HIV-related mouth sores are one of early signs of the disease from the beginning of the stages. The condition not only causes many obstacles and inconveniences to daily life, mouth sores also create conditions for infection, leading to other health risks. So what causes mouth sores in the early stage of HIV?
1. Why do patients get HIV-related mouth sores?
HIV-related mouth sore is a common symptom, seen in most patients with this disease when the disease is still in the early stage. According to World Health Organization - WHO, there were 40% to 50% of HIV patients who experienced mouth infections, leading to ulcers and sores. This condition is not only painful and prevents patients from eating, drinking, and taking medication, but also the premise of many other dangerous complications.
The causes of HIV-related mouth sores are very diverse, in which the most common are the following 5 causes.
1.1 HIV-related mouth sore in early stage due to oral Herpes
When infected with HIV, patients are also at high risk of infecting another virus that causes ulcers called Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). When this virus attacks the mouth area, it causes red ulcers in most places, including the lips, tongue, gums and inner cheeks. Most ulcers caused by this virus are cold sores, or blisters.
In addition, when infected by oral Herpes, patients also have some other symptoms such as mild fever, muscle aches, body weakness, swollen and painful lymph nodes, burning sensation over the body…
This is an opportunistic infection that occurs in HIV patients. However, anyone can be at risk of being attacked by this virus. In fact, HIV has a strong transmission rate by direct contact with the saliva or patient’s infectious ulcers.
Not only causing mouth sores, HIV is also the cause of blisters on the genitals, anus... if there is direct contact.
1.2 HPV also cause HIV-related mouth sore condition
Being infected by HIV creates the door for other pathogens’s attack, including HPV. HPV is the human papillomavirus and is the leading cause of cervical cancer in women. Besides, this virus is also transmitted and causes anal/oral cancer if the patient has unprotected sex with a healthy person.
When infected with HPV in the mouth, it will appear small white bumps, small size, warts, mouth sores and ulcers around the mouth, sore throat and difficulty swallowing when eating and drinking…
1.3 HIV-related mouth sores due to canker sores
Canker sores, also called Aphthous ulcers, including shallow and small ulcers, appear frequently around in the soft tissue of the mouth such as inner cheeks, gums, lips… These ulcers are white or yellow with red borders, oval or round in shape and various sizes.
Unlike the above reasons, mouth ulcers can occur in anyone, regardless of being healthy or sick, that even occurs periodically every month. The causes of mouth ulcers are very diverse, including prolonged stress, eating spicy foods, mouth injuries, vitamin and mineral deficiencies…
In these cases, HIV patients with weakened immune function are also one of the causes of canker sores developing, however, these HIV-related mouth sores are not contagious. If you are diagnosed with canker sores, you just need to gargle with saltwater or mouthwash, keep your mouth clean, adjust your healthy diet… will improve quickly.
2. Early-stage HIV-related mouth sore due to oral thrush
For people with weakened immune systems, the risk of oral fungal infections is much higher. Therefore, HIV patients completely get mouth sores for this reason.
When you have oral thrush, white or yellow patches appear on the roof of your mouth, tongue, and inner cheeks. Other symptoms you may experience when you have oral thrush include:
- Burning họng, difficulty swallowing.
- Severe dry mouth
- Loss of appetite and taste
- Dry mouth leading to HIV-related mouth sore
The HIV virus causes swelling of the body's salivary glands and decreasing saliva production, which leads to severe dry mouth. At that time, the area inside the mouth will not be free of plaque as well as infection.
3. Does mouth sores mean infected HIV?
A disease, of course, is not formed by one random symptom, and neither is HIV. Mouth ulcers are just one of many common symptoms of HIV, so cannot rely on only this sign to diagnose.
You will be at high risk of early-stage HIV infection in case your body has the following symptoms besides mouth ulcers.
3.1 Low fever frequently
In the window period of HIV - ARS, the patient often has a mild fever (38 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius) and other symptoms such as sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, body weakness... These are the immune system's reactions when the virus gradually moves into the blood and begins to multiply.
Additionally, you will also have other symptoms such as headaches, joint and muscle pain. The ARS period is often mistaken for the common flu or other viral infections.
3.2 Feeling of nausea and vomitting, diarrhea
There are approximately 30% to 60% of HIV patients who will experience frequent vomiting and diarrhea in the early stages of HIV, especially after starting antiretroviral therapy. This is a consequence of opportunistic infections caused by HIV.
3.3 Unexplained weight loss
Abnormal weight loss even in case of eating a lot is a sign that the disease has progressed to a more serious stage.
3.4 Skin rash is also a sign in early-stage HIV
When infected by HIV, sooner or later, pink or red rashes also appear on your skin that creates the feeling of discomfort and itchiness. In addition, you will also be more susceptible to colds and allergies.
4. Early signs of HIV in women
To women, early HIV infection includes:
- Easily be susceptible to yeast infections. This is the most common cause of vaginal inflammation, but it can also cause inflammation of the mouth and esophagus, which show white patches.
- Menstrual disturbance with significantly reduced menstrual duration and menstrual blood volume.
It can be said that the sign of HIV-related mouth sore is one of the early signs in the first stage of the disease, which can occur for many reasons. However, to know exactly whether you have the disease or not, you need to be examined by a hospital.
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