Can a blood test reveal AIDS? What does an AIDS blood test test?

We all know that it is not easy to get infected with AIDS through daily contact, but if we accidentally provide opportunities for the spread of AIDS, many people will first think of taking a blood test to check whether they have contracted AIDS. So can a blood test show AIDS? What items can be checked?

Can a blood test reveal AIDS?

Generally speaking, routine blood test results cannot detect AIDS. If you need to know whether you are infected with HIV, you must have a blood test and use special instruments to detect AIDS antibodies, analyze the specificity and concentration of immune proteins in the blood, and then make a confirmed diagnosis. Therefore, routine blood test results cannot tell whether the patient is AIDS.

The blood test for HIV will show three situations: negative, weak positive and positive. Among them, positive and weak positive means that the virus may be infected and needs to be reconfirmed. The current methods for detecting HIV include test strips and immunofluorescence analysis. We all know that HIV is mainly transmitted through sex and blood. The diagnosis of HIV relies on antibody detection, and antibody detection is mainly done through blood tests. There is a three-month window period for blood tests for HIV. If you want to know whether you are infected with HIV, you need to wait until the window period is over before testing.

AIDS is a human chronic virus group in the retroviral family. It is an immunodeficiency disease, also known as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), caused by our human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). When HIV enters the human body, our immune system can destroy some HIV viruses, but when the HIV concentration increases and the number of T cells decreases, the immune system will be lost. Blood draws can detect AIDS through the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and T cells.

Finally, I would like to remind everyone that we must take good care of our bodies, have regular physical examinations, and know our physical condition. Blood tests can reveal many physical diseases.

What does the HIV blood test test for?

The diagnosis of AIDS relies on blood tests, which cannot be detected by routine blood tests. In the early stages of AIDS infection, there is a period of time when the current detection methods cannot detect it, and this period is called the window period.

The window period is not only related to the time of infection, but also to the detection method used.

The fastest detection method is to detect HIV nucleic acid. The more commonly used method of detecting nucleic acid can detect HIV RNA after 7 to 10 days. The more sensitive the detection method, the shorter the detection time.

Secondly, there is the antigen/antibody combined test, which is the so-called 4th generation test. It not only detects HIV antibodies, but also HIV p24 antigen, which can greatly advance the window period and can generally be detected within 2 to 3 weeks.

HIV antibody testing alone is the most commonly used third-generation test. The most commonly used third-generation test in China can usually detect the result within 4-6 weeks.

HIV infection has a long incubation period, ranging from 1 to 10 years or more. The incubation period refers to the period when HIV infection does not show symptoms. The incubation period includes the window period, after which the virus can be detected regardless of whether there are symptoms or not.

Symptoms of AIDS outbreak

HIV-infected people are prone to opportunistic infections and tumors because their immunity is severely damaged. Herpes zoster is the most common first skin symptom of HIV infection, oral Candida albicans infection is also relatively common, Pneumocystis pneumonia and Kaposi's sarcoma are of great clinical diagnostic value. Therefore, when these situations occur, if HIV infection is suspected, antibody testing is needed for further diagnosis.

Once HIV breaks out, the following symptoms may occur:

General symptoms: dizziness, weakness, night sweats, swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, and 10-40% weight loss in 3-4 months.

Respiratory system symptoms: long-term cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing up blood, etc.

Digestive system symptoms: indigestion, diarrhea, anorexia, nausea and vomiting.

Neurological symptoms: dizziness, headache, intellectual impairment, slow reaction, convulsions, hemiplegia, dementia, etc.

Skin symptoms: herpes zoster, herpes simplex, inflammation and ulceration of the oral and pharyngeal mucosa.

Tumors. Various malignant tumors can occur throughout the body.