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.
While maintaining a well-balanced diet is important, adapting food choices can also make a big difference for people with Huntington's disease. “Changing the consistency of the diet may help in light of that dysphagia,” recommends Hopsecger.
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.
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.
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.
(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.
Caffeine boosts a neuroprotective protein in the brain that is lost in neurodegenerative conditions such as Huntington's disease, according to a study. Researchers identified 23 other compounds that also act on the protein, known as NMNAT2.
Research studies have suggested that exercise is beneficial for reducing symptoms and maximizing function in persons with HD. Maintaining a healthy heart is important to the health of all persons, no matter their disability. Persons with HD should engage in aerobic activities ideally for at least 150 minutes a week.
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 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.
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.”
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.
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.
Huntington's disease is caused by a faulty gene. Cells in parts of the brain are very sensitive to the effects of the faulty gene. This makes them function poorly and eventually die. A parent with the Huntington's disease gene has one good copy of the gene and one faulty copy.
The most common sleep problems reported by HD patients include insomnia, difficulties in falling asleep, frequent nocturnal awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
Physical changes may include slurred speech and problems with swallowing, eating, speaking, and especially walking. People with HD may lose weight because of problems with feeding, swallowing, choking, and chest infections.
brain-supporting essential oils such as rosemary, frankincense and turmeric oil. lion's mane mushroom.
Medicines can help reduce some of the problems caused by Huntington's disease, but they don't stop or slow down the condition.
Acupuncture and TCM can be an effective adjunct and alternative treatment for Huntington's disease, helping to protect and stimulate the nervous system. TCM can also help address mental health and emotional disorders, like depression, anxiety, and mood swings.
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.
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.
Common emotional and behavioral difficulties among persons with HD include depression, anxiety, irritability-anger, aggression, perseveration, disinhibition, and apathy (5–14).