CarolL72 Asked :

About 2 years ago I was in a serious relationship for about 6 months and I recently discovered that he died of AIDS. At the time he had not mentioned anything about being HIV positive and after contacting his sister, I discovered that he knew his HIV status for many years even before we started dating. I am worried about whether I am positive although we used protection all the time since I was not prepared to use the pill.

I have had none of the early HIV symptoms and I had a finger prick test at work about 18 months ago which was negative. I am terrified about having a test now because I have been feeling like something is wrong for a year or so. I had the flu twice in the past 8 to 9 months, which is rare for me, because I never get the flu. However, I did relocate to a colder part of the country about a year back due to a change in career. I have felt little lumps on my neck, arm and elbows especially, which seems to be swollen lymph nodes and I know that this is a common sign of HIV. Other than that I have no other health problems.

Could I be HIV positive and not showing any signs of symptoms of it? Shouldn’t I be showing some signs and symptoms at this stage?

continue reading HIV, No Symptoms, Just Swollen Lymph Nodes (Neck, Arm, Elbow)

What is an ELISA HIV Test

ELISA stands for Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. It is the most common HIV test and is used up till this day to detect HIV infection. This test detects the presence of HIV antibodies in the bloodstream. The immune system forms these proteins known as antibodies so that immune cells can target and destroy the invading pathogen – in this case, HIV.

A positive result should warrant another ELISA test to ensure that sample was not tainted or mixed up. Two positive ELISA tests means that a confirmatory test known as the Western Blot should be done. In many countries, the presence of one positive ELISA test will lead to a confirmatory Western Blot test.
continue reading First HIV Test and Meaning of HIV Early Test Results

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may not always produce symptoms immediately after exposure. In some cases there is no obvious signs or symptoms (asymptomatic) and a person will only discover their HIV status after having a test (First HIV Test) or as the disease progresses.

However, in most cases of acute HIV infection , there are vague symptoms within the first 1 to 6 weeks after exposure. These signs and symptoms may be considered vague or non-specific because it resembles the presentation of many other common diseases, particularly viral infections like the flu (seasonal influenza). An HIV test is the only way to conclusively diagnose HIV infection.

continue reading First Signs of HIV – Early Infection Symptoms, Risks, Other Cause

Stephen Asked :

I had an ear infection of the right ear about 3 weeks ago and there was also some jaw pain. At first it was just some tenderness of the TMJ joint which I only felt when I chewed or massaged the joint or bit down. After a course of antibiotics (which I completed about a week ago) and using some ear drops, my doctor told me that the ear infection has settled down and the jaw pain should go away.

Over the past 3 days, the jaw pain has become worse and it is very painful if I try to open my jaw wide. I also feel like my right cheek is slightly swollen although it is not easily visible to everybody else. There seems to be a lot of tension of the TMJ and cheek muscle and if I force my mouth wide open, I can feel something clicking although there is no clear sound. Chewing has become painful and even swallowing is causing some pain. There is also some sensitivity of the little flap over my ear hole  and some tenderness behind my ear but there is no actual ear pain.

continue reading Ear and Jaw Pain, TMJ Painful when Chewing and Swallowing