Huntington’s disease is a genetic condition that causes involuntary movements, coordination problems, and cognitive impairment. Symptoms worsen over time and can appear in middle age, but younger individuals may also be affected. A genetic test can determine if an individual carries the defective gene. Children of affected parents have a 50% chance of inheriting the gene.
Huntington’s disease is a degenerative condition with symptoms that worsen as the disease progresses. Symptoms of Huntington’s disease usually begin to occur in middle-aged individuals, although the younger a person is when they develop the disease, the faster the symptoms will progress. Symptoms include involuntary facial movements, clumsiness and personality changes in the early stages, and progress later to include slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, impaired coordination and balance, and sudden, uncontrollable movements.
Early symptoms of Huntington’s disease are mild, and observers may notice changes before the affected individual does. These can include personality changes, from irritability and anger to depression, apathy, and loss of interest in things the person previously enjoyed. Coordination may decline, the individual may have difficulty maintaining balance, and motor skills become clumsy. Cognitive abilities may also be impaired, and an individual may become forgetful or have difficulty retaining new information. Some may even develop a habit of involuntary facial expressions or tics.
Huntington’s disease typically occurs in middle-aged individuals but occasionally affects younger people. In these young individuals, the disease may look a little different. Here, symptoms of Huntington’s disease may include stiff muscles, tremors or tremors, and slow movement. In the early stages of Huntington’s, the individual may also begin to suffer from seizures.
Once the disease has fully developed, the symptoms may start to take on a slightly different appearance. Movements throughout the body can become sudden and jerky, a condition called chorea. Balance and coordination can be severely impaired, and eye movements are rapid and involuntary. In later stages, speech becomes halting, difficult, and cut off or slurred. Individuals may also show signs of dementia.
Huntington’s disease is genetic, so those with a family history of the disease are particularly prone to developing it. While many of the symptoms of Huntington’s disease can be the manifestation of a number of other conditions, you should see a health care professional if any of these conditions are evident. The presence of Huntington’s symptoms does not necessarily mean that the disease is present, but a genetic test can tell whether or not an individual carries the defective gene.
Because symptoms of Huntington’s disease typically appear in middle age, many parents who carry the defective gene responsible for the disease have already had children. Children who have a parent with Huntington’s disease have a 50% chance of carrying the gene themselves, although those individuals who do not inherit this gene cannot pass it on to their children, and the disease will end with that child. However, those who inherit the gene will eventually develop the disease.
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