Overview of Huntington's disease
Huntington’s disease is an inherited condition. It is transmitted from parents to offspring. If a parent has Huntington’s disease, there is a 50% risk that the child will develop it. If the child does not contract the sickness, he or she will not transmit it to other children. In 1% to 3% of cases of Huntington’s disease, no family history of the ailment has ever been documented.
Huntington’s disease is an uncommon condition. Currently, more than 15,000 Americans have Huntington’s disease, but many more are at risk of developing it.
If you carry the gene for Huntington’s disease, you will eventually get the disease. The average age of onset for Huntington’s disease is in the 30s or 40s, however it varies widely from person to person.
Symptoms of Huntington’s disease
There are a variety of signs and symptoms associated with HD, and they can vary considerably from person to person. Symptoms may consist of:
- Depression and alterations in behavior and disposition
- A decline in logical reasoning and thinking
- Uncontrolled motions and walking impairment
- Difficulties with communication and swallowing
- Weight loss
The majority of individuals with HD show signs and symptoms between the ages of 30 and 50.
HD is a progressive disease, meaning a person’s symptoms develop over a period of 10 to 25 years, eventually leading to death.
In youngsters, the symptoms frequently resemble those of Parkinson’s disease, including:
- Slow actions
- Rigidity
- Tremors
Juvenile Huntington’s disease
If a person develops symptoms before the age of 20, a physician will diagnose them with juvenile Huntington’s disease.
The physical signs of the disease’s juvenile form are typically distinct and can include limb stiffness, tremors, and learning regression.
This variant of the disease typically advances more swiftly. Within a decade following a diagnosis, it may be fatal. Frequently, complications such as pneumonia or choking result in death.
Diagnosis
- If your primary care physician believes that your Huntington’s disease symptoms warrant additional study, they will send you to a specialist doctor (often a neurologist).
- The specialist will inquire about your symptoms to determine the likelihood that you have Huntington’s disease and to rule out other disorders with comparable symptoms.
- They may also examine your eye movements, balance, control, mobility, and walking. Your speech and intelligence may also be evaluated. Each of these is susceptible to Huntington’s disease.
- MRI may be performed to rule out other problems
- The diagnosis can be confirmed through genetic testing.
Huntington's disease types
The illness Huntington’s has two subtypes:
Adult-onset Huntington’s disease – The most prevalent kind of Huntington’s disease. Symptoms often manifest between the ages of 30 and 40.
Early-onset Huntington’s disease – Occasionally, children and teenagers will contract the disease. Children with the condition frequently face sudden academic difficulties and frequently exhibit symptoms that resemble Parkinson’s disease.
Treatment
- This illness is incurable.
- There are ongoing clinical trials to identify disease-modifying medicines to halt or reverse Huntington’s disease.
- Medications that deplete dopamine (such as tetrabenazine) or block dopamine are employed in the symptomatic treatment of chorea (such as antipsychotics).
- Variable symptomatic therapies for psychiatric, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms include SSRIs, antipsychotics, and other medications.
Cause of death in Huntington's disease
Included among the causes of death among Huntington’s disease patients are:
- Pathogens such as pneumonia
- Accidental injuries from falling
- Complications resulting from an inability to swallow
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