Huntington's disease - A comparison between modern (allopathic) and Ayurvedic herbal treatment

Huntington's disease - A comparison between modern (allopathic) and Ayurvedic herbal treatment

Huntington's disease (HD), also known as Huntington's disease, is a rare, degenerative neurological disorder with a strong hereditary component. Children with an affected parent have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the disease. Symptoms are progressive in nature and include involuntary, jerky movements, impaired muscle coordination, falls, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, mood swings and dementia. Symptoms usually appear in middle age, and death can occur between the ages of ten and thirty. In rare cases, children can also be affected by a juvenile form of the disease, which progresses much faster than the disease in adulthood.

The basal ganglia and cerebral cortex are the parts most affected by Huntington's disease. The faulty HD gene produces abnormal triple nucleotides whose sequence is repeated several times. Patients with HD have 36 or more repeats (normal people have 26 or fewer); this causes the formation of an abnormally large huntingtin protein, which is toxic and gradually causes brain degeneration.

HD cannot currently be prevented or cured; however, several medications in the modern (allopathic) system of medicine can help relieve symptoms. Most medications work by modulating neurotransmitters, including tetrabenazine and duetetrabenazine. Useful medications also include antipsychotics such as risperidone, olanzapine, and haloperidol; antidepressants such as citalopram, sertraline, fluoxetine and nortriptyline; and mood stabilizers like lithium. In addition to medication, long-term treatment for people with HD includes graded exercise, proper nutrition, and planned care.

In this scenario, Ayurvedic herbal treatment for Huntington's disease assumes special importance as the treatment has been observed to be very effective within a short period of time. Treatment consists of oral medications to regenerate and repair damaged brain cells and improve function. Herbal medicines that are good for HD treatment help improve metabolism, reduce defective protein production, and reduce aberrant nerve impulses due to deposition of abnormal protein. All of this is aimed at the nervous and brain tissue (Majja).

The oral treatment is complemented by special Panchkarma techniques including Shirobasti (medicated oil held in a cap on the scalp), Nasya (medicated nose drops), Sarvang Snehan and Swedan (full body oil massage with fomentation) and Basti (medicated enema). These procedures are prescribed in combination courses; The medications used and the frequency and spacing of procedures may vary from patient to patient depending on the presentation and severity of symptoms.

Panchkarma procedures help reduce the number and dosage of oral medications, thereby reducing the likelihood of long-term complications and achieving increased compliance. The results are also faster and much more obvious; Patients with moderate or advanced symptoms can see significant improvement after just 7-14 days of treatment! Once symptoms have stabilized, further treatment can be planned as needed while carefully monitoring the patient over the long term. This shortens the treatment-free interval, significantly reducing the financial burden and emotional stress for patients and caregivers.

Ayurvedic herbal treatment therefore plays a significant role in the long-term treatment and management of Huntington's disease.