Huntington’s disease (HD) is a severely debilitating disease that results in the selective death of brain cells. The progressive breakdown of the nerve cells in the brain is a characteristic of this inherited disease. Most people with Huntington’s disease experience the signs and symptoms of the disease in their 30s or 40s. The disease, however, may emerge much earlier or later in life. Chorea refers to the abnormal involuntary movements that occur in people affected by Huntington’s disease. Huntington’s chorea may occur in the form of slow, distal movements or severe wild, violent movements that may induce injuries.

Huntington’s chorea is caused by the abnormal expansion of the IT-15 gene on chromosome 4, which encodes for the huntingtin protein. Genetic counseling is essential for asymptomatic individuals who have a family history of the disease. Although the symptoms can be managed medically, one cannot prevent the progressive physical, mental, and behavioral decline associated with Huntington’s disease.

Symptoms of Huntington’s disease
Huntington’s disease causes cognitive, psychiatric, and motion-related disorders. Common physical symptoms of Huntington’s chorea are:

  • Involuntary writhing or jerky movements (chorea)
  • Rigidity or muscle contractions
  • Abnormal eye movements
  • Speech difficulty
  • Difficulty in swallowing
  • An impaired gait or posture

Other psychiatric symptoms are feelings of guilt, sadness, irritability, insomnia, frequent thoughts of death, or suicide. Cognitive symptoms of Huntington’s disease are difficulty in organizing, lack of perseverance, slowness in thought processing, and difficulty in learning or retaining new information.

Diet tips for Huntington’s chorea
People affected by Huntington’s chorea often experience problems when eating or swallowing food. They tend to choke while eating. Due to these difficulties, one may experience an enormous increase in appetite, may eat rapidly, may find it difficult to chew or swallow, or spit food while eating. Here are a few diet tips for those affected by Huntington’s disease:

  • Choose small meals that are consumed at frequent intervals.
  • Ensure that the meal timings are spaced widely apart.
  • Always have a second serving.
  • Choose food that is soft and easy to chew and swallow.
  • Eat food that is in the form of gravy to ease swallowing.
  • Avoid foods like tomato or bacon because they separate into strings or sections while eating.
  • Include protein-fortified milkshakes and nutrition-supplement drinks.
  • Avoid hard food like lollies, candies, or nuts.
  • Include food rich in nutrition and calories in your diet.
  • Add custard-based food and ice creams to desserts.
  • Avoid non-fat or low-fat foods in your diet; choose high-fat varieties in their place.
  • People affected by Huntington’s chorea must prepare oneself before mealtime. Some of the pre-meal preparations that a person with Huntington’s disease must ensure to undertake are taking adequate rest before mealtime, dining in a calm environment, arranging eating aids (spoons, forks, and such) within reach, and choosing an accessible spot while eating.

Concusion
A well-planned diet and proper pre-meal precautions can make dining easy for a person affected by Huntington’s disease.