Fever, headache, muscle aches, rash, chills, sore throat, mouth or genital ulcers, swollen lymph glands, mainly on the neck, joint pain, night sweats and diarrhea are the primary infections which last for more than a month. With progression to AIDS the symptoms become persistent and severe. Soaking night sweats, shaking chills or fever higher than 100 F (38 C) for several weeks, cough, shortness of breath, chronic diarrhea, persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth, persistent, unexplained fatigue, blurred and distorted vision, weight loss and skin rashes or bumps are the progressive symptoms.
Some common infections in HIV/AIDS are tuberculosis (TB), salmonellosis (type of food poisoning), candidiasis (fungal infection), cryptococcal meningitis (fungal infection of the meninges, the tissue covering the brain), toxoplasmosis (parasitic disease) and cryptosporidiosis (parasitic disease). Other complications include Wasting syndrome, neurological complications and kidney disease
The tests to diagnose HIV/AIDS are preliminary Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), HIV antibody test (Antigen Tests), PCR Test (Polymerase chain reaction test), HIV RNA test and Confirmatory Western blot test.
You can start the treatment when the symptoms are severe; CD4 count is under 350 and when you are treated for hepatitis B.
Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART or ART) and the “Cocktail” drug is most commonly preferred treatments.
For more information visit the following websites
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000594.htm
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/byAudience/ForPatientAdvocates/HIVandAIDSActivities/ucm118915.htm
http://www.aidsmeds.com/list.shtml