What is Huntington’s Disease
“A curse that makes family and friends watch a loved one slowly change into someone they’re not, an angry drunk, a happy drunk, a confused drunk and a sleepy drunk without a drop of alcohol. Then when the disease decides it’s time, it takes their ability to walk, to talk and to eat before it takes them once and for all”
— Anthony Lomas Chairman and founder of HD Livin
What is HD - The Medical explanation
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a progressive brain disorder caused by a defective gene. This disease causes changes in the central area of the brain, which affect movement, mood and thinking skills. The disease affects between one in 10,000 and one in 20,000 people in the UK. It affects men and women equally and there is currently no Cure or way of slowing the Disease.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Huntington's Disease usually develop between ages 30 and 50, but they can appear as early as age 2 or as late as 80. The hallmark symptom of Huntington's Disease is uncontrolled movement of the arms, legs, head, face and upper body. Huntington's disease also causes a decline in thinking and reasoning skills, including memory, concentration, judgment, and ability to plan and organise.
Huntington's disease brain changes lead to alterations in mood, especially depression, anxiety, and uncharacteristic anger and irritability. Another common symptom is obsessive-compulsive behaviour, leading a person to repeat the same question or activity over and over.
The Need for Care
There is currently no cure for Huntington's Disease and no way to slow or stop the brain changes it causes. This means after symptoms start they get progressively worse until the sufferer is unable to care for themselves and requires full time care. This more often than not is taken on by a spouse, sibling, son, daughter or other family member. Caring for someone with HD is 24/7 and extremely tiring, as we have witnessed first hand in our family and many others.