Symptomatic HIV Rash

HIV rash appears in some of the stages of HIV infection. These involve the first stage that is the acute stage as well as the third stage that is known as the symptomatic stage and the last one that is known as AIDS. HIV rash can appear in these 3 stages. Symptomatic HIV rash emerges in the third stage and is known as symptomatic. The stage exhibits the symptoms of HIV of an individual. In this stage, the opportunistic infections take the advantages of the weakened immune system and attacks it i.e. fungi, and other organisms. It may cause a rash. However, it does not mean that a person who has a rash is HIV infected. The rash may appear because of the other reasons also. It may be because of the side effects of some medications that are used in the treatment of the HIV disease.

Let us see the different rashes that are given below

Symptomatic HIV Rash

Dermatitis, a rash like infection is one of the symptoms that appear in the third stage that is known as symptomatic HIV. In the symptomatic stage, as the name suggests, a person can experience the symptoms in this stage. Moreover, opportunistic infections assaults the body in this stage. This stage comes after the second stage that is asymptomatic where a person is symptom free and the stage is the longest stage of HIV infection. The symptomatic stage exists normally between one to three years. During this period, chronic conditions develop. According to some sources, dermatitis symptoms appear because of seborrhea dermatitis, that normally visible on the face and the scalp in the symptomatic stage. It affects the areas like the trunk of the body, groin, chest, arms, hands and feet.

Acute Infection Rash

This is the first stage of HIV infection where the rash occurs as one of the symptoms of HIV infection. It is known as seroconversion illness. These symptoms occur after two and four weeks after HIV infection. As per the opinion of Australasian College of Dermatologists, the rash begins to appear on the upper body and can also include the palms. The rash may or may not itch as well as it may or may not cause skin ulcers. These symptoms are not diagnostic. It means that only further testing of HIV can decide whether a person is infected or not.

Herpes Rashes in HIV

Herpes virus infection causes worse symptoms in a person who has developed an advanced stage of HIV than others. This involves genital and oral herpes. Both cause red rashes. People with weakened immune system are also at risk of a shingle outbreak that is caused by human herpesvirus-3. It is also known as varicella-zoster virus. Shingle is responsible for developing red rash and blisters along with pain.

Other Skin Rashes

An extensive variety of other conditions is found in people with HIV that leads to skin rash. These involve viral infections like Molluscum contagiosum that causes bumps, which include white, solid material, HPV warts, tinea, bacterial folliculitis, scabies, a mite infection, psoriasis, hives, and Eosinophilic folliculitis that causes a rash like pimples on different parts of the body.

Drugs Rashes

Rash can appear because of the medications that are taken during the HIV treatment. For example, some antiretroviral drugs can be the reason of developing the rashes on the body. As per the Department of Health and Human Services, the use of some antiretroviral drugs normally cause rash. People should inform their physicians about the side effects they are experiencing so that the effectiveness of the treatment can be used against the side effects.

Symptomatic HIV rash occurs in the third stage of HIV infection. Rash may appear in the first and the last stage also as various opportunistic infections attack the immune system.