnesses. These may include weight loss, night sweats, thrush in the mouth, an increase in herpes or ‘cold sore’ outbreaks, swollen glands in the groin, neck or armpit, or long lasting diarrhoea or tiredness.
But remember, people who don’t have HIV can also get any of these; they can be the signs of other illnesses. A weakened immune system may leave someone more open to infections such as TB or pneumonia.
If started soon enough, HIV treatment can prevent or clear up these infections. Thanks to effective treatment, many people with HIV will never get serious HIV-related illnesses. It’s increasingly likely that people diagnosed early and who start treatment before HIV damages their immune system will live as long as people who don’t have HIV.
Although people with HIV can feel well for years, when they first get infected many experience a short-lived illness (‘seroconversion illness’) as their body reacts to HIV.