Science and its inventions have changed the world and medical science in particular has changed the way we live. Yet scientists are making discoveries about the human body every day, and there’s still so much more we don’t know. Click through for some rare but real medical syndromes that people are living with right now.
1: Alien Hand Syndrome
2: Foreign Accent Syndrome
A sudden and dramatic shift in the sufferer’s voice, resulting in people developing a foreign accent. Fewer than 100 cases have been reported so far: a well-known example occurred in 1941 when a Norwegian woman developed a strong German accent after being injured in an air-raid.
3: Alice in Wonderland Syndrome
The name of this syndrome comes from the 1865 classic in which Alice experiences magical shrinking and expanding. A patient suffering from this syndrome experiences distorted perception of sizes and shapes: they think things are smaller, larger, nearer or further than they really are. It can cause acute disorientation and affect the patient’s senses of touch and hearing.
4: Cotard Syndrome
French neurologist Jules Cotard identified this in 1880: it’s also known as Cotard Syndrome. The affected person believes the he or she has died and stops eating, bathing and some even start living in a cemetery. Sufferers of this extremely rare condition can also believe that their body is rotting, or that they have lost body parts.
5: Werewolf Syndrome
Abnormal growth of hair on body is known as hypertrichosis lanuginosa or werewolf syndrome. There are two types of this syndrome: a congenital (or inherited) form and an acquired form. There is no known cure for the syndrome itself, but the hair can be reduced with laser treatment. (Pictured) Jesus Fajardo poses for a photograph at a cultural center in Zapopan, Mexico. Fajardo started working in a circus at age 13 but quit after acting as a werewolf for 20 years. He now works in a carpentry firm.
6: Moebius Syndrome
Another extremely rare syndrome, the patients affected by moebius syndrome suffer complete facial paralysis. They cannot close their eyes and are unable to form facial expressions. (Pictured) A patient undergoes acupuncture treatment to cure facial paralysis in Beijing.
7: Geographic Tongue Syndrome
Though it may be not as extreme as other syndromes, the sufferers of this syndrome experience painful lesions. These lesions resemble geographical patterns on a map, hence the name. The exact cause of this syndrome is unknown and it appears be harmless, if occasionally uncomfortable.
8: Laughing Death
The disease, also known as Kuru, was exclusive to the Fore tribe in New Guinea. In 1950s, the world came to know about the disease after people started dying following bouts of maniacal laughter. American physician Carleton Gajdusek unlocked the mystery and discovered that the condition was caused by funerary cannibalism (eating of dead tribe members). Gajdusek won the 1976 Nobel Prize for his work on the disease.
9: Jerusalem Syndrome
Regardless of religion or faith, this syndrome can affect anyone. A visit to the Holy Land can trigger a belief that the sufferer is the Messiah, or receiving communications directly from God. Local doctors have been quoted as saying that the best treatment is simply to leave Jerusalem.
10: Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
A rare condition affecting one in two million, this genetic disorder – sometimes known as Stone Man Syndrome – changes soft muscles into hard bones and fuses joints. There is no treatment and surgical removal of new bones can exacerbate the condition.
11: Fish Odour Syndrome
Trimethylaminuria also known as fish odour syndrome is caused due to the deficiency of an enzyme that prevents breakdown of trimethylamine (TMA). It cause extreme foul odour in breath, sweat and urine. A TMA-free diet may reduce the symptoms.
12: Exploding Head Syndrome
Essentially harmless but extremely distressing, sufferers experience imagined loud sounds such as gunshots, bomb blasts and explosions. Insomnia, anxiety can aggravate the condition.
13: Water Allergy
Aquagenic urticaria, also known as water allergy, is so rare that only 30 cases have been reported so far. Hormonal imbalance may trigger the allergy where a person is unable to even drink water. case was reported in 2008, where a British girl could only drink Diet Coke and had 10-second-long showers to survive.
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