Treatment of Huntington's disease

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There is no cure for Huntingtonâ€™s disease and its progress cannot be reversed or slowed down. Treatment can be used to manage the associated symptoms.

Medication:

In a lot of cases, medication such as anti-depressants should be considered as they can improve mood swings and treat depression.
Drugs such as tetrabenazine can be used to reduce the build up of the chemical dopamine in the brain and help control the involuntary movements. Medicines can be taken in liquid form if necessary.

Communication strategies:

Speech and language therapy can improve communication skills, improve memory and teach alternative ways of communicating. There are various ways to improve articulation, respiration and phonation. Speech therapy can also help with swallowing difficulties.
Some people find communication aids helpful, they enable communication without the need for talking, for example, pointing to symbols on a chart to indicate your mood or whether you are hungry.
The family of the person with Huntingtonâ€™s disease will need to be patient and supportive and perhaps try alternative ways of communication if speech and organising thought-processes is a problem.

Diet:

People with Huntingtonâ€™s disease need to have a high calorie diet because they burn more calories with their continuous movement. There are high calorie snacks and drinks available. A close eye should be kept on any weight loss. You may want to speak to a dietician.
To help with eating and drinking, food should be easy to chew, swallow and digest. Special straws, non-slip mats and other equipment is available.
In the late stages of the disease, alternative feeding methods such as a naso-gastric tube (tube from the nose to the stomach that delivers food) may be necessary. If you do not want to be artificially fed in the later stages of the disease, you should make your wishes known to your family and consider making an advance directive (also known as a living will).

Other:

An occupational therapist can help you with your mobility and day to day activities. Your home can be specially adapted by social services to make life easier for you, as you may be at risk from injuring yourself in a fall or accidentally creating a fire. You may need to have your shower, bath, chairs and bed adapted, and you may need to think about wheelchair access.
There are special hospices and care homes available for people in the late stages of Huntingtonâ€™s.
You should inform the DVLA if you have been diagnosed with HD, because it will affect your ability to drive. You do not need to tell them if you are carrying the faulty gene, but have not yet developed the disease.
There are support groups that can offer help and advice to people with Huntingtonâ€™s disease and their families.