Huntington's Disease

Huntington's Disease

• An inherited disease that over time, the nerve cells in the brain begin to break down.

• This disease will typically effect a person who is in their 30's-40's.
• Anyone who inherits the gene will eventually develop the disease. 
• Huntington's disease is autosomal dominant
• When a person with this disease dies, it is typically due to complications with the disease but not the disease itself
• It affects all of the brain but some parts of the brain more than others

Signs/Symptoms:
*Symptoms will typically appear between the ages of 30-50 and will worsen over a span of 10-25 years.

• Personality changes, mood swings & depression
• Forgetfulness & impaired judgment
• Unsteady gait & involuntary movements 
• Slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing & significant weight loss

Stages:
Early stage: includes subtle changes in coordination, perhaps some involuntary movements, difficulty thinking through problems and often a depressed or irritable mood
Middle stage: movement disorder may become more of a problem (medication may be considered), changes in thinking and reasoning abilities, diminished speech and difficulty swallowing, ordinary activities become harder to do
Late stage: totally dependent on others for their care, choking becomes a major concern, person will no longer be able to speak or walk, however, the person with the disease is generally still able to comprehend language and retains an awareness of family and friends

Diagnosis:

• genetic testing
• prenatal testing

Treatment:

• different treatments can help the symptoms be reduced but there is no cure for this disease
• this is a chronic disease which means it can last for years or lifelong

Reflection: This isn't something we really went over in class but this disease interests me. There is something about the brain and how it works that really intrigues me. This topic was the "fun" topic I would be able to research and blog about. I learned what the disease is and how it can be hard for the family and the person who has the disease.


CITATIONS:

Team, Health. "What Is Huntington’S Disease (HD) | Health Life Media". Healthlifemedia.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 May 2017.

"What Is HD? |". Hdsa.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 26 May 2017.