Life Expectancy of an AIDS Patient After Diagnosis

Dear Ask The Doctor: What is the life expectancy of an AIDS patient after he is diagnose with the disease and starts taking the med?

Dear Sam: The disease progress may be different for every infected individual in particular, some people remain with no symptoms for life, but some others are devastated in few months. The outcome is unpredictable and depends on each particular case. Many people do not show symptoms after they first get infected with HIV. Others have a flu-like illness within several days to weeks after exposure to the virus. They complain of: fever, headache, tiredness, and swollen nodes in the neck. These symptoms usually disappear within a few weeks. After that, the person feels normal and has no symptoms. This asymptomatic phase often lasts for years. The development of the disease is different among individuals. This state may last from a few months to more than 10 years. Even though the person has no symptoms, he or she is contagious and can pass HIV to others.