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Are Vomiting, Nausea And Ringing In Ears Symptoms Of HIV?
Question: please help, had protected sex with escort 4 and half weeks ago. During the sex the condom broke and when pulled out and noticed she was also on her menstrual cycle. blood did get on my penis. about a week ago a got sour throght, couph, and runny nose. on the left side of my neck i got swollen lymph node. had diarrhea for one day then back to normal. I took an oraquick test yesterday i purchased at walgreens and tested negative. im also feeling nausia and feel like vomiting. I also feel a ringing in my left ear as well, very scarved i might have hiv
Brief Answer:
Get tested again in a clinic.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome to Heathcare Magic.
I read carefully your query and understand your concerns.
Since the condom broke during sexual intercourse and your penis come in contact with her vaginal fluids and her blood ,and you don't know her HIV status ,the risk of HIV infection is considerable.
After the HIV virus enter the body can cause symptoms that resemble a flu or common cold.This is called primary or acute HIV infection.
Possible signs and symptoms include:fever ,headaches ,sore throat ,swollen lymph nodes.
These symptoms are very unspecific because they might be related to common cold or a flu.
The home HIV test that you took isn't conclusive because you might be in the window period (which is period when the antibodies are not formed yet or are in undetectable level).
Regardless of the symptoms, I would suggest you to get tested for HIV at a clinic because home test aren't very accurate and some of them aren't approved from FDA.
You can do a rapid HIV test which detects antibodies ( most of the patients have detectable antibodies by 1 month) or you can do a HIV combo test which detects P24 antigen, as well as antibodies and is more sensitive and can detect HIV earlier but it is much more expensive.
With the rapid test you can get the answer in 20 min .
Any kind of test that you can do at 4 weeks after exposure is not 100 % conclusive because it may take up to 12 weeks for your body to develop these antibodies.
If your test negative in 4-5 weeks after exposure most likely you will also test negative in 12 weeks after exposure but you should test again in 12 weeks to rule out completely HIV.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any other question or doubts to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.
Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati
Get tested again in a clinic.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
Welcome to Heathcare Magic.
I read carefully your query and understand your concerns.
Since the condom broke during sexual intercourse and your penis come in contact with her vaginal fluids and her blood ,and you don't know her HIV status ,the risk of HIV infection is considerable.
After the HIV virus enter the body can cause symptoms that resemble a flu or common cold.This is called primary or acute HIV infection.
Possible signs and symptoms include:fever ,headaches ,sore throat ,swollen lymph nodes.
These symptoms are very unspecific because they might be related to common cold or a flu.
The home HIV test that you took isn't conclusive because you might be in the window period (which is period when the antibodies are not formed yet or are in undetectable level).
Regardless of the symptoms, I would suggest you to get tested for HIV at a clinic because home test aren't very accurate and some of them aren't approved from FDA.
You can do a rapid HIV test which detects antibodies ( most of the patients have detectable antibodies by 1 month) or you can do a HIV combo test which detects P24 antigen, as well as antibodies and is more sensitive and can detect HIV earlier but it is much more expensive.
With the rapid test you can get the answer in 20 min .
Any kind of test that you can do at 4 weeks after exposure is not 100 % conclusive because it may take up to 12 weeks for your body to develop these antibodies.
If your test negative in 4-5 weeks after exposure most likely you will also test negative in 12 weeks after exposure but you should test again in 12 weeks to rule out completely HIV.
Hope it helps.
Let me know if you have any other question or doubts to clarify.I will be happy to assist you further.
Kind regards,
Dr.Rovena Murati
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you so much for response, is it common to have one swollen lymph node on left side? I went to doctor today and he did not rule out hiv but did say I was developing ear infection on my left side. If no fever or night sweats after 33 days of exposure could I be safe. Could my possible ear infextiom cause my lymph node to swell? Test I took is oral swap what's difference from rapid hiv test?
Brief Answer:
Ear infection can cause swollen lymph node.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Yes ,an ear infection can be the cause of your swollen lymph node.
Usually symptoms of primary HIV infection (acute infection) aren't taken in great consideration to confirm or exclude HIV because they are unspecific for HIV.Many other infections can cause such symptoms including flu ,common cold ,or other systemic infections.
A significant part of infected persons never experience any of these symptoms after getting infected.
The rule is that if you suspect that you might have been infected you need to get testes no matter if you have symptoms or not.
Rapid HIV test is a test that detect HIV antibodies in blood .These antibodies may form in blood from 3 weeks up to 12 weeks.
To be completely sure you have to repeat this test 12 weeks after exposure.
I would recommend that you go to a clinic to get tested for HIV because home tests might give falls negative results and in a clinic the tests is more accurate and sensitive.
With a rapid test you can get the result immediately (the same day) .If this tests is negative after 4-5 weeks after exposure ,most likely you are HIV negative and the test at 12 weeks will be negative too but you should do it just to be 100% sure.
If you have other questions ,please feel free to ask.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Ear infection can cause swollen lymph node.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
Yes ,an ear infection can be the cause of your swollen lymph node.
Usually symptoms of primary HIV infection (acute infection) aren't taken in great consideration to confirm or exclude HIV because they are unspecific for HIV.Many other infections can cause such symptoms including flu ,common cold ,or other systemic infections.
A significant part of infected persons never experience any of these symptoms after getting infected.
The rule is that if you suspect that you might have been infected you need to get testes no matter if you have symptoms or not.
Rapid HIV test is a test that detect HIV antibodies in blood .These antibodies may form in blood from 3 weeks up to 12 weeks.
To be completely sure you have to repeat this test 12 weeks after exposure.
I would recommend that you go to a clinic to get tested for HIV because home tests might give falls negative results and in a clinic the tests is more accurate and sensitive.
With a rapid test you can get the result immediately (the same day) .If this tests is negative after 4-5 weeks after exposure ,most likely you are HIV negative and the test at 12 weeks will be negative too but you should do it just to be 100% sure.
If you have other questions ,please feel free to ask.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
So sorry just very very scared and anxious, as I mentioned before doctor said I have slight ear infection maybe causing swilling lymph node on one side. When should I really be concerned that I might have hiv? could it be if I get night sweats or feaver I only got flu like symptoms cold caugh sneezing runny nose I'm so worried
Brief Answer:
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
As I have told you in my answer above , usually HIV doesn't cause any kind of symptoms .
It is true that flu like symptoms may occur within 1-2 months after infection but this doesn't happen in all infected persons.
So your symptoms might be just a viral infection or something more.We can't tell it for sure.
Since you had a possible exposure 4-5 weeks ago you should get tested for HIV independent of the symptoms because there are no specific symptoms of HIV.
HIV may not cause any symptom for many years and symptoms may present in the end stage (AIDS stage).
I suggest to get tested for HIV in a clinic.If the result is negative your are not infected.
Repeat the test 6 months after the exposure just to confirm it.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
As I have told you in my answer above , usually HIV doesn't cause any kind of symptoms .
It is true that flu like symptoms may occur within 1-2 months after infection but this doesn't happen in all infected persons.
So your symptoms might be just a viral infection or something more.We can't tell it for sure.
Since you had a possible exposure 4-5 weeks ago you should get tested for HIV independent of the symptoms because there are no specific symptoms of HIV.
HIV may not cause any symptom for many years and symptoms may present in the end stage (AIDS stage).
I suggest to get tested for HIV in a clinic.If the result is negative your are not infected.
Repeat the test 6 months after the exposure just to confirm it.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello doctor thank you for your replies. My cold is getting a lot better seem to only have a slight cough and a bit stuffy. However my swollen lymph node is still there seem to be checking it every 5 min. What could be probable causes? So worried it might be there to get ready to fight infections in the future :( I'm so scared of possibly having hiv. How long do lymph nodes usually stay swollen? It's been about 35 days since my possible hiv exposure. I also have diarriah now, could it be from slight ear infextiom meds I'm taking (cefdinir) when should I be really concerned, if I get fever or night sweats? Please help! Thank you
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
The swollen lymph node with be there until the infection is totally cleared.
So if this swollen lymph node is due to ear infection or common cold ,it will start go away gradually while you recover from these infections.
The fact that you constantly touch this lymph node may cause irritation and inflammation so it may stay swollen.Please avoid putting constantly pressure on it.
It is known that taking antibiotics can cause diarrhea and stomach upset.
Cefdinir is an antibiotic so most likely it is the cause of your diarrhea.
As I have told you in the above answer ,you can't expect to have fever or night sweats to be concerned about HIV because HIV doesn't cause any symptoms in majority of infected persons.
Most likely you won't experience such symptoms but this doesn't mean that the risk for HIV is smaller.
Even if you experience fever and night sweats ,the probability of HIV infection is the same because these symptoms might be due to a viral infection.
What I am trying to say is that regardless of your symptoms you should get tested for HIV in a clinic.
If you test negative ,then you can relax because it is high likely you are not infected.
You should repeat the test 6 months after exposure to confirm the result and to be 100 % sure that you are HIV negative.
If you have any other question ,please do not hesitate to ask me.
Wish you all the best.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
The swollen lymph node with be there until the infection is totally cleared.
So if this swollen lymph node is due to ear infection or common cold ,it will start go away gradually while you recover from these infections.
The fact that you constantly touch this lymph node may cause irritation and inflammation so it may stay swollen.Please avoid putting constantly pressure on it.
It is known that taking antibiotics can cause diarrhea and stomach upset.
Cefdinir is an antibiotic so most likely it is the cause of your diarrhea.
As I have told you in the above answer ,you can't expect to have fever or night sweats to be concerned about HIV because HIV doesn't cause any symptoms in majority of infected persons.
Most likely you won't experience such symptoms but this doesn't mean that the risk for HIV is smaller.
Even if you experience fever and night sweats ,the probability of HIV infection is the same because these symptoms might be due to a viral infection.
What I am trying to say is that regardless of your symptoms you should get tested for HIV in a clinic.
If you test negative ,then you can relax because it is high likely you are not infected.
You should repeat the test 6 months after exposure to confirm the result and to be 100 % sure that you are HIV negative.
If you have any other question ,please do not hesitate to ask me.
Wish you all the best.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Sorry doc for so many questions I'm just very scared, my irresponsible decision. One is if my body has not oroduced antibody yet can I still infect someone if I am infected? When a person gets a fever what does that mean? Bec a nod is there to fight off infection is that what mine is doing now? Thank you for your response
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I apologize for the delay in answering.
I can understand your concern but don't let this to take control of your life.
The only way to set your mind at rest is to get tested.
Yes,you can transmit the infection (if you are infected) even if your body hasn't produced antibodies yet (in the window period) because after the exposure ,HIV virus enters in bloodstream ,where it replicates constantly and it is spread in all the body .The virus is present in all your body fluids (blood ,genital secretions etc).
The body produces antibodies to fight the infection but they don't inhibit the transmission of the virus.
Usually a fever is the response of the body to different type of infections.
Is a way that our body has to fight against microorganisms (viruses,bacterium or parasites ).
When you have fever ,this means that your body is fighting an infection.
The swollen lymph node in your neck it is due to infection (ear infection or a viral infection like common cold).
Lymph nodes are part of our immune system and they are the first line of defense .They come in contact with the microorganism (virus ,bacteria) and as a result they become inflamed and produce antibodies.
Hope it helps.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
I apologize for the delay in answering.
I can understand your concern but don't let this to take control of your life.
The only way to set your mind at rest is to get tested.
Yes,you can transmit the infection (if you are infected) even if your body hasn't produced antibodies yet (in the window period) because after the exposure ,HIV virus enters in bloodstream ,where it replicates constantly and it is spread in all the body .The virus is present in all your body fluids (blood ,genital secretions etc).
The body produces antibodies to fight the infection but they don't inhibit the transmission of the virus.
Usually a fever is the response of the body to different type of infections.
Is a way that our body has to fight against microorganisms (viruses,bacterium or parasites ).
When you have fever ,this means that your body is fighting an infection.
The swollen lymph node in your neck it is due to infection (ear infection or a viral infection like common cold).
Lymph nodes are part of our immune system and they are the first line of defense .They come in contact with the microorganism (virus ,bacteria) and as a result they become inflamed and produce antibodies.
Hope it helps.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Ok thank you for your reply, now i noticed my tougue is white in top no clusters doesn't hurt have this weird almost dry feeling in my mouth, could it be thrush? One more question could it be possible that my swollen lymph nose is swollen because it knows I hAve possibly hiv and. Has not began to attack virus hence no fever. Fever is sign cells battling infection correct? How high temperature have to be to be classified as fever mine is at 97.7 the Tougue think is worse I. The morning when I wake up have bad sour throat for and then goes away. Please help thank you
Brief Answer:
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
White tongue ,dry mouth ,sore throat in the morning seems more like acid reflux or are caused from the viral infection but thrush is another option.
I can't tell for sure without physical examination.Kindly consult a physician so he can examine you.
Your body temperature is not high ,it is normal.
It is not meant that every infection in the body will cause high fever for example common cold rarely cause high fever.
Most probably your symptoms are related to an upper respiratory tract infection .
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
detailed below.
Detailed Answer:
Hello!
White tongue ,dry mouth ,sore throat in the morning seems more like acid reflux or are caused from the viral infection but thrush is another option.
I can't tell for sure without physical examination.Kindly consult a physician so he can examine you.
Your body temperature is not high ,it is normal.
It is not meant that every infection in the body will cause high fever for example common cold rarely cause high fever.
Most probably your symptoms are related to an upper respiratory tract infection .
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hello again doc, Question, why do I have a swollem lymph node and no fever present? Is it because possibly if there is virus has not entered blood stream therefore no raising temperature? And lymph nodes sainting for that to happen? I hope it makes sense, I have been going through so much stress these past few days. In regards to some one having hiv do lymph nodes become very large? Mine is the size if a pea. Thank you
Brief Answer:
You should do the HIV test.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
You have a swollen lymph node because you came in contact with a virus (flu ,common cold) .It is not meant that every infection will cause high fever.
Most common viral infections don't cause high temperature.
HIV can cause flu- like symptoms including swollen lymph node (usually HIV cause swelling in lymph nodes both side of neck ,in armpit and elsewhere in the body).
The size of these swollen lymph nodes from HIV is the same as in any other infection.There is no size that can indicate HIV.
I can understand that you are concerned and scared that you might have HIV but thinking over and over about your symptoms won't help.It only can increase your anxiety.
As I have said there are no specific symptoms for HIV because such symptoms might be caused from many other infections.
Your symptoms seems to be related to a viral infection (common cold,flu) that you are having but this doesn't exclude HIV.
The only way to put a end to it and ease your mind is to get tested.
I suggest to run an Rapid test in a clinic.If this test is negative then most likely you don't have HIV ,but you should repeat the tests after 3 months to confirm this.
Don't cause so much anxiety and stress to yourself ,just run the test.
Hope it helps.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
You should do the HIV test.
Detailed Answer:
Hello again!
You have a swollen lymph node because you came in contact with a virus (flu ,common cold) .It is not meant that every infection will cause high fever.
Most common viral infections don't cause high temperature.
HIV can cause flu- like symptoms including swollen lymph node (usually HIV cause swelling in lymph nodes both side of neck ,in armpit and elsewhere in the body).
The size of these swollen lymph nodes from HIV is the same as in any other infection.There is no size that can indicate HIV.
I can understand that you are concerned and scared that you might have HIV but thinking over and over about your symptoms won't help.It only can increase your anxiety.
As I have said there are no specific symptoms for HIV because such symptoms might be caused from many other infections.
Your symptoms seems to be related to a viral infection (common cold,flu) that you are having but this doesn't exclude HIV.
The only way to put a end to it and ease your mind is to get tested.
I suggest to run an Rapid test in a clinic.If this test is negative then most likely you don't have HIV ,but you should repeat the tests after 3 months to confirm this.
Don't cause so much anxiety and stress to yourself ,just run the test.
Hope it helps.
Take care,
Dr.Rovena
Note: Consult a Sexual Diseases Specialist online for further follow up- Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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