Huntington Disease: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

Testing for Huntington Disease 

I prefer to get tested for the Huntington disease. With the worry of inheriting the gene being above par, anxiety concerning assessment raises stress levels to a certain degree which is not normal. High levels of stress can ultimately lead to depression which is lethal unless dealt with in due time. The test will relieve most of the anxiety by providing information on how to live in the future in case the test is positive. Prior testing will give the right support and adherence with little changes in life while coping with a positive diagnosis. Since the condition creates a possibility of contracting other illnesses related to the disorder, testing will help to circumvent this and prevent future issues if diagnosed with the Huntington gene. Getting results on the disease will provide me with the information I need to make decisions about future care, financial planning and choosing of a spouse. 

The disease is caused by a gene inherited from a parent and the gene can be passed further down the genetic line. With the chance of inheritance 50%, the test will help to gain information on the possibility of passing it to future offspring. If I have a homozygous Huntington disease gene, my progeny will always have Huntington disease (Spielman, 2014, p.  77 ) . If the gene is heterozygous with the Huntington gene recessive, there will be a 50 per cent chance of my offspring possessing the condition hence will enable me to make a critical decision on the future spouse. Ultimately, testing will be an opportunity to evaluate and get supportive counselling before testing on the condition hence better knowledge of its management. The disease is characterized as being neurodegenerative and with its late manifestation of symptoms is somewhat terrifying and I believe earlier testing will enable me to keep my health status in check. 

Reference  

Spielman, R. M. (2014). Biophysiology. In  Psychology . Houston, Texas: OpenStax College, Rice University. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/Psychology_201906/page/n81/mode/2up/search/neurodegenerative