The temperature during AIDS is constant. Features of the course of HIV infection

The body's thermoregulation and immune system begin to fail during HIV infection. In some cases, a malignant tumor begins to develop, the decay of which leads to fever due to severe intoxication of the body. In addition, the temperature is persistently elevated for up to several months when HIV is in the acute stage. During a generalized infectious process, a significant decrease in the level of lymphocytes in the blood is observed.

The patient has a high fever, sweating increases and weight decreases sharply. As the infection develops, it leads to complete suppression of the immune system. Immunodeficiency can lead to an increase in temperature for almost any reason. As AIDS progresses, the risk of mortality is high. Although today doctors assure that no matter how long the temperature lasts, with timely measures and prescription of medications, even with such a diagnosis, it is possible to achieve stable remission and prolong the patient’s life.

HIV is an immune deficiency when the virus leads to complete destruction and destruction of the immune system under the influence of various kinds infections, microbes. In the absence of the body's defenses, nothing prevents viruses from quickly penetrating and reproducing. HIV infection is deadly even if the patient has a minor cold, while healthy person she is not capable of causing much harm.

In addition, HIV infected person becomes potentially dangerous to other people. He himself can become infected not only from a sick person through biological fluid: blood, semen, saliva, urine and even breast milk, but also from insects and animals. Gradually, an accumulation of infectious agents occurs, but while the immune system fights and produces antibodies, a person has no symptoms, and patients do not even realize their status, that they are infected and pose a threat to infecting other people.

Why does the temperature rise with HIV?

At the time of infection with the virus, a person does not feel the presence of infection in the body. Gradually, as it accumulates, the temperature begins to periodically rise to 37.5 degrees, when, along with other symptoms, it leads to the suspicion that it is a common cold. Symptoms when hiv infection similar to many diseases, acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections. For example, with the flu, in addition to fever:

• a rash appears on the body;
• slightly enlarged lymph nodes;
• Diarrhea is observed due to stomach and intestinal disorders.

HIV is recurrent in nature, and the temperature rises from time to time for 3-5 years. The immune system begins to form antibodies as a response to the virus in order to protect the body from the invasion of the pathogen. Lymphocytes begin to actively fight white cells in the blood, but there are not enough of them. The immune system is gradually destroyed, although depending on the state of the immune system, the latent stage of HIV can be quite long and painful for a long time does not suspect the development of infection in the body.

With timely detection of the disease, it is possible to strengthen the immune system or maintain it at a level so that the patient can live peacefully without any disturbing serious symptoms. Drug treatment can even achieve the death of some pathological cells in the body. But even in the case of, for example, the birth of a healthy baby, the virus can be transmitted through breast milk if the mother becomes infected and thus lead to the acquired development of immunodeficiency.

A periodic increase in temperature over several months (especially in the morning) indicates that a person is infected with a virus that first occurs in the form of influenza. But the difference with HIV infection is:

• temperature stability for 5-6 months, impossibility of knocking down with antiviral drugs;
• slow healing of wounds, if any.

With HIV, the body's defenses are reduced, and an increase in temperature indicates the development of a viral infection in the body. Infection poses a mortal danger, although at first it occurs like the flu, ARVI

Symptoms are similar to many infectious diseases. The distinctive symptoms of HIV infected people are:

• enlarged lymph nodes;
• exacerbation of early chronic diseases;
• increased sweating at night;
• bouts of diarrhea;
• fever that cannot be treated with antibiotics;
• temperature rise to 37.5-38.0 for no reason;
• sharp weight loss with the usual diet and lifestyle.

As the temperature rises, the body begins to intensively fight infection, thereby leading to the failure of almost all organs and systems in the body. If the body temperature persists for a long time, the disease progresses and can occur in the form of:

• Pneumocystis pneumonia due to poisoning by toxins of the nervous system, when the patient has a fever for up to 2-3 weeks, confusion, fever, shortness of breath, a dry cough with thick sputum, convulsions in babies, vomiting. The temperature stays around 38.3-38.7 degrees;
• stomatitis in the case of damage to the oral mucosa due to HIV infection and the development of candidiasis, which is often detected in young children during diagnosis. Forms on the pharynx, esophagus, tongue white coating, the mucous membrane in the mouth becomes covered with ulcers, saliva is produced intensely, there is a fever, the lymph nodes are swollen, and areas on the tissues and gums are inflamed. Symptoms may last up to 4 weeks;
• neurospeed in the case of damage to the nervous system, when the patient has: encephalitic meningitis, central nervous system disorder, headache, insomnia, increased salivation, sweating, weakness, fever up to 38 degrees. During the acute period, the patient has a high fever, the temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, the muscles in the back of the head are tense, the membrane of the brain is irritated, in newborns up to one year old there are convulsions, hallucinations, partial paralysis of the limbs during the terminal stage of AIDS. The temperature with HIV constantly rises in the morning, cannot be eliminated with antipyretic drugs, and remains at the level of 37.3 - 37.6 degrees. up to 5-6 months every day, then signs of damage to the cerebral cortex begin to appear fully;
• herpes when affected by a skin infection with the appearance of non-healing ulcers, rashes, fever, headaches, Kaposi's eczema during primary infection, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, inflammation of the nasopharynx, rashes on the mucous membrane of the eye, as with herpes simplex, accompanied by a temperature of 37.6 degrees. The febrile state can last up to several months;
• vascular diseases, when the source of infection is located in small vascular glomeruli or kidneys, leading to nephritis, damage to the renal tubules, renal failure, disturbances in water-electrolyte balance and metabolism, pyelonephritis accompanied by fever, an increase in temperature to 38 degrees and maintaining it without visible reasons within 6 days. But with medications it is possible to normalize the temperature and restore potassium and sodium ions in the body.

Patients are prescribed special therapy. Prolonged fever can persist against the background of renal failure and can lead to a significant decrease in the quality and duration of life.

The body, one way or another, resists viruses when there is an increase in temperature. However, HIV cannot completely cope, since the virus in human biomaterial is tenacious and dies completely within 30-40 minutes at T - over 60 degrees Celsius. But this temperature is not critical either. Some cells remain alive and after some time begin to be reborn again.

All this suggests that the virus, when infecting the blood, cannot be destroyed even when the temperature rises, since it penetrates into cell structures and is itself protected by a dense protein shell. Human temperature can only partially destroy the virus, which means that eradicating the virus from the body completely, unfortunately, is impossible. Knowing the resistance and survivability of the virus during external environment(T- from -40g to +60g) it is easier for people to understand what the temperature should be for the virus to die, and when it is possible and not possible to become infected with it through household means. That’s why it’s so important to always follow basic preventive measures to avoid getting infected. If infection has already occurred and symptoms have appeared, in particular with HIV heat, then you can no longer hesitate to contact doctors and undergo diagnostic measures.

HIV infection today is serious problem. However, timely diagnosis makes it possible to begin treatment and delay the onset of the terminal stage.

Signs of HIV

There are no characteristic, pathognomonic symptoms of HIV. The diagnosis can be confirmed only with the help of a special analysis.

You should be aware that it can be false negative in the first 6 months - the “window” period. The opposite situations also occur when the result turns out to be false positive. But in this case, a more in-depth examination makes it possible to refute the diagnosis of HIV infection.

Clinically, the most common manifestations of this disease are:

• Fever.
• Enlarged lymph nodes.
• Loss of body weight.
• Diarrhea.
• Secondary lesions are fungal, skin diseases, tumors.

Hyperthermia is almost always observed with this infection, but its severity depends on the stage of the process. For HIV, what is considered typical temperature? And how long can she last?

Temperature for HIV

An increase in temperature in a person with the immunodeficiency virus is observed in the primary stage clinical manifestations. It occurs after an incubation period, which can last from 14 days to six months and does not manifest itself in any changes in well-being.

The primary clinical manifestations are characterized by the occurrence of hyperthermia. This can be either a low-grade fever or an increase in temperature of more than 38 degrees. Also at this stage the following symptoms are observed:

• Damage to the oral cavity in the form of stomatitis.
• Rash.
• Stool disorder.
• Lymphadenopathy.
• Sore throat - pharyngitis.

How long does the temperature last during this period?

The stage of primary clinical manifestations can last up to two months, although more often the fever lasts only a few days. Then an asymptomatic period begins, and the body temperature returns to normal on its own.

At this time, it is impossible to diagnose the disease without indicating contact with an HIV-infected person, since its manifestations are too nonspecific. Almost always, HIV infection is mistaken for ARVI, acute pharyngitis or tonsillitis. The next increase in temperature is observed at the stage of secondary diseases.

Stage of secondary diseases

There are three phases in this period - A, B and C.

In phase A, the patient notes frequent sinusitis and pharyngitis, which are accompanied by an increase in temperature. They proceed like ordinary acute respiratory viral infections and regress on their own or after drug treatment. Prolonged and high fever is rare.

In addition, the doctor may pay attention to fungal or viral damage to the skin and mucous membranes, unexplained weight loss, and frequent relapses of shingles. However, there are indications that in some patients hyperthermia at the initial stage also lasted quite a long time.

In phase B, fever not associated with a specific disease may last more than a month. In this case, the thermometer rises above 38 degrees.

Bacterial, viral and fungal infections recur more and more often at this time. Tuberculosis may join.

In phase B, diseases become generalized. The fever becomes high and constant. In patients with immunodeficiency, Kaposi's sarcoma, damage to the central nervous system, and exhaustion (cachexia) are found.

In the terminal stage of AIDS, these manifestations persist, and death quickly occurs.

Elevated temperature with HIV is observed almost throughout the entire disease. And although it is not one of its pathognomonic symptoms, unexplained prolonged fever in young people is a reason to exclude HIV infection.

Features of the course of HIV infection

Like any infectious disease, HIV infection progresses in stages. The Russian classification of HIV infection (V.I. Pokrovsky, 2001) is used by health workers and includes 5 stages of disease development. For the population we offer more simplified version classification of the course of HIV infection:

1. Incubation stage begins from the moment the virus enters the body. At HIV infections it is quite short - from 3 weeks to 3 months and rarely lasts up to 1 year. This period is often called the “window period,” which is primarily due to the fact that laboratory diagnostics of blood using the serological method (determination of antibodies to HIV) is difficult, since the level of protective antibodies during this period is insufficient for detection. There are no clinical manifestations, the person feels healthy. But most importantly, from the moment the virus enters the body, a person can become a source of HIV infection without even knowing it.

2. Stage of primary manifestations. One third of those infected develop acute phase illness, the duration of which is from several days to 2-3 weeks. The first signs of HIV infection resemble the signs of many common infectious diseases: cough, swollen lymph nodes, fever, intestinal upset, various skin rashes, weakness, weight loss. These symptoms pass quickly enough without any treatment and the person often does not seek medical help.

Then comes asymptomatic phase, there are no clinical manifestations, the HIV-infected person considers himself healthy, leads a normal life, but is a potential source of infection for those around him. Antibodies to HIV are detected in the blood during laboratory testing. The duration of this phase is from 1 - 3 months to several years and depends on the initial state of the human body and, first of all, on its immune system.

The next phase is characterized by an increase in the cervical, occipital, axillary (except inguinal) lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy). The duration of this phase is from 1.5 to 5 years.

3. Stage of secondary diseases, in which, against the background of impaired immunity, various infections of a viral, bacterial, fungal nature and tumor processes appear. The duration of this stage is from 3 to 7 years.

This stage is characterized by: prolonged fever and stool upset (diarrhea), lasting more than one month and intractable drug treatment. Often attention is drawn to unexplained weight loss of more than 10% of the initial body weight, as well as emerging and long-lasting weakness (for months), turning into chronic fatigue. Performance and sleep are disrupted.

When the immune system is depleted, various secondary infections develop, caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses or even protozoan microorganisms that affect the intestines, lungs, brain, and skin.

4. Terminal stage (AIDS). As HIV multiplies, it infects more and more cells of the human immune system. In this state, a person becomes defenseless against bacteria and viruses that previously could not cause diseases. AIDS develops - acquired immune deficiency syndrome, when the immune system cannot cope with the tasks assigned to it. The course of previously acquired infections worsens.

This stage is also characterized by tumor processes. One of possible diseases Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancerous tumor blood vessels and tumors of the lymph nodes. In addition, during the AIDS stage there may be a high probability of physical deformity due to exhaustion and damage to the skin by various infections. Patients who are affected nervous system, may lose memory, orientation in time and space.

Thus, the process of HIV infection affects almost all human organs and systems, but the main sites of damage are the lungs, gastrointestinal tract and nervous system. A person periodically experiences improvement, but then new periods of illness follow, more severe than the previous ones. Therefore, such patients need serious care.

The prognosis in the AIDS stage is unfavorable. The life expectancy of patients at this stage ranges from several months to several years. It is believed that after 1 year 50% of patients die, after 3 years - 75% of patients.

There are factors that influence the rate of development of HIV infection and its transition to the AIDS stage:

The initial state of a person’s health before infection (the better it was, the longer the body will be able to resist the disease);

The use of drugs and other psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco) accelerates the destruction of the body by HIV infection by approximately two times;

Blood-borne and sexually transmitted diseases place additional stress on the immune system;

Living conditions HIV-infected person: failure to comply with the rules of personal hygiene, rational diet, physical activity and rest;

Untimely initiation of antiviral therapy and treatment of associated infections.

In Russia, the average life expectancy from the moment of infection is from 8 to 13 years or more. At the same time, early seeking medical help and timely treatment can significantly prolong the life of an HIV-infected person.

Often the mere mention of the abbreviation HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) causes negative emotions, which is understandable. The disease is dangerous not so much because of its incurable nature, but because of the presence of a very long period when a person may simply not suspect that he has this infection.

Of course, infection is often accompanied by conscious violations of hygiene: sexual intercourse without a condom with an unfamiliar partner, reuse of syringes, etc., but people who care about their health are not completely protected from the risk of infection.

When are they tested for HIV?

Despite everyone’s direct interest in regularly checking their health, medical institutions provide checks in the following cases:

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW!

• self-referral when casual sex is a concern. It is worth considering that it is not so easy to detect an infection right away; it can have a very long incubation period;
• going to the hospital due to pregnancy or in preparation for it. In this case, verification is included in the mandatory set of analyses;
• hospitalization, regardless of the reason, for which the patient requires inpatient rather than outpatient treatment, including preparation for surgery.

Tests may also be prescribed in cases where the patient has obvious signs Characteristics of HIV infection are regular, unreasonable increases in temperature and sudden weight loss. In these cases, the check is carried out in order to assign correct treatment, having previously determined the real reason symptoms.

If this is not done in time, then irreparable harm can be caused to the body, which may already be suffering from a lack of immunity. After all, treating symptoms does not always eliminate the cause itself, and temporary relief will most likely lead to an even greater deterioration of the condition in the future.

Signs of HIV

As with many other infectious diseases, HIV has very specific signs that are easily noticeable without special tests:

• enlarged lymph nodes, several at the same time without cause in the form of colds, exacerbation of chronic diseases, etc.;
• severe sweating at night;
• prolonged diarrhea that cannot be treated with medication;
• fever that occurs with or without fever;
• sharp weight loss while maintaining diet and lifestyle;
• unexplained increases in temperature.

It is clear that each of the individual signs can accompany other diseases, but if tests show the presence of infection, this means a certain degree of neglect of the disease process and the need for urgent measures to stabilize the patient’s health.

Particular attention is paid to such a sign as temperature in HIV. IN this moment the body works under increased load, almost all organs suffer, so if it persists long time, this can significantly speed up the progression of the disease.

Often, an elevated temperature may indicate the presence of other concomitant diseases. internal organs, leather, etc.

How to protect yourself from HIV

The rules that provide protection from HIV infection are quite simple; to comply with them, you can often simply avoid dubious contacts. A similar list of tips might look like this.

1. Use condoms. This is especially true for casual sexual partners, and at the same time, thus, it is easiest to avoid accidental pregnancy.
2. Permanent partner. There is nothing better than a reliable partner who is healthy and able to ensure the absence of illnesses for loved ones.
3. In the absence of a permanent partner The best decision– abstinence. This is the only way to give a 100% guarantee of maintaining health.

Avoid alcohol and drugs. Many cases of infection occur during alcohol or drug intoxication, especially when consuming substances injected into the blood using syringes. If it doesn’t work out any other way, then only disposable syringes should be used and under no circumstances should they be reused.

Even if a mother becomes infected with HIV, if treated properly, she can give her baby a chance to be born healthy.. For example, application caesarean section, when the child is born, then deprivation of the mother’s breast and forced transfer to artificial nutrition, etc.

In general, it is enough to lead a decent lifestyle and this is quite enough to maintain your health for a long time. long years. However, if trouble does occur, then the most important thing is to consult a doctor in a timely manner and begin therapy to maintain the body. Often, HIV patients live for several decades almost without complications, no matter what the insidious disease is, but only if the infection has not been advanced.