Huntington's disease is a hereditary disease that causes sufferers to experience disturbances in thinking and movement, as well as mental disorders. A person suffering from this disease will have difficulty in carrying out activities and meeting daily needs.
Treatment for Huntington's disease aims to relieve symptoms and will be tailored to the symptoms experienced. Do not hesitate to consult directly with a doctor, to determine the appropriate treatment method.
Causes of Huntington's Disease
Huntington's disease is the result of a defective gene. This gene is passed from parent to child. Even so, this condition is different from some other hereditary diseases.
In some hereditary diseases, the defective gene can be passed on to a child if both parents have it. However, in Huntington's disease, the defective gene can be passed on to a child even if only one parent has it. In other words, a child has a high risk of developing Huntington's disease if one parent has the condition.
Symptoms of Huntington's Disease
This disease can interfere with the ability to think (cognitive) and move, and experience mental disorders. This will cause various symptoms in each patient.
Symptoms due to impaired cognitive abilities include:
- Slow to understand the meaning of a speech or have difficulty finding the words to say.
- Difficulty prioritizing, organizing, or focusing on a job.
- Difficulty learning an information.
- Unaware of one's own behavior and abilities.
- Constantly immersed in one thought or action.
- Loss of control over one action, for example doing something impulsively (without thinking it through) or suddenly getting angry.
Symptoms due to movement disordersinclude:
- Slow moving eyes.
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing.
- Balance disorders.
- Muscles feel stiff.
- Choreai.e. jerking or writhing movements that occur out of control.
This movement disorder will limit the sufferer in carrying out daily activities, including school or work.
Symptoms of psychiatric disorders include:
- Withdrawing from the social environment.
- Obsessive compulsive disorder.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Too confident.
- Insomnia.
- Often angry, sad, and do not care about those around him.
- Often talks about death or suicidal ideation.
Symptoms of Huntington's disease generally appear when the sufferer is 30 to 40 years old. However, it is possible that the symptoms of Huntington's disease have appeared at the age of children or adolescents (under 20 years). That condition is called juvenile Huntington.
On juvenile HuntingtonThe symptoms that can appear are:
- Seizures
- Stiff muscles that affect the way you walk
- Decreased achievement in school
- Handwriting change
- Experiencing tremors or shaking
- Loss of academic or physical abilities that were previously mastered.
Huntington's Disease Diagnosis
Family medical history is one of the important data for doctors, so be sure to provide detailed information about this to the doctor. After that, the doctor will perform a nerve function examination (neurological examination). In the process, the doctor will ask questions and perform simple tests to assess:
- Vision
- Hearing
- Balance
- Fingering ability
- Body move
- Muscle strength and shape
- Reflex
The doctor will also perform supporting tests in the form of:
- Brain function tests and brain scans, such as electroencephalography tests, which are used to check the electrical activity in the brain, or MRI and CT scans, which can display images of the brain so that it can be seen how it is.
- Genetic testing. This test is done by taking a sample of the patient's blood for further examination in the laboratory. Genetic testing can also be done to detect this disease if there is a family member who has Huntington's disease, even if it doesn't cause symptoms.
The doctor can also suggest other tests, if needed. Consult further with your doctor regarding the examination to be carried out. Ask about the benefits and risks of the examination.
Huntington's Disease Treatment
Treatment for Huntington's disease aims to relieve symptoms. Treatment for each symptom is different and it is necessary to consult with a neurologist first.
For symptoms of movement disorders, the patient will be given medication according to the symptoms that appear. For example for choreaSome of the drugs that can be given are:
- Antipsychotic drugs, such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine
- Levetiracetam
- Clonazepam
Medication can also be given to relieve symptoms of psychiatric disorders. Different symptoms of psychiatric disorders that arise, different drugs prescribed by doctors. Some of the medications used to relieve symptoms of mental disorders include:
- Antidepressants, such as escitalopram, fluoxetine, and sertraline.
- Antipsychotic, such as quetiapine, risperidone, and olanzapine.
- Anticonvulsants, such as carbamazepine and lamotrigine.
Each drug can cause side effects and potentially make the condition worse. Therefore, use the drug as recommended by the doctor.
In addition to medication, the symptoms of Huntington's disease can also be treated with therapy. There are many therapies that can be applied and each has different benefits. The doctor will determine the right type of therapy and according to the symptoms the patient is experiencing.
For example, if the patient has difficulty controlling emotions, the doctor will recommend that the patient follow psychotherapy. In the process, the therapist will assist the patient in managing behavior. If there are disturbances in movement or balance problems, the doctor will recommend other therapies, such as physiotherapy or occupational therapy, to assist patients in carrying out daily activities.
Keep in mind that there is no treatment method that can definitively treat Huntington's disease completely.
Complications of Huntington's Disease
Symptoms of Huntington's disease will get worse over time. There will be times when the patient cannot do anything, including speak, but can still recognize the people around him and understand what the person is talking about. In this phase, patients need the help of others to meet their daily needs.
Many people with Huntington's disease only survive 15 to 20 years after symptoms appear. Some cases show that it is caused by suicide triggered by major depression. Other cases are caused by injuries from falls, malnutrition due to difficulty swallowing, and the emergence of infections such as lung infections (pneumonia).
Huntington's Disease Prevention
One of the ways to prevent Huntington's disease is through IVF and genetic analysis before planning to have children, if someone in the family suffers from this disease. Doctors will select eggs and sperm that do not have the Huntington's disease gene. Discuss further the benefits and risks with your doctor.
