Weird Medical Conditions

You might think it’s weird for people to claim listening to imaginary noises in their heads, or having sudden involuntary hand movements for no reasons. But the truth is that these are symptoms of severe mental and physical disorders. Diagnosis is not easy because science is yet to understand the reasons behind these conditions. But there is a silver lining – the symptoms are often treatable and the disorders themselves are extremely rare

9 Weird Medical Conditions

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has become the modern day synonym for fantasy and magical experiences, which is exactly why this name was chosen for Todd’s syndrome. With this condition, migraines (lasting up to 1 hour) can make people and objects appear bigger or smaller than they are. Wrong sense of passage of time, distorted sense of hearing and touching, and hallucinations are also common. Generally speaking, young children experience it the most at the onset of sleep. It has been suggested this happens due to improper functioning of the brain’s occipital lobe.

Walking Corpse Syndrome

It is said that a dysfunction in the areas of the brain responsible for associating and recognizing emotions with faces results in this condition. Also called Cotard’s syndrome, a person suffering from it experiences complete emotional detachment, while also believing that they’re either dead, or missing vital organs from their body. It is a neuropsychiatric condition that has been classified as a psychiatric illness. However, some cases of this disorder have also been linked to neurological changes. Electroconvulsive therapy has shown to have good results in certain cases. Hard to believe weird medical conditionslike these exist, right?

Werewolf Syndrome

There is also a condition where people have abnormally high number of hair growths on their body including the face, which can be covered entirely in long hair. Hence the nickname “werewolf syndrome.” Its medical term is hypertrichosis, and the disorder can be acquired or genetic. The source of these genetic mutations is unknown, while one of the reasons behind acquiring this disorder is your body reacting to a side effect of anti-balding treatments. It’s an extremely rare disorder which has affected maybe 50 people in the world. Laser hair removal is not an option because the hair growth is rapid and will grow back quickly

Accelerated Aging Syndrome

Also called Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, children suffering from this disorder begin looking like seniors before the age of 2, without any disruption in their motor skill or intellectual development. They have a small chin, thin lips, a thin nose with a beaked tip and prominent eyes. Characteristics of this condition include joint abnormalities, aging skin and hair loss. Arteriosclerosis or severe hardening of the arteries is experienced by them, which can give them a stroke or heart attack at a young age. There is no cure for this condition. The next to bet solution involves face lifts, insulin and collagen injections. Mostly affecting women, only 200 cases have been reported worldwide.

The Stone Man Syndrome

This is one of those weird medical conditions which are very painful, extremely rare and results in disabling genetic conditions in which bones form in connective tissues like ligaments, muscles and tendons. They create a second skeleton, restricting the movement of people severely, rendering sufferers immobile within a span of decades. Science is yet to find a cure for this disorder and surgeries only worsen the condition. 1 in 2 million people are affected with no regard for age, gender or ethnic group differences.

Alien Hand Syndrome

Imagine not knowing what your other hand is always up to. Might sound straight out of science fiction, but it’s true. Known as alien hand syndrome, this neurological disorder disallows people from controlling their rogue hand, even though they can feel everything with it. It is believed this comes as a side effect or an injury in the portion of a person’s brain which connects the left and right halves. As a result, both the halves make their own decisions. Botulinum toxin injections may minimize this disorder, according to a study published in the journal Neurologist. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about this disorder.

Foreign Accent Syndrome

Did you know that medically speaking, it’s completely plausible for people to speak in foreign accents despite the fact they’ve never visited those places? Sounds to be among weird medical conditions right? Their tongue placement and tone of voice is affected as well. This condition is a side effect of brain injuries or strokes, but can also be caused by tumors or neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Extensive speech therapy is the only solution to this problem but even after that, the symptoms may also be present.

Tree Bark Skin Disorder/ Treeman Syndrome

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is a condition where wart-like lesions can appear on any part of the body. There are 2 types of lesions. The first appear on portions of the skin exposed to the sun and they resemble tree barks. The second type has scaly surfaces, is reddish brown in color and has irregular borders. These lesions are as a result of infections caused by a subtype of human papillomavirus (HPV) and are unique only to those suffering from this condition. Sometimes, these lesions can transform into skin cancer and as of today, there is no known cure for it. Surgery, medication and counseling are the best way to go.  

Argyria

Argyria is a condition that turns the skin pigment of the affected people into blue, making them look like real-life Smurfs! It occurs due to excessive consumption of impure colloidal silver particles, and has historically been noticed in people who have continuously been exposed to silver dust over a period of months or years. The effect can be reduced but no known cure is available for such weird medical conditions.

 
 
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