HIV/AIDS is a serious condition that weakens the body’s immune system, making it harder to fight off infections.………
While many people know the general symptoms like fever, weight loss, or night sweats, fewer pay attention to the signs that can show up in the mouth.
The truth is, your mouth can reveal a lot about your overall health, and for someone living with HIV/AIDS, it can be one of the first places where changes appear.
One of the most common signs is oral thrush, a fungal infection that causes white patches on the tongue, inner cheeks, or throat.
It may look like cottage cheese and can make swallowing painful.
Thrush occurs because the weakened immune system allows fungi like Candida to grow uncontrollably.
Another mouth sign is oral hairy leukoplakia, which shows up as white, hairy-looking patches on the sides of the tongue.
This condition is often linked to the Epstein-Barr virus and is a strong indicator that the immune system is compromised.
People living with HIV/AIDS may also develop painful mouth ulcers or sores that take a long time to heal.
These can make eating, drinking, or even talking uncomfortable.
