What Are the Causes of Huntington's Disease?

Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder that results in severe degeneration of your brain cells. Huntington's disease can only affect you if you inherit a faulty gene from one of your parents. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, children of a parent with Huntington's disease will have up to a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease as well. The disease can cause mental wasting, uncontrollable movements and emotional outbursts.

Autosomal-Dominant Disorder

• Huntington's disease is inherited through one abnormal gene from a parent. The process is known as autosomal-dominant disorder. A child cannot develop Huntington's unless she inherits the gene. If you or your child do inherit the gene, the disease will eventually develop. As a result, the disease will gradual destroy your brain cells.

Incidence

• Most individuals who develop the disease will not become affected until they reach middle age (between 30 to 50). Very rarely do children develop signs and symptoms of Huntington's disease. Younger adults who become afflicted with Huntington's have a higher progression rate of the disease and suffer more from symptoms. Genetic testing can be conducted to see if you're a carrier of the gene. However, if the gene is present, testing cannot determine when signs and symptoms will manifest.

Factors

• Very rarely, you can develop the disease without having inherited it. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, up to 3 percent of individuals may develop the disease without having inherited the gene. There is a possibility of developing the disease due to a genetic mutation that occurred within your father's sperm growth.

Signs and Symptoms

• The disease progresses at a slow rate in older adults. When signs initially develop, you become irritable, easily angered and depressed. You may become easily confused, have difficulty in making decisions or learning and retaining new information. You begin to lack coordination, such as losing your balance and becoming clumsier. Your face also begins to make involuntary movements, such as grimacing. Once the disease progresses to its later stages, you will jerk your limbs suddenly, you won't be able to maintain your balance, your eyes will jerk about and your speech will become slurred. According to the Mayo Clinic, death results within 10 to 30 years after the onset of the disease.

Complications

• Huntington's disease can cause the inability to swallow and eat as you once were able to. Walking becomes difficult, as well as speaking. It is common for sufferers to develop dementia in the later stages. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease carries a risk of suicide due to depression. Most incidences of death are the result of infections, such as pneumonia, or due to falling.