What is an HIV rash? HIV rash symptoms

HIV is a virus that attacks the human immune system. In the first few weeks after being infected with this virus, the body will begin to develop a number of symptoms, including a skin rash.
Causes of HIV skin rash can stem from the following causes:
Due to seroconversion: After a person is infected with HIV virus, the immune system will produce antibodies to antagonize HIV. disease viruses. This stage is called the seroconversion phase and symptoms such as rash, flu, fever, swollen lymph nodes appear, etc. As a side effect from taking antiviral drugs: If you see If you have symptoms and suspect you are infected, you can go to medical facilities for examination, the doctor may consider and prescribe some antiviral drugs to prevent exposure. However, the side effects of this drug can cause symptoms such as itching, rash, fever, or joint pain. In addition, when a weakened immune system due to HIV infection can create favorable conditions for skin diseases to flare up, at this time a skin rash can be a sign of cellulitis, atopic dermatitis, disease. shingles, syphilis,...

Signs of an HIV rash usually have the following features:
Skin rash is usually pink, red HIV rash on the skin may appear with small blisters, pus The surface of the skin is rough, thick , prominent, and at the same time have clear boundaries compared to other healthy skin areas. The skin rash mainly appears mainly on the chest, back, and limbs. In other cases, a rash may appear on the genitals, lips and inside the oral cavity HIV rash usually occurs about 2 to 3 weeks after exposure HIV skin rash usually does not cause skin itching , but in the case of an opportunistic rash, the skin can be itchy and uncomfortable. HIV skin rash caused by seroconversion usually goes away on its own and does not require treatment. In addition, HIV rash is often accompanied by a number of other symptoms such as: swollen lymph nodes, chills, fever, body aches. fatigue, exhaustion, unexplained weight loss, diarrhea,...

When the symptoms of skin rash appear, you first need to calm down, consider the causes, then go to medical facilities that ask for help from a medical team.
3.1. Get an HIV test if you have a mild rash If you haven't been tested for HIV, your doctor will order a blood test to see if the virus is present in your body. If the test result is negative, which means you do not have HIV, doctors will diagnose the rash as caused by other causes. On the contrary, if the result is positive, the doctor can order some other necessary tests and prescribe appropriate drugs as well as provide an effective treatment regimen.

If you take anti-HIV drugs and the rash is mild, your doctor will instruct you to continue taking it because the skin rash usually goes away after a while (1-3 weeks).
3.2. Hospitalization for care if the rash is severe In addition to the symptoms of the rash, the infected person may develop other dangerous symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting... Now, if you have not been tested for HIV, Your doctor will run a blood test to see if you have the virus. From that basis, the doctor will have an appropriate examination and treatment direction.
3.3. Seek medical advice if the rash worsens after taking the drug. The body may become sensitive to the drug and some symptoms of HIV disease. At this point, your doctor may encourage you to stop taking the drug and prescribe some other medicine instead. Usually the symptoms of over-sensitivity usually go away after about 1-2 days.
Some of the main classes of anti-HIV drugs that can cause skin rashes include:
NNRTI drug class NRTI drug group PI drug class 3.4. Do not take medicines that cause allergic reactions You should not continue to use allergy medicines if your doctor has encouraged you to stop. If you continue to use it, there is a risk of serious reactions and risks.

Normally, people infected with HIV are at high risk of infection due to abnormalities in immune cell function. Therefore, patients should ask their doctor about this condition to minimize the symptoms of skin rash that can cause.
Although, currently there is no definitive treatment for HIV, but most cases detected early can lead to a healthy life and a longer life span if the doctor's treatment regimen is strictly followed. If left untreated, the disease can progress to immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a very high risk of death.
Rash is one of the signs to recognize HIV disease, so when this condition appears accompanied by fever, weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, you should go to medical centers to examine and find the cause. cause and prompt treatment.
Vinmec International General Hospital offers a Social Disease Screening and Examination Package to help customers detect diseases early, including HIV testing. From that result, doctors will be able to advise on effective treatment regimens and prevent dangerous complications. The screening package for social diseases at Vinmec is for all ages, both men and women.