Medically reviewed by Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Shera.
Your brain is like a spider-web, except the connecting threads are nerves, mimicking billions of computers working together. But when there is a glitch at the base of your CPU, aka the ‘basal ganglia’, the nerve cells are unable to pass information, causing your brain to act like the roads of Karachi on a Monday morning. Now, all of this only happens if you have a particular mutated gene present. It’s called the HTT gene and is supposed to provide information to make a protein called ‘huntingtin’, which appears to play an important role in nerve cells.
The Warning Signs
Although congenital, the symptoms of Huntington’s disease usually start showing between 35 and 50 years of age. From movement to behavior, everything is affected. However, during the course of the disease, some symptoms may have a greater effect on the functional ability than others.
– Movement Problems
- Involuntary jerking
- Rigidity of the muscles
- Slow or abnormal eye movement
- Impaired manner of walking, posture and balance
- Difficulty swallowing
- Difficulty talking
– Cognitive Problems
- Difficulty in learning new information
- Slowness in processing thoughts or finding words
- Difficulty analyzing and focusing on tasks
- Lack of impulse control resulting in aggressive outbursts and acting without thinking
- Developing a tendency to get stuck on a thought or a task
– Psychiatric Problems
- Feelings of extreme sadness or irritability
- Fatigue and loss of energy
- Social withdrawal
- Insomnia or other sleep problems
- Frequent thoughts of death, dying or suicide
- Developing mental health disorders such as Bipolar Disorder and OCD.
Staying Strong is the Answer
Being diagnosed with a disease that cannot be cured is like going through a snake-pit. But, as painful and devastating as it is, the only way out is standing tall throughout the process. Whether it’s a suffering loved one or you yourself, there are still a certain amount of things that can slow down the damaging process, especially if an early diagnosis is made.
Managing HD naturally
Because the symptoms of Huntington’s are a combination of mental health, cognitive and motor disorders, different medicines are given to relieve the symptoms. However, through these natural ways, it is possible to get a better hang of the disease
- Avoid smoking
- Maintain physical activity
- Make a schedule and follow a routine, as practicing reminders will be helpful
- Stay social and practice hobbies
- Take creatine and vitamin E-supplements, as they help in delaying the onset and progression of the symptoms
Huntington’s disease, with its similarities to other common disorders like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s is not a piece of cake to diagnose. Yes, it is rare but is still important for everyone to know about this disease as it will help them understand the victims of this disorder. So, start educating your loved ones and friends about it, because drops of education create a whole sea of information.
Guest Post Credit:Dr. Maleeha Syed
