What causes HIV fever and is it dangerous or not?

What is HIV fever?

Like other types of viruses, the HIV virus can spread and infect a person in various ways. When a person is HIV positive, various symptoms will occur. Ranging from light to heavy. For example, frequent night sweats, joint pain, sore throat, chills, skin flushing, and weight loss.

Well, one of the most common symptoms of HIV disease is fever. Yes, the fever that occurs is quite high compared to fever in general, it can even be accompanied by intense chills (chills). Behind this, there are several reasons that cause HIV fever.

What causes HIV fever?

There are various reasons that underlie a person with HIV can experience a fever. It may be a form of a negative reaction to the consumption of drugs, or it may be a symptom of other medical conditions. But in addition, there are other things that can also trigger HIV fever, including:

1. Acute HIV conditions

A person who has recently been infected with HIV is considered to be in the early phase of infection. This phase is often referred to as acute or primary HIV infection. Usually, HIV symptoms will begin to appear about two to four weeks after the virus enters a person's body.

As mentioned earlier, these symptoms can include fever accompanied by sore throat, rash, night sweats, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.

Actually it is still classified as normal, because fever is an immune response to a viral infection. So, when someone is acutely infected with HIV, the fever acts as a sign that the immune system is still functioning properly.

2. Opportunistic infections

For people who have had HIV for a long enough time to develop AIDS, HIV fever can be a sign of an opportunistic infection. This infection can occur because the body's system is weak, as a result, it is difficult to fight infection.

Some types of opportunistic infections, from mild to serious, include:

Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
Bronchitis
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Herpes simplex
Candidiasis
Herpes esophagitis

3. Cancer

It turns out that serious HIV complications can grow cancer cells in the body, especially for people living with HIV who have severely decreased their immunity. This then causes cancer cells to easily grow and develop.

PLWHA is more at risk of developing cancer which can cause fever, for example:

Lymphoma
Cervical cancer
Kaposi sarcoma
Lung cancer
Prostate cancer

How long can the fever last in the patient's body?

The length of time for HIV fever is not the same for everyone. This depends on the cause and the way that is done to overcome it. Not only that, HIV fever can also take place at any time and have no pattern. The reason is, the initial stage of HIV disease usually lasts in a matter of months to years.

For example, a fever that occurs is caused by an opportunistic infection, so the length of time can be triggered by the type of infection, medication, and the condition of your own body. However, when a fever is caused by a reaction from taking drugs, the length of time depends on the type of drug, the length of time the drug has taken, and the patient's condition.

What is the proper treatment for this condition?

Treatment for people with HIV fever is usually based on its severity and cause, but in many cases it is advisable to get plenty of rest and adequate body fluids.

Taking some medications, such as acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen, can also be another option. If HIV fever is caused by an opportunistic infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics, antivirals, or other types of medication as appropriate.

Indeed, most fevers are classified as mild and can go away on their own. In some cases, however, a fever can be a sign of a serious problem that requires special care.

In essence, early diagnosis and treatment is believed to help relieve fever and symptoms. That is why, people who have recurrent, suspicious fever, as well as people with HIV who have fever, should not delay to consult their doctor immediately, along with the best treatment.

A person who has been diagnosed with HIV, must immediately consult a medical condition experienced by a doctor. This may be a sign of an opportunistic infection or a problem with current medications. Because if it is not treated immediately, it does not rule out the possibility of health conditions getting worse.