About
Huntington's disease
Huntington's disease usually develops between the ages of 30 and
50, but it can start at any age. Symptoms get worse gradually,
sometimes over a period of up to 20 years. At the moment, there is
no cure for the disease, but there are ways to help manage the
symptoms.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Huntington's disease are sometimes overlooked.
This is because they are mild at first and people without the
disease can have the same symptoms. People who have Huntington's
disease sometimes have problems for a long time before they find
out that they have the condition.
Early symptoms include:
mild tremor
clumsiness
lack of concentration and
irritability
difficulty remembering things
mood changes, including
depression
aggressive antisocial
behaviour
Over time the symptoms become
progressively worse. Eventually, full-time nursing care will be
needed. Later symptoms fall into three categories:
Physical symptoms
Physical symptoms include chorea (involuntary movements of the
limbs, face and body). Chorea may lead to difficulty walking,
speaking and swallowing. People often lose weight because of
difficulty eating and by burning more calories due to the
continuous movement. The ability to coordinate movement gets
gradually worse as the disease progresses.
Emotional symptoms
Emotional symptoms include depression, not only because of the
burden of having a progressive disorder, but as a direct result of
the damage to certain brain cells. You may become frustrated at
being unable to work or do previously simple tasks. You may behave
stubbornly, and have mood swings. People with Huntington's may
also become more irritable and antisocial than usual, or have less
inhibitions.
Cognitive symptoms
Cognitive symptoms include a loss of drive and initiative. People
with Huntington's may appear to be lazy or uninterested in life,
spending days doing little or neglecting personal hygiene. You may
also lose the ability to organise yourself. This is because
planning skills and the ability to do more than one task at once
deteriorate. In the later stages, you may get memory loss and be
less able to understand speech.
The behavioural changes that occur are often the most distressing
for you, your family and your carers. A previously full and active
life may be lost with a gradual reduction in independence and
mobility. At the same time, your personality can become gradually
more self-centred and unmotivated, straining personal
relationships.
Treatment
Although there is currently no cure for Huntington's disease,
there are drugs to help manage some of your symptoms. There are
medicines that can reduce the involuntary movements, and
antidepressant medicines may alleviate depression. Mood
stabilisers and antipsychotic drugs can help with some of the
emotional disturbances.
Counselling can also be helpful, both for you and your family.
Dieticians can advise on adequate calorie and nutrient intake to
stop weight loss.
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