Keep life simple - Rest, Exercise, Nutrition, A daily laugh Carry earplugs with you when you are out (Some people with HD are sensitive to noise) Carry calendars with you to write down everything you must do for the day and any information you get from other people.
Other symptoms may include insomnia (having trouble sleeping), loss of energy, fatigue, and seizures. Eventually the person will need to stay in bed or in a wheelchair. Changes in thinking (cognitive changes) may include problems with attention or judgment and having difficulty solving problems or making decisions.
Huntington's disease impairs the functioning of the brain, which can result in apathy, trouble organizing, impulsivity, irritability and anger, unawareness, disinhibition, preservation, and other psychiatric symptoms. These emotional and behavioral symptoms can further complicate the caregiver's role.
A common and particularly detrimental neuropsychiatric alteration in HD gene carriers is irritability, which frequently manifests as abrupt and unpredictable outbursts of anger.
Weight loss can make symptoms worse and weaken the patient's immune system, making them more vulnerable to infections and other complications. Huntington's disease itself is not usually fatal, but it can lead to choking, pneumonia, or other infections that can lead to death.
memory lapses. depression – including low mood, a lack of interest in things, and feelings of hopelessness. stumbling and clumsiness. mood swings, such as irritability or aggressive behaviour.
Patients may be irritable or depressed. They may lack inhibition, and do or say things that one would normally find embarrassing. People with Huntington's may also be less able to control their emotions, possibly leading to outbursts of screaming, swearing, slamming doors, hitting walls, or the like.
People can start to show the symptoms of Huntington's disease at almost any age. Most will develop problems between the ages of 30 and 50. The condition gradually gets worse for around 10-25 years, until the person dies.
Unawareness of motor, cognitive, behavioral, and functional aspects of HD has been documented throughout the disease course. This can occur at motor and cognitive onset but is more pronounced as the disease progresses.
The most painful conditions in Huntington's, said Achterberg, are limb pain, headache, abdominal pain and fractures. “I think we should do more work in validation of pain tools, including observational pain instruments,” he said. “And for clinicians, I suggest you be especially aware of abdominal pain.”
The time when symptoms actually show up varies between people, however. There is evidence that about 40% of this variation is due to other genetic factors, and about 60% is due to unknown influences in a person's life or surroundings - which scientists refer to as environmental factors.
(For more information on Complications of HD, click here.) It is important to know that stress can lead to complications and the worsening of symptoms in people with HD.
Once the symptoms start to affect your daily life, you will be diagnosed with active disease. The disease is staged based on your motor function and ability to complete everyday tasks. Typically, HD progresses for 10 to 30 years.
The last symptoms in advanced stage Huntington's disease (HD) include immobility, inability to speak, and inability to eat without a feeding tube. People in this stage of the disease often require full-time skilled nursing care. The disease is usually fatal 15 to 20 years after symptoms begin.
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person's physical and mental abilities usually during their prime working years and has no cure.
Huntington's Disease (HD) is not fatal in itself. People with HD have a shorter life expectancy and die of other life-threatening complications related to this disease. Pneumonia and heart disease are the two leading causes of death for people with HD.
Huntington's disease (HD) commonly presents with impaired social functioning. Specifically, many patients exhibit social withdrawal, or decreased engagement in social activities.
Huntington's disease also causes a decline in thinking and reasoning skills, including memory, concentration, judgment, and ability to plan and organize. Huntington's disease brain changes lead to alterations in mood, especially depression, anxiety, and uncharacteristic anger and irritability.
HD patients present a broad range of psychological disturbances such as cognitive rigidity, mood disturbances, lack of empathy and breakdowns of social relationships that might also manifest even before the onset of motor dysfunction (Marvel and Paradiso, 2004).
HD can affect the ability to self evaluate and it is advised that driving be discussed with family members and your doctor. They may have a different perception of your driving skills.