Huntington's disease is a genetic progressive degenerative disease that causes nerve cells in the brain to deteriorate over time. People with Huntington's disease often experience uncontrolled movements and mental deterioration, as well as emotional disturbances which can cause difficulty meeting nutritional needs adequately. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, can lead to suffocation, aspiration or even starvation. That is why dysphagia is the most common cause of death in Huntington's disease, according to the University of Chicago.
Disease Process
In the early stages of Huntington's disease, most people are still able to care for and feed themselves. However, as the disease progresses, involuntary movements make it harder for sufferers to feed themselves, until eventually they must rely on others to feed them. When it becomes impossible for the person to care for himself or receive adequate nutrition from oral feedings, physicians will often choose to insert a feeding tube into the stomach to help increase caloric intake.
Nutritional Needs
People with Huntington's disease can often burn as many as 5,000 calories in a single day just to maintain their body weight, according to MayoClinic.com. Maintaining body weight, or even adding weight, can help reduce symptoms such as involuntary movements that occur in later stages of the disease. In early-stage Huntington's disease, depression may cause decreased appetite and changes in eating habits, according to nutritionist and dietitian Anna Gaba. Middle stages of Huntington's disease can bring about difficulty swallowing and self-feeding due to increased involuntary movements. In late stages of the disease, patients will need friends or caregivers to feed them.
Increasing Caloric Intake
Because maintaining a 5,000-calorie-a-day diet is difficult, people with Huntington's disease must select food carefully. Including high-calorie foods as often as possible can help maximize caloric intake in every meal. Nutritionist Anna Gaba explains in her article, "Nutrition and Huntington's Disease," that there are ways to add calories to every meal. She suggests melting real butter and mixing it into vegetables, mashed potatoes and even hot cereals. Using full-fat sour cream and cheese can instantly increase the calorie value of any meal, as well as using regular mayo in tuna, egg salad or chicken salad.
Meal Tips
Huntington's disease can cause extreme fatigue and patients often do not feel up to cooking. Keeping foods that are easy to prepare, such as frozen meals, on hand can help people keep up with nutritional intake. The fear of choking worries many Huntington's patients, so MayoClinic.com suggests cutting food into small pieces or pureeing it. If dairy foods cause a Huntington's patient to secrete excess mucus, limit them. To cut down on spills, occupational therapists often recommend using drinking cups with lids and tableware with suction cups.
Tube Feedings
When a person can no longer meet his nutritional needs or tolerate foods orally, a physician may opt to place a feeding tube. There are three types of feeding tubes: a naso-gastric tube, which surgeons insert through the nostril and into the stomach, a gastronomy tube which is implanted through the abdomen or stomach and a jejunostomy tube which is implanted below the stomach directly into the intestine. Tube feedings are either continuous, with feedings running through the tube throughout the day, or given at meal times on a schedule.
