{"id":3848,"date":"2018-05-10T14:42:19","date_gmt":"2018-05-10T19:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/innovativehomecare.com\/?p=3848"},"modified":"2021-01-15T14:38:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T20:38:33","slug":"6-signs-of-huntingtons-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/6-signs-of-huntingtons-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Early Warning Signs of Huntington\u2019s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Huntington\u2019s disease<\/strong> \u00a0is defined by The Alzheimer\u2019s Association as \u201ca progressive brain disorder caused by a defective gene.\u201d It is an inherited condition that slowly degenerates nerve cells in the central area of the brain that is responsible for movement, mood, and cognitive function. While most people with Huntington\u2019s disease develop signs and symptoms in their 30s or 40s, it\u2019s possible for it to develop much earlier or later in a person\u2019s life. The following are six early warning signs of Huntington’s Disease to be mindful of, especially if the disorder runs in your family.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1. Poor Coordination<\/strong><\/h2>

At the onset of Huntington\u2019s disease,\u00a0coordination issues<\/strong>\u00a0may be so slight that they are easily dismissed. These changes may include compromised balance, clumsiness, stumbling while walking, or slight difficulty with daily activities like driving.<\/p>

As the disease progresses, however, these symptoms will worsen.\u00a0Feeding can also become a problem<\/strong>\u00a0in later stages, as diminished coordination may cause a person to spill or drop food.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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2. Involuntary Movements<\/strong><\/h2>

In most cases, Huntington\u2019s disease will initially manifest itself as small, uncontrollable muscle movements. In speaking with Prevention<\/strong>, Susan Perlman, MD, a neurologist, and director of UCLA\u2019s Huntington\u2019s Disease Center of Excellence, says that the affected individual may not be aware of these changes, and that is it often friends or family who will notice \u201cfingers always tapping or a twitch in the face<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>

In the later stages of the disease, these small movements may evolve into more pronounced jerking or twitching\u2014a condition known as chorea.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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3. Depression<\/strong><\/h2>

Depression among those with Huntington\u2019s disease is very common. In fact,\u00a0the Mayo Clinic says\u00a0it is the most common psychiatric disorder associated with the disease.<\/p>

But the source points out that the depression is not simply a reaction to a diagnosis. Rather, it occurs \u201cbecause of injury to the brain and subsequent changes in brain function.\u201d This can lead to additional symptoms such as irritability, social withdrawal, insomnia or fatigue.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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4. Short-Term Memory Loss<\/strong><\/h2>

A person in the early stages of Huntington\u2019s disease may also have trouble remembering things. Specifically, they may struggle with short-term memory lapses.\u00a0According to ImproveMemory.org<\/a>,<\/strong> other memory issues include \u201cpoor judgment and decision making skills, difficulties with problem-solving abilities, and a short attention span that can deteriorate over time.\u201d<\/p>

In some cases, individuals with Huntington\u2019s disease will develop dementia.\u00a0The Alzheimer\u2019s Society<\/strong> says symptoms can include \u201cdifficulties with concentration, planning, and organizational skills.\u201d Unlike those with Alzheimer\u2019s disease, however, Huntington\u2019s disease patients that have dementia will \u201ccontinue to recognize people and places until the very late stages of the illness.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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5. Slight Lack of Emotion<\/h2>

As Huntington\u2019s disease damages areas of the brain responsible for emotion, an early symptom of the disorder is that a person may exhibit\u00a0apathy<\/strong>\u2014a lack of emotions.<\/p>

Or, on the flip side, they may\u00a0alternate emotions<\/strong>\u00a0quite erratically, experiencing outbursts of aggression, anger, excitement, or frustration. As with the other symptoms, this emotional turmoil generally worsens as the disease progresses, putting immense strain on personal relationships.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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6. Slowing or Stiffness<\/strong><\/h2>

Early on, a person with Huntington\u2019s disease may notice that their movements become slower, or find that their muscles feel stiff on occasion.<\/p>

As the disease worsens, so too may these symptoms. Some individuals may develop\u00a0dystonia<\/strong>, a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract involuntarily or become rigid over time. This can eventually lead to issues with posture, speech, and swallowing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"slowing\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Huntington\u2019s disease is defined by The Alzheimer\u2019s Association as \u201ca progressive brain disorder caused by a defective gene.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disease"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3848"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12579,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions\/12579"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.innovativehomecare.com\/staging\/8503\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}