How does HIV turn into AIDS?
Your immune system weakens as more CD4 cells are killed. You can have an HIV infection for years before it progresses to AIDS. People infected with HIV progress to AIDS when their CD4 count falls below 200 or they experience an AIDS-defining complication, such as: Pneumocystis pneumonia.
CCS Category Name: HIV infection
CCS Category Code: 5
ICD-9 Included (With Description):
ICD-9 Code ICD-9 Description
042 HIV DISEASE (Begin 1994)
0420 HIV W/SPECIF INFECTIONS (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0421 HIV CAUS OTH SPEC INFECT (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0422 HIV W/SPEC MALIG NEOPLSM (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0429 AIDS- UNSPECIFIED (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0430 HIV CAUS LYMPHADENOPATHY (Begin 1986 End 1994)
07953 HIV TYPE 2 (Begin 1993)
27910 IMMUNDEF T-CELL DEF NOS
27919 DEFIC CELL IMMUNITY NOS
79571 NONSPECIFIC SEROLOG HIV (Begin 1994)
7958 POSITIVE SERO/VIRAL HIV (Begin 1986 End 1994)
V08 HIV POSITIVE NOS (Begin 1994)
0431 HIV CAUS SP CNS DISEASE (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0432 HIV CAUS OT DISOR IMMUNE (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0433 HIV CAUS OTH SPECIF COND (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0439 ARC- UNSPECIFIED (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0440 HIV CAUS ACUTE INFECTION (Begin 1986 End 1994)
0449 HIV- UNSPECIFIED (Begin 1986 End 1994)
Disease Description:
Signs & Symptoms: Within a month or two of HIV entering the body, 40% to 90% of people experience flu like symptoms known as acute retroviral syndrome (ARS).
But sometimes HIV symptoms don't appear for years—sometimes even a decade—after infection.
Fever: One of the first signs of ARS can be a mild fever, up to about 102 degrees F. Fever accompanied by other usually mild symptoms, such as fatigue, swollen lymph glands, and a sore throat.
Fatigue: The inflammatory response generated by your besieged immune system also can cause you to feel tired and lethargic. Fatigue can be both an early and later sign of HIV.
Achy muscles, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes
Sore throat and headache
Skin Rash
Weight loss
Dry cough
Pneumonia
Night sweats
Nail changes
Yeast infections: Another fungal infection that's common in later stages is thrush, a mouth infection caused by Candida, a type of yeast.
Confusion or difficulty concentrating
Cold sores or genital herpes
Tingling and weakness
Menstrual irregularities
Stages Of HIV:
HIV infection comes in three stages.
The first stage is called acute infection or seroconversion, and it typically happens within two to six weeks after exposure or becoming infected. This is when the body's immune system puts up a fight against HIV.
After the first seroconversion period, the immune system loses the battle with HIV and symptoms go away. HIV infection goes into its second stage, which can be a long period without symptoms, called the asymptomatic (or latent ) period. This is when people may not know they are infected and can pass HIV on to others. This period can last 10 or more years.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the advanced stage of HIV infection. When the CD4 T-cell number drops below 200, people are diagnosed with AIDS.
Treatment Options: No cure exists, but medications can dramatically slow the disease's progress.
Antiviral drugs are used to prevent infections. E.g: Zidovudine (Retrovir), Emtricitabine/tenofovir, Lamivudine/zidovudine, Raltegravir, Efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir (Atripla), Delavirdine, Abacavir/lamivudine/zidovudine (Trizivir), Efavirenz (Sustiva), Nevirapine (Viramune), Tenofovir (Viread), Maraviroc, Stavudine (Zerit), Lamivudine (Epivir), Abacavir (Ziagen), Etravirine (Intelence), Emtricitabine (Emtriva), Abacavir/lamivudine (Epzicom)
Other treatments: Enfuvirtide, Darunavir (Prezista), Amprenavir (Lexiva), Ritonavir (Norvir), Atazanavir (Reyataz)
