What are the late-stage symptoms of AIDS?

Generally, the late-stage symptoms of AIDS include persistent cough, difficulty breathing, severe diarrhea, difficulty swallowing, and memory loss. It is recommended to seek timely medical treatment. The specific analysis is as follows:

1. Persistent Cough

In the late stages of AIDS, patients' immune systems are severely weakened, allowing pathogens to multiply extensively in the lungs. These pathogens continuously irritate the respiratory mucosa, triggering the body's natural cough reflex, which is difficult to relieve.

2. Difficulty Breathing

The lungs are a major organ commonly affected in late-stage AIDS. Opportunistic infections, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia, can cause extensive inflammation and consolidation in the lungs, severely impairing the gas exchange function and leading to difficulty breathing.

3. Severe Diarrhea

The HIV virus can directly attack the intestinal mucosal cells, damaging the integrity and normal physiological functions of the intestinal mucosa. Additionally, the intestines are susceptible to infections from various pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Salmonella, causing intestinal inflammation and resulting in severe diarrhea.

4. Difficulty Swallowing

This may be caused by fungal infections, such as Candida, in the esophagus. Inflammation and swelling of the esophageal mucosa, along with the presence of white patches, can obstruct the passage of food. Patients may experience difficulty and pain while eating, even when swallowing saliva.

5. Memory Loss

The HIV virus can cross the blood-brain barrier, invade the central nervous system, disrupt normal signal transmission between nerve cells, affect the brain regions responsible for memory, and consequently lead to memory impairment.

In daily life, patients with late-stage AIDS should strive to maintain a clean and well-ventilated living environment to reduce the growth of pathogens.