According to the Mayo Clinic, Huntington's disease can be defined as, “is an inherited disease that causes the progressive breakdown (degeneration) of nerve cells in the brain” (Huntington's disease, 2017). Huntington's disease is often times referred to as HD. The symptoms of Huntington's disease can impact someone on different levels including: cognitive, muscular, behavioral, psychological, and mood. This is not a disease that one obtains from somebody coughing on one. It is an autosomal dominant disorder that affects chromosome number four. One normally presents with symptoms in their thirties or forties, but sometimes Huntington's disease presents itself before the age of twenty. There are several different ways one can test for Huntington's
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In some cases, though the patient is a juvenile. In the juvenile cases the patient usually only lives ten to fifteen years after being diagnosed. The most common way of testing for Huntington's disease is to do genetic testing or simply by looking at the family’s medical history. Looking through the family’s medical history allows you to detect if any family members have had Huntington's disease before, but the genetic mapping or testing can allow those who have not had family members with a confirmed diagnosis to make a confirmed diagnosis. The genetic testing can be used for predictive testing so you ill know that you have it and can take preventive measures to minimize your symptoms. One can also undergo a neurological examination where their motor, sensory, and psychiatric symptoms will be tested. These symptoms may include reflexes, vision/eye movement, mental status, and mood. Psychiatric examinations may also be performed to confirm a diagnosis. When they do the psychiatric examinations they test your mental stability, mood swings, and test one's quality of judgment (Huntington's disease, …show more content…
Tetrabenazine (Xenazine) and antipsychotics are the most common medications used to treat Huntington's disease. The tetrabenazine is made specifically for the involuntary jerking movements that these patients experience. The antipsychotics can be beneficial, but they also can hurt more than help. The antipsychotics suppress movement, but they can worsen the involuntary jerking movements(Huntington's disease, 2017). Psychotherapy is another treatment one can undergo. For some people talking to a psychologist is just as beneficial as taking a pill. Since Huntington's disease can affect the muscles of the mouth and throat people with Huntington's disease receive speech therapy to help them keep their ability to talk. Physical therapy and speaking to a nutritionist can also be used as treatment and have shown to be
In some cases, though the patient is a juvenile. In the juvenile cases the patient usually only lives ten to fifteen years after being diagnosed. The most common way of testing for Huntington's disease is to do genetic testing or simply by looking at the family’s medical history. Looking through the family’s medical history allows you to detect if any family members have had Huntington's disease before, but the genetic mapping or testing can allow those who have not had family members with a confirmed diagnosis to make a confirmed diagnosis. The genetic testing can be used for predictive testing so you ill know that you have it and can take preventive measures to minimize your symptoms. One can also undergo a neurological examination where their motor, sensory, and psychiatric symptoms will be tested. These symptoms may include reflexes, vision/eye movement, mental status, and mood. Psychiatric examinations may also be performed to confirm a diagnosis. When they do the psychiatric examinations they test your mental stability, mood swings, and test one's quality of judgment (Huntington's disease, …show more content…
Tetrabenazine (Xenazine) and antipsychotics are the most common medications used to treat Huntington's disease. The tetrabenazine is made specifically for the involuntary jerking movements that these patients experience. The antipsychotics can be beneficial, but they also can hurt more than help. The antipsychotics suppress movement, but they can worsen the involuntary jerking movements(Huntington's disease, 2017). Psychotherapy is another treatment one can undergo. For some people talking to a psychologist is just as beneficial as taking a pill. Since Huntington's disease can affect the muscles of the mouth and throat people with Huntington's disease receive speech therapy to help them keep their ability to talk. Physical therapy and speaking to a nutritionist can also be used as treatment and have shown to be