5. Fatigue
Asthenia is one of the most common symptoms of patients with HIV infection and AIDS.
This pervasive sense of physical fatigue is particularly troubling because it has the potential to result in a crippling disability, which could make even the simplest of mundane tasks exceedingly tricky to perform. For example, patients with severe asthenia are unable to climb stairs or even complete household chores.
HIV-related asthenia may be caused by a variety of factors such as antiretroviral medications, lack of sleep, poor diet, stress, and depression. However, no direct, consistent correlation has been found between asthenia and HIV infection.
Unfortunately, many in the medical community view asthenia as an inevitable manifestation, and thus, very little research has been done on the subject.
