Huntington’s disease is a genetic, degenerative disease where mutated genes create a long protein that then attacks and kills your brain cells. There are many challenging symptoms of Huntington’s that interfere with daily life and make daily tasks difficult. While there are medications doctors can prescribe to help with symptom management, such as Austedo, these can get expensive, so it’s a good idea to look into Austedo XR Choreahd medication cost and consider purchasing health insurance. Here are some early warning signs of Huntington’s disease to look out for in yourself and loved ones:

1. Memory lapses
Memory lapses typically occur early on in the disease, causing an impairment in judgment, trouble with driving, difficulty answering questions, and challenges with making decisions. It depends on the individual, but most patients with Huntington’s have good memory of recent events but lack procedural memory, or forgetting how to do things.

2. Difficulty concentrating
Due to the lapses in memory, certain unconscious tasks that once were automatic may begin to require intense concentration. This results in difficulty dividing attention and concentrating on certain tasks, since there becomes a lot more to focus on. Additionally, intellectual tasks can become increasingly difficult due to the cognitive decline that occurs, and this manifests as memory and learning difficulties

3. Issues with movement 
Huntington’s results in movement disorders, including involuntary movements and the impairment of voluntary movements. This often displays as involuntary jerking or writhing movements (known as chorea), rigid muscle problems, slow or unusual eye movements, impaired gait, posture, and balance, and difficulty with speech or swallowing. As the disease progresses and these movement issues worsen, it can have a great impact on a person’s ability to work, complete tasks, and remain independent.

4. Stumbling and clumsiness
Paired with issues with movement, Huntington’s patients can struggle with gait, posture, and balance, causing them to stumble and seem clumsy. As the disease progresses, this symptom will worsen

5. Behavioral changes
One of the first symptoms people typically notice are behavioral changes. The patient may be experiencing significant mood swings or abnormal moods, such as apathy, impulsivity, irritability, anger, disinhibition, depression, and so on. As a caregiver, this can make caring for the patient more complicated, and it requires patience and the knowledge of how to deal with such moods and mood swings.