There are various neurodegenerative disorders and Huntington Disease is one of them. It is characterized by loss of thinking ability, chorea or uncontrolled writhing and jerking movements, and psychiatric difficulties. 

Nerve cells in the brain are impaired in this disease. This leads to loss of coordination and involuntary movements. As the disease progresses, patients slowly fail to control their throat and mouth muscles and simple tasks like eating, swallowing, and speaking becomes challenging.

Huntington's Disease may also affect the reasoning and thinking abilities of an individual and makes communication and conversations more challenging. The problem of swallowing food can lead to choking as food can go down the wrong way or a lung infection in more severe cases. 

Speech-Language Pathologist or Speech Therapist helps the patients with speaking and swallowing problems with the help of various therapies.

Visiting a Speech-Language Pathologist in the initial stage of Huntington's Disease is advised. This helps in planning in advance about the ways to handle changes as the disease progresses. The therapist can help the patients when they begin showing an inability to speak or understand and swallowing problems. The symptoms showing swallowing difficulties may include choking, coughing and altered eating habits of the patient and loss of weight.

Symptoms

Dysarthria, in which the ability to remember words, understanding and forming a sentence is not lost but clear speech becomes difficult.

Stammering.

Slow or imprecise speech.

Aphasia, inability to understand what is being said and inability to remember grammar and vocabulary, and the pattern of losing a word in between the sentences.

Weak voice or low volume because of respiration issues.

Scanned Speech or unusual lengthy pauses between words.

Problem with pitch control and resonance.

Treatment

The progression of Huntington s disease varies from patient to patient and the therapy also varies as per the needs and challenges of the patients. The therapy usually starts with the discussion of problems and symptoms faced by the patients. 

For swallowing difficulties, patients may be recommended to maintain a journal of swallowing problems and fixing a time for meal intake every day. He/she may be recommended to eat soft food items, and eat slowly and chew the food properly.

As for speech therapy, one may be recommended breathing exercises. The therapist may demonstrate the patients how to overemphasize certain mouth movements to make the words easier to understand. The family of the patient is advised to reduce distraction while communicating with the patient. 

Assistive devices can also help with communication such as computers, smartphones or tablets. Other low-tech objects from everyday life, such as calendars, picture boards with a depiction of daily life activities, and object images and notebooks can also be helpful.

Take Away
Huntington Disease is a brain disorder where it becomes difficult for a person to control mouth muscles. In this, speaking, swallowing, and eating becomes a task for them. There are speech therapies that can help the patients to gather control over their words and communication problems.

 Huntington's Disease - How Effective Is Speech Therapy In It?

Neuropathy, popularly called us peripheral neuropathy, is a condition where the nerves that are responsible for carrying information from spinal cord to brain is damaged. It is always good to consult your Ayurvedic doctor to treat neuropathy. The affected patients are treated naturally with Bhumyamalaki Chura 3g on a dosage of two times per day. It is always good to go by

Symptoms
Peripheral neuropathy condition results in numbness and pain in feet and hands. The usual symptoms of the disease include infections, metabolic disorders, exposure to toxins and injuries. Sometimes tingling or pain of toes, legs, feet, arms, hand, fingers etc. may happen.

Causes
In spite of reducing the body s toxicity, it is very important to identify the root cause for the disease. Here the essential cause for the disease includes viruses, inflammation and oxidation.

Treatment

Intake of 600 mg lipoic acid per day would reduce the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy. In case of diabetes patients, it is good to monitor the blood glucose level, as the intake of lipoic acid on a regular basis might reduce blood glucose level.
Another effective medicine to control the symptom of Peripheral neuropathy is CoQ10. This is very good at treating heart and brain.
Omega-3 fatty acid is also good at treating this disease. Salmon fish and flax seeds acids are the natural source of fatty acids that helps in reducing the inflammation I the body.
An herb known as St.John s wort is good at treating all types of nerve injuries, especially to the toes and fingers. It helps in reducing the burning and shooting pain. The herb is very powerful in treating mild depression and is anti-viral herb.
The numbness and weakness in the limb can be cured by the regular usage of oat seed. It is an herb that is rich in minerals. It is a safe natural medicine free from any side effect.
Another herb called passion flower is useful in curing from agitation, spasms, muscle twitching and restlessness.
Nettle and Ginko Bilba are other useful herbs that help in treating peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral Neuropathy - How Ayurveda Can Help You Treat it?

Nerve compression is a condition caused by direct pressure on a nerve. It occurs when a nerve is squeezed or compacted. It is also known as compression neuropathy or entrapment neuropathy. 

It typically occurs at a single location. Nerves in the torso, limbs, and extremities may be affected. Common symptoms include pain, numbness, and muscle weakness at the site of the nerve.

Nerve compression syndrome is also known as:

nerve entrapment syndrome
compression neuropathy
entrapment neuropathy
trapped nerve
Types

Mentioned below are few of the most common types of nerve compression syndromes:

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Cubital tunnel syndrome
Suprascapular nerve compression syndrome
Guyon s canal syndrome
Meralgia paresthetica
Radial nerve compression syndrome
Causes

Prolonged or repeated external force, such as sitting with one's arm over the back of a chair (radial nerve), frequently resting one's elbows on a table (ulnar nerve), or an ill-fitting cast or brace on the leg (peroneal nerve).
Accidents such as sprains, fractures, and broken bones can also cause nerve compression syndrome
Diabetes
Autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis
Thyroid dysfunction
High blood pressure
Tumors and cysts
Pregnancy or menopause
Obesity
Neural disorders
Signs and Symptoms

Pain in the area of compressions, such as the neck or lower back
Radiating pain, such as sciatica or radicular pain
Numbness or tingling
Pins and needles or a burning sensation
Weakness
Symptoms worsen when you try specific movements, such as turning your head or straining your neck
Management

Lifestyle changes: Avoiding movements that cause pain.  Changing job duties may relieve symptoms. Losing weight can improve symptoms if obesity is the cause of nerve compression syndrome,
Physical therapy: Flexibility, strength, and range of motion in the affected area can be improved by working with a physical therapist. Physical therapy can also relieve symptoms, such as pain and numbness.
Medication: Drugs commonly prescribed to manage symptoms caused by nerve compression syndrome include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil) and aspirin. Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, are injected directly around the nerve.
Prosthetic devices: In few cases of nerve compression syndrome, a doctor or physical therapist may advise a splint or a brace to help avoid putting pressure on the nerve.
Surgery: The surgical procedure required depends on the type of nerve compression syndrome, the degree of compression, and the nerves and structures affected. Surgery also depends on several factors, which include the duration of the symptoms, the severity of symptoms, and any other underlying health conditions you might have. 
Home remedies: The following home remedies may stop or ameliorate symptoms of nerve compression syndrome:
Stop activities that cause pain
Apply icing on the affected area for 10 15 minutes
Taking regular breaks when doing repetitive tasks
Applying topical creams, such as menthol
Elevating the affected area
Keeping the affected area warmPerforming stretches and exercises to improve strength and flexibility
Using relaxation exercises

Pinched Nerve (Compressed Nerve) - How Can It Be Managed?

Trigeminal neuralgia is specified by the condition of a chronic pain that influences the trigeminal nerve. This nerve transfers sensation from one s face to his/her brain. If a person is suffering from trigeminal neuralgia, then a gentle stimulation of face (sourced from brushing teeth or applying makeup) might generate a fright of agonizing pain. The affected person might experience short and mild attacks initially. However, the trigeminal neuralgia might progress and generate more-frequently and longer attack of severely critical pain. Women get affected by this situation more than men get and it is more prominently occur in individuals older than 50 years.

Trigeminal neuralgia does not mandatorily mean that you need to experience a lifelong pain. Various types of treatment alternatives are available and so doctors can usually handle the particular condition effectively by taking help of injections, medications or surgery. Various types of triggers might cause the pain regarding trigeminal neuralgia, such as eating, drinking, shaving, brushing teeth, touching face, smiling, washing face etc.

Symptoms

The symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia might comprise of one or more patterns and some of these are described below:

Sequences of serious, jolting or shooting pain that might generate as an electric shock
Spontaneous pain attacks or attacks stimulated by different activities like face touching, speaking, chewing, or brushing teeth. Pain attacks last from a few moments to some minutes.
It is not a comprehensive list because Trigeminal neuralgia hosts various other symptoms as well. If a person feels facial pain, specifically recurring or prolonged pain or if the person does not get relief through the utilization over-the-counter pain relievers, then that person must consult a doctor.
How does Radiofrequency Ablation treat Trigeminal Neuralgia?

Trigeminal Neuralgia is a chronic and painful condition that involves the trigeminal nerve. There are two separate trigeminal nerves on both sides of the face, which carry the sensations like pain from the face to the body. Each nerve has three branches- forehand, midface and chin and trigeminal neuralgia can cause intense pain in any of these areas.

Causes-

This occurs when the trigeminal nerve functioning is disrupted. When the blood vessel/artery and the trigeminal nerve at the base of your brain come in contact, it puts pressure on the nerves and causes pain.
It also occurs as a result of ageing or multiple sclerosis
A disorder that damages the myelin sheath protecting the nerves can trigger pain
Sometimes pain occurs from tumors, which compresses the trigeminal nerves
Surgical strokes, facial trauma or strokes can also be the root cause of excruciating pain
Triggers-

Shaving
Touching your face
Eating and drinking
Putting on makeup
Brushing
Washing your face
Symptoms-

The pain can be mild and for a shorter duration or it can happen frequently for longer durations. Some experience the pain in cycles where it can come and go for days or even for weeks. Gradually the intensity of the pain lessens.

Cure by Radio-frequency Ablation

The treatment of trigeminal neuralgia is often a challenging process in clinical practice. When medicines do not prove as effective, surgery is the desired option.

Procedure-

After applying local anaesthesia, the Pain Specialist carefully inserts a needle through the corner of your mouth to reach the trigeminal nerve
The doctors then wake up the patient after stimulating the nerves and ask them to feel the stimulation at the same place where they undergo pain. This confirms their targeted location
Once you fall asleep again, the Pain Specialist uses radiofrequency heat to injure the nerve enough to create numbness and removes the pain
How Effective is Radio-frequency Ablation?

The pain is cured almost in 98% of the patients. 50% of patients report a recurrence of pain after about two years. Hence the procedure can be repeated in the same patient if necessary.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult a specialist & get answers to your questions!

Trigeminal Neuralgia And Radio-Frequency Ablation - What Causes It?

Do you know that Huntington s disease is an inherited disease? This condition leads to the progressive degeneration of the nerve cells present in your brain. Huntington's disease has severe impact on several functional abilities of an affected person and results in psychiatric, thinking and movement disorders.

Causes
Huntington s disease occurs from an inherited defect present in a single gene. It is a form of autosomal dominant disorder, which indicates that a person requires just one copy of the defective gene for developing the disorder. Except the genes on the chromosomes, two copies of every gene are inherited by a person. The affected parent may pass along the defective gene copy or the healthy copy.

Symptoms
Commonly, the symptoms of Huntington s disease start appearing during midlife. It may also affect a person during childhood. The symptoms of this disease vary from person to person. Abnormal movement and weight loss are common symptoms, which occur in all stages.

Early stage

The usual early stage symptoms include the following:

Slight coordination changes, which affect balance and make you clumsy
Uncontrollable fidgety movement
Stiffness and slowing
Irritability and depression
Problems with thinking in difficult situations
Middle stage
With passing time, the symptoms start interfering more with the patient s daily life and activities. You may start dropping things, face trouble with swallowing, and talking. Staying organized may get tough. Certain emotional changes are indicated.

Later stage
In the later stage of Huntington s disease, a patient becomes dependent on others for taking care of them. A patient cannot walk or speak, and fidgety movements are likely to become more severe or may subside.

Treatment
Huntington s disease has no fixed cure. Several measures are followed for managing the symptoms. They are as follows:

Medications are used to manage fidgety movements. Other medicines are also used for controlling any other side effect experienced.
Speech or language therapy may be beneficial in case of speech and swallowing problems.
Physical therapy may help you in improving your control movements. Assistive devices like handrails can be used for managing your changing physical abilities.
Nutritional support is used in which special utensils are used to focus on a nutrient-rich diet.
Exercise is also important for patients with Huntington s disease as it enables them to stay active and fit.
In case you experience any symptom of Huntington s disease, it is important for you to consult a doctor immediately. This is a severe disease and early diagnosis and treatment will prevent the condition from worsening.

Huntington's Disease - Understanding the Stages of Symptoms!

Nerve pain or peripheral neuropathy, as it is medically known, is characterized by pain, numbness and weakness that arise out of nerve damage. This pain is usually restricted to the feet and the hands.

What are the common causes?

Diabetes is the most common cause for this condition. However, other causes, such as injuries, infections and prolonged exposure to certain toxins can also trigger nerve pain.

How can you control nerve pain?

Nerve pain can be managed and taken care of at home taking into consideration the points that have been mentioned below:

Topical Painkillers: Certain over the counter ointments and creams can help relieve nerve pain. These medications act as local anesthetics; that is they numb the area of the pain. Capsaicin, a derivative of chili peppers, is one of the major ingredients used in these medicines. Others use botanical oils as the major ingredients.

Painkillers: There are painkillers available OTC which can curb nerve pain. However, painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin and acetaminophen do not really work well for severe pain of the nerves.

Supplements: The lack of Vitamin B12 is considered to be a very important cause, and at times, a catalyst for nerve pain. In a case such as this, Vitamin B12 supplements or injections might be administered. Although more research needs to go into this, but certain supplements, especially gamma-linolenic and alpha-lipoic acid can help soothe nerve pain caused by diabetes.

Acupuncture: This time-honored Chinese approach is a proven alleviator of nerve pain. Acupuncture releases chemicals which numb the pain, or prevent the pain signals from travelling to the brain.

Physical Therapy and Massages: Physical Therapy can especially heal and strengthen weak muscles that can stem from acute nerve damage and pain. Though more evidence is needed, according to a few sufferers of this condition, massages can be helpful with the tremendously painful muscle spasms that can so often result from nerve pain.

Relaxation Techniques: In combination with the abovementioned approaches, relaxation techniques can go a long way in relieving debilitating neural pain. Besides being helpful with dealing and reducing a few stress phases of life which can cause nerve pain, these techniques might actually root out the actual pain itself.

Lifestyle Modifications: This one s always a winner! Eating a well-balanced diet that guarantees all nutrients in uniform amounts can never go wrong. Regular exercises for about 30-45 minutes can remedy different types of pain; nerve pain being one of them. Try and limit alcohol intake (a peg once a week won t harm one, but binge drinking can play the ultimate spoilsport and make all health plans go topsy-turvy!). Abstain from smoking or chewing tobacco as this is usually the primary contributor towards any medical condition or disorder.

How To Control Nerve Pain?

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