聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 For the past five years a group in Wawota have walked to raise money for the Huntington Society. Again they came together to walk for Huntington Disease to raise awareness and donations towards research for the Huntington Society of Canada.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Huntington Disease (HD) is a hereditary genetic disorder, which attacks an individual鈥檚 brain. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 30 and 50, however, can appear in children or seniors. These symptoms include emotional turmoil, cognitive loss, and physical deterioration. Ultimately HD causes an individual鈥檚 brain cells to die, which leads to incapacitation and eventually death due to health complications facilitated by the disease.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Currently there are no treatments to slow or stop the progression of the disease in humans, although in 2011, Canadian researchers reversed the physical symptoms of the disease in a mouse and has potential for further research in hopes of finding something that would work for humans.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There are a choices of medication available to treat symptoms of HD, such as depression or involuntary movements, but this route isn鈥檛 for everybody.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥ne in every 7,000 Canadians has Huntington disease, but one in every 1,000 Canadians is touched by HD, whether they have the disease themselves, look after someone who does, or have a friend or relative with HD.鈥� The Huntington Society of Canada website states. 鈥淢ales and females have the same risk of inheriting the disease and HD occurs in all races. Primarily, HD affects adults. Symptoms usually appear between the ages of 30 and 50, but the disease can first appear in children as young as five, or in adults in their 70s. HD remains incurable, and there are currently no effective treatments; but there is substantive hope.鈥�
