Huntington's disease is an inherited degenerative disease that causes nerve cells to progressively waste away, resulting in uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbances and even mental deterioration. Because people with this disease commonly feel ill, they might experience a lack or decrease in appetite, but tt important to prevent weight loss and other complications by following an adequate diet.
Causes
Huntington's disease is an inherited autosomal dominant disease caused by a single abnormal gene. This means that only one parent has to have the gene in order for the child to have it too, giving the child a 50 percent chance of developing the disease. According to MayoClinic.com, in 2006, researchers found that the protein expressed by the defective gene in people with Huntington's disease interacts with another protein, which results in an accumulation of cholesterol in the brain. This accumulation affects the network of brain cells and can affect motor skills and cognitive skills as well.
Symptoms
Symptoms of this disease vary from person to person, with severity related to the degree of brain cell damage. Early signs include personality changes like irritability, anger or depression; a decrease in cognitive skills, such as making decisions or learning new things; balance problems and clumsiness; and involuntary facial movements. Later symptoms include jerky, involuntary movements; severe coordination problems; rapid eye movements; slurred speech; swallowing problems; and eventually dementia.
Treatment
There is no known cure for Huntington's disease. Treatment focuses on controlling symptoms with medications to reduce the jerkiness, or tranquilizers for the irritability or mood swings. Doctors also might recommend physical, occupational and speech therapy.
Adding Extra Calories To Foods
There are a few things that you can do to add extra calories to foods and prevent malnutrition. The American Dietetic Association recommends that you use cream, whole milk, evaporated milk or condensed milk instead of low-fat or fat-free dairy. Another tip is to add cheese, butter or oil to your vegetables to increase their caloric content, and add avocado and creamy dressings to your salads. Adding sugar to cereals or ice-cream, cheese or peanut butter to your fruits or desserts can give you an extra few hundred calories..
Maintaining Your Intake
Try eating five to six meals every day instead of two or three big ones so that you can maximize the amount of food you eat in a day. When eating, try to do so in a relaxed and worry-free atmosphere to enhance your appetite. Have snacks available wherever you go so that you can munch on them frequently. Also, it might be a good idea to have cues to remind yourself when it is time to eat, like setting an alarm or having someone call on you. Finally, avoid drinking fluids with your meals since you can get full on them and then not eat the solid foods. Instead, have a supplement shake or juice between meals.
