Persons with HD should engage in aerobic activities ideally for at least 150 minutes a week. Walking is a good aerobic exercise and still possible for the person in the middle stage of HD to perform. If available, stationary bikes are an excellent means of providing aerobic activity.
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.
Mood and behavioral changes
Agitation, irritability, and aggression are other possible personality changes. Some patients may experience hallucinations and delusions that can severely affect their day-to-day interactions. Living with Huntington's can induce feelings of anxiety, depression, apathy, and frustration.
Strengthening your leg, back and abdominal muscles may also help you have more control and maintain your balance when you have chorea movements.” One exercise can involve being on your hands and knees and then lifting one arm or leg. Another strengthening exercise option is doing what Dr. Ross calls sit-to-stand.
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.
About Huntington's Disease
Motor issues often include involuntary movements, difficulty with speech and swallowing, lack of coordination, and fatigue and weakness. Many cognitive functions become limited, such as memory, decision making, critical thinking, multitasking and concentration.
You can't cure or slow the progression of Huntington disease, but health care providers can offer medications to help with certain symptoms. Drugs like haloperidol, tetrabenazine, and amantadine are especially helpful for controlling the unusual movements caused by Huntington disease.
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.
(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.
Choose soft, easy-to-chew and easy-to-swallow foods (aim for the consistency of porridge). Use plenty of sauces and gravies to help make main meals easier to swallow. Add plenty of custards, ice-cream and cream to desserts. Avoid hard foods such as nuts and lollies.
If you have Huntington's disease, it's important to try to stay as active as you can. This can help you feel better both physically and mentally. Getting around can be difficult if you have problems with co-ordination and balance, but even regular walking with the use of aids like walking sticks can be beneficial.
In this first Asian study on survival in HD patients, the median survival from onset was 14.5 years. Although a direct comparison is not possible, it appears that the mean survival in our study is shorter that that reported by Rinaldi et al. [14] (20 years, 95% CI: 18.3–21.7). In a study by Pekmezovic et al.
When alcohol becomes a coping mechanism for Huntington's disease, that's when it becomes a problem. “With any neurodegenerative or medical disease, drinking a lot can certainly affect your balance and your gait,” says Dr. Oguh.
People with HD may lose weight because of problems with feeding, swallowing, choking, and chest infections. 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.
Fasting reduces mHTT levels
The study revealed that food restriction triggered a process called autophagy — cells' self-cleaning process, in which any damaged or unnecessary components are removed — in the mice. As a direct result of the fasting-induced autophagy, levels of mHTT in the rodents' brains were reduced.
The most common sleep problems reported by HD patients include insomnia, difficulties in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Huntington's disease patients have a tendency to choke on food due to a lack of fine motor control (control of small muscles). They often experience enormous increases in appetite and sometimes trying to eat quickly to satisfy urgent hunger can lead to choking.
After Huntington's disease starts, a person's functional abilities gradually worsen over time. The rate of disease progression and duration varies. The time from the first symptoms to death is often about 10 to 30 years. Juvenile Huntington's disease usually results in death within 10 years after symptoms develop.
Huntington's disease (HD) commonly presents with impaired social functioning. Specifically, many patients exhibit social withdrawal, or decreased engagement in social activities.
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.
Prevention of Huntington's disease
Because Huntington's is a genetic disease, you can't do anything to prevent it if you have inherited it. If you have a history of Huntington's disease in your family, you may wish to have genetic counseling before having children of your own.
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.”