The rarest syndromes and mental disorders that you have not heard of. The most unusual diseases

Many are sure that healthy image life and regular preventive procedures provide one hundred percent protection from various problems with health, but sometimes people “catch” diseases that they have never even heard of. Here are some of the exotic ailments.

1. Progressive lipodystrophy

People suffering from this unusual condition appear much older than their age, which is why it is sometimes called “reverse Benjamin Button syndrome.” For example, in one famous case of this type of lipodystrophy, 15-year-old Zara Hartshorn is often mistaken for the mother of her older 16-year-old sister. What is the reason for such rapid aging?

Due to an inherited genetic mutation, and sometimes as a result of the use of certain medicines in the body are violated autoimmune mechanisms, that leads to rapid loss subcutaneous fat reserves. Most often suffers adipose tissue face, neck, upper limbs and torso, resulting in wrinkles and folds. So far, only 200 cases of progressive lipodystrophy have been confirmed, and it mainly develops in women. In treatment, doctors use insulin, facelifts and collagen injections, but this gives only a temporary effect.

2. “Stone Man” Syndrome

This congenital hereditary pathology, also known as fibrodysplasia ossificans progressive, or Munheimer's disease, occurs due to a mutation in one of the genes and is one of the rarest diseases in the world.

The bottom line is that inflammatory processes occurring in ligaments, muscles, tendons and others connective tissues, lead to calcification and ossification of matter, which is fraught with serious problems with musculoskeletal system. This disease is also called “disease of the second skeleton”, since in the human body there is active growth bone tissue.

On this moment 800 cases of fibrodysplasia have been registered in the world, and so far doctors have not found effective methods treatment or prevention of this disease - only painkillers are used to alleviate the plight of patients. It must be said that there is hope for correcting the situation, since in 2006 scientists were able to discover which genetic deviation leads to the formation of a “second skeleton”, and currently active clinical trials in order to develop ways to combat this terrible disease.

3. Geographical language

Interesting name for a disease, isn't it? However, there is a scientific term for this “sore” - desquamative glossitis.
Geographic tongue occurs in approximately 2.58% of people, and most often the disease has chronic properties and worsens after eating, during stress or hormonal stress.

Symptoms manifest themselves in the appearance of discolored smooth spots on the tongue, reminiscent of islands, which is why the disease received such an unusual nickname, and over time, some “islands” change their shape and location, depending on which of the taste buds located on the tongue heal, and some, on the contrary, get irritated.

Geographic tongue is practically harmless, if you do not take into account increased sensitivity to spicy food or some discomfort it may cause. Medicine does not know the causes of this disease, but there is evidence of a genetic predisposition to its development.

4. Gastroschisis

Under this somewhat funny name lies a creepy birth defect, in which intestinal loops and other internal organs fall out of the body through a cleft in the anterior wall of the abdominal cavity.

According to statistics American doctors, gastroschisis occurs on average in 373 out of 1 million newborns, and young mothers have a slightly higher risk of having a child with this disorder. Previously, approximately 50% of infants with gastroschisis died, but thanks to the development of surgery, mortality has been reduced to 30%, and in the best clinics The world manages to save about nine out of ten babies.

5. Xeroderma pigmentosum

This hereditary disease skin is manifested in a person’s increased sensitivity to ultraviolet rays. It occurs due to mutation of proteins responsible for correcting DNA damage that appears when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The first symptoms usually appear in early childhood(up to 3 years): When a child is in the sun, he or she develops serious burns after just a few minutes of exposure to the sun's rays. The disease is also characterized by the appearance of freckles, dry skin and uneven discoloration of the skin.

According to statistics, people with xeroderma pigmentosum are more at risk of developing oncological diseases: in the absence of proper preventive measures, approximately half of children suffering from xeroderma develop some kind of cancer by the age of ten. There are eight types of this disease of varying severity and symptoms. According to European and American doctors, the disease occurs in approximately four people out of a million.

6. Arnold-Chiari malformation

Speaking in simple language, the essence of this disease is that due to the rapid growth of the brain in the slowly developing bones of the skull, the cerebellar tonsils are immersed in the foramen magnum with compression of the medulla oblongata.

Previously it was believed that the deviation was exclusively congenital, but latest research prove that this is not so. The incidence of this anomaly ranges from 33 to 82 cases per million, and it is diagnosed in both children and adults.

There are several types of Arnold-Chiari malformation: from the most common and least severe first, to the very rare and dangerous fourth. Symptoms can appear at different ages and most often begin with severe headaches. One of the recognized methods of helping with the disease is surgical decompression of the skull.

7. Alopecia areata

The reasons for the development of this disease lie in cellular level - the immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles, resulting in baldness. One of the heaviest and rare forms This disease, alopecia totalis, can lead to complete loss of hair on the head, eyelashes, eyebrows and leg hair, while in some cases the follicles are capable of self-healing.

The disease affects about 2% of the population globe, and methods for treating and preventing the disease are currently being developed, however, the fight against alopecia areata is complicated by the fact that in the initial stages the deviation is characterized only by itching and hypersensitivity skin.

8. Nail-patella syndrome (nail-patella syndrome)

This disease in mild form manifests itself in the absence or abnormal growth of nails (with depressions and growths), but its symptoms can be quite varied - up to more serious skeletal abnormalities such as severe deformation or absence kneecap. In some cases, visible growths are noted on the posterior surface ilium, scoliosis and patellar dislocation.

The rare hereditary disorder occurs due to a mutation in the LMX1B gene, which plays an important role in the development of limbs and kidneys. The syndrome occurs in 1 person out of 50 thousand, but the symptoms are so varied that sometimes identifying the disease at the initial stage is incredibly difficult.

9. Hereditary sensory neuropathy type 1

One of the rarest diseases in the world, this type of neuropathy is diagnosed in two out of a million people. The anomaly occurs due to damage to the peripheral nervous system, resulting from an overabundance of the PMP22 gene.

The main sign of the development of hereditary sensory neuropathy type 1 is loss of sensation in the arms and legs. A person stops experiencing pain and feeling a change in temperature, which can lead to tissue necrosis, for example, if a fracture or other injury is not recognized in time. Pain is one of the body’s reactions that signal any “problems”, so the loss pain sensitivity is fraught with too late detection dangerous diseases, be it infections or ulcers.

10. Congenital myotonia

If you've ever heard of goat syncope, you know roughly what congenital myotonia looks like - due to muscle spasms the person seems to freeze for a while.

The cause of congenital (congenital) myotonia is a genetic deviation: due to mutation, the functioning of chlorine channels is disrupted skeletal muscles. Muscle turns out to be “confused”, voluntary contractions and relaxations occur, and the pathology can affect the muscles of the legs, arms, jaws and diaphragm.

Now there are no doctors effective way solutions to this problem, other than radical drug treatment(with the use of anticonvulsant drugs) in the most severe cases. Doctors recommend that almost everyone suffering from this disease alternate regular exercise with smooth muscle-relaxing movements. I must say, despite some inconveniences, people with this disease can easily live a long and happy life.

1. “Aboulomania” is a disorder in which, from time to time, panic feeling crushing indecision. People susceptible to this disease are often faced with choices that are insoluble for them (simple solutions).

2. Found in the Dominican Republic and Papua New Guinea genetic mutation causing deficiency 5-alpha reductase, which leads to developmental disorders in newborn girls (during puberty, the ovaries appear and the penis grows).

3. Italian actor, Leopold Fregoli, was a master of disguise and was named after him. rare disease Fregoli syndrome, in which a person is firmly convinced that everyone around him is actually one person.

4. The neurological disorder “Apotemnophilia” makes a healthy person want to amputate his legs.

5. There are only three people in the world who are susceptible to a rare disease in which they do not gain weight and have no subcutaneous fat.

6. A rare disease, Levine Kline syndrome, causes excessive sleepiness. There is a known case where a girl, diagnosed with the disease, slept for 64 days in a row.

7. “Depersonalization” is a mental disorder in which people believe that they are just watching an online series of life, rather than actually living.

8. Mental disorder "Letology" inhibits a person's ability to formulate his thoughts, temporarily forgetting keywords, phrases or names in conversation.

9. A rare disorder called “Sexsomnia” causes people to have sex in their sleep.

10. The Fgats family from Kentucky, USA, have completely blue skin, the discoloration of which is caused by a hereditary blood disease - “Methemoglobinemia”.

11. Famous artist Vincent Van Gogh suffered for a long time from a disorder known as hypergraphia, which caused him to paint at a manic speed.

12. With the rare disease “Cherubism,” growth of the lower part of the face occurs (not proportionately large).

13. A person diagnosed with Ondine's Curse syndrome loses the ability to breathe independently and may die during sleep.

14. People with Adermatoglyphia syndrome are born without fingerprints. This is an extremely rare disease.

15. A person with Witzelsucht syndrome jokes constantly and cannot stop.

16. There is a term for searching for symptoms on the Internet for a false disease - “Cyberchondria”.

17. “Peter Pan” syndrome – reluctance to grow up.

18. Sneezing caused by different stimuli, including looking at bright light, called "Apchi".

19. There is a syndrome of “Micropsia”, in which a person “incorrectly” sees the size of surrounding objects.

20. The awful, off-putting feeling of getting a noisy kiss on the ear is called Kiss-in-the-Ear syndrome, and can potentially lead to hearing loss.

21. There is a rare disorder mental state called "Burst Syndrome" - hypnagogic auditory hallucinations, manifested by a loud sound (a bomb explosion) that a person allegedly hears.

22. A mental disorder in which a person believes that he is a zombie and has died is called Cotard syndrome (nihilistic delusion, Zombie syndrome).

23. There is at least one person in the world with syndrome “X”, which prevents a person from aging. Brooke Greenberg was 20 years old when she died, and she looked like one year old child height 76 cm.

24. There is a disorder that involves constant sexual arousal in women, the so-called “PSAS” syndrome. A woman susceptible to this “disease” can experience orgasm up to 200 times a day.

25. Some people with the rare Sensitive Syndrome big canal"claim that they can hear the movement of their own.

26. There is a rare disease called “Stone Man” syndrome, when the regeneration mechanisms of the body’s soft tissues are disrupted, and instead of healing, soft fabrics harden and turn into bone.

27. Due to a long stay in space, astronauts may develop the “Solipsism” syndrome, when a person considers the world “not real” in relation to himself.

28. “Capras” syndrome leads to the fact that a person believes that close people around him (friend, spouse, parents) have been replaced by outwardly similar people.

29. A broken heart is a concept that applies not only to psychological state a person, but it can also really kill a person. This syndrome is called “Takotsubo cardiomyopathy,” in which a temporary decrease in myocardial contractility occurs.

30. Grammar Pedantry Syndrome “OCD” causes a person to have a strong desire to correct all grammatical errors.

31. “Fish odor” syndrome (trimethylaminuria) is a disease in which the patient’s body emits bad smell, reminiscent of the smell of fish.

32. Tourists visiting Florence should be prepared for possible occurrence"Stendhal" syndrome, they experience dizziness and hallucinations due to the excessive presence of art or "extraordinary beauty in the ordinary world."

33. People taking LSD are susceptible to hallucogenic syndrome. Long after taking the drug LSD, a person experiences “LSD effects,” which consist of a disturbance in perception.

34. There is a genetic disease, a mutation of the FOXC2 gene, which causes a person to have a double set of eyelashes and also causes heart failure. This diagnosis was made to actress Elizabeth Taylor.

35. “Anton Babinski” symptom, a rare disease in which a blind person believes that he is able to see.

36. Neurological disorder, “Mobius” syndrome – complete paralysis of a person’s face, inability to convey emotions (facial expressions).

37. “Pseudocyesis” syndrome false pregnancy, in which a woman experiences all the syndromes of pregnancy in the absence of a fetus.

38. The opposite of Anorexia is Bigorexia, a disorder in which a person is obsessed with the idea that he is not muscular enough.

39. Leucinosis (branched-chain ketonuria, urine disease with the smell of maple syrup) is a congenital metabolic disorder. The disease is severe and often fatal.

40. The mental disorder “Coro complex” is common in South-East Asia among Chinese, Malays, and Indonesians, more often than men. People exposed to it experience panic fear and there is a retraction of the genitals or mammary glands into the body, which is considered fatal. In view of this, attacks of fear are accompanied by attempts to counteract such retraction using improvised objects or through masturbation.

, . .

Almost every person has heard of appendicitis. However, there are some diseases in the world that affect only a few dozen or hundreds of people around the world. These are usually hereditary diseases or congenital anomalies developments that significantly complicate the life of the patient himself, as well as a rare pathology of mental activity.

Bloody tears

This disease is scientifically called hemolacria, when within 24 hours, for a reason unknown to science, the eyes suddenly begin to “water” with blood. This phenomenon can occur from 1 to 20 times a day.

Bloody tears are observed with some types of tumors and disorders. However, sometimes hemolacria is observed absolutely against the background full health patient, therefore in such cases they speak of true, idiopathic hemolacria.

It has been noted that this disease appears spontaneously mainly in adolescence or in young people, and then disappears by itself. In women, hemolacria is observed more often, and in most cases - during menstruation, and this helps to diagnose one of the causes of hemolacria - endometriosis.

Hidden hemolacria. In 1991, 125 volunteers who had no health problems were examined. Tear fluid was taken from all of them and examined under a microscope. It turned out that blood cells in tears were found in 18% of women of childbearing age, as well as in 7% of pregnant women and 8% of men.

Blue skin

Blue or blue skin syndrome (argyria, argyrosis) is another rare pathology, which occurs mainly in those people who have overdone treatment with products containing silver, as well as those associated with the mining or processing of silver.

In this case, silver granules are deposited in the dermis, hair follicles, sweat glands, skin capillaries. Silver particles in such people are also found in the thickness of the mucous membranes of the stomach, oral cavity, intestines, in parenchymal organs(liver, kidneys) and conjunctiva of the eyes.

As a rule, if there is no concomitant silver intoxication, then nothing else bothers the patient except the blue color, but this shade of the skin and mucous membranes persists for the rest of his life.

More Blue colour skin damage may not be associated with exposure to silver, but simply be inherited. For example, during the 60s of the last century, a whole family lived in Kentucky blue people”, whom rumor dubbed the “Blue Fugates”.

Butterfly syndrome

The scientific name of this disease is epidermolysis bullosa. This is rare genetic disease, associated with increased vulnerability of the mucous membranes and skin due to mechanical stress (in this way it resembles the fragility of butterfly wings from careless touching).

The main symptom of epidermolysis bullosa is blisters that appear in areas that are subject to pressure and friction.

Sometimes the disease is so severe that even solid food in the mouth or a normal handshake can cause the formation of new blisters, which, when opened, form numerous wounds where a secondary infection can occur.

“Butterfly children” are forced to endure their entire childhood constant pain, numerous dressings and treatment open wounds. Unfortunately, currently effective therapy this disease has not yet been developed.

Children who grow old quickly

Accelerated aging, or progeria, is another rare disease that occurs due to a small gene abnormality. As a result, the natural course of all processes occurring in the body fails, and a person begins to age at a rapid pace (on average, within 1 year for 8 or more years at once): heart failure progresses, cataracts develop, or occurs.

Children with this pathology rarely survive to adulthood, usually dying at the age of 11–13 years, although individual cases, when life expectancy was 26 years or more.

When muscles turn into bones

Another rare disease is fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (POF), or Munheimer's disease. This pathology appears due to a mutation of a gene that distorts in the body. As a result, during any inflammatory process (for example, after a blow, strong compression of a muscle), foci of increased calcification begin to appear, which subsequently become the center of growth of new bone tissue.

Interestingly, in almost all cases the disease is accompanied by the presence of another congenital pathology, for example, clinodactyly thumb legs (the presence of such a finger in almost 95% of cases indicates that the child will develop fibrodysplasia ossificans).

Starting almost from birth, POF steadily progresses, manifested by calcification and subsequent ossification of muscles, tendons, fascia and ligaments. The disease is also characterized by the appearance of subcutaneous lumps measuring 1–10 cm, localized anywhere (in children, mainly in the back, forearms and neck). Due to the transformation of the soft tissues of the body into bones, POF is also called a disease of the formation of the second skeleton.

Currently, about 800 cases of Munheimer's disease have been reported worldwide. Prevention and effective treatment have not yet been developed.

Fatal familial insomnia

Only 40 families are known to have been found to have this disease. This is a hereditary disease that has varying degrees expressiveness. Occurs as a result of changes occurring in the central part of the brain with the formation of amyloid plaques and damage to the thalamus, which provides communication between the body and the cortex of both hemispheres.

Familial insomnia is accompanied by changes in other organs and systems of the body: the production of tear fluid and pulse rate decrease, a rash may appear and develop.

As a rule, the disease occurs in several stages:

Stage 1. Insomnia gradually progresses, lasts about 4 months, and is accompanied by the appearance of panic attacks and fears.
Stage 2. Lasts 5 months, characterized by anxiety, sweating, and hallucinations.
Stage 3. For 3 months there is complete insomnia, and there is incontinence in actions.
Stage 4. For 6 months - complete insomnia and dementia. A person may fall into a coma or die from exhaustion, as well as congestive pneumonia.

An analysis of the brains of those who died due to familial insomnia showed that this disease is caused by special proteins that can reproduce independently - prions.

Vampire diseases

In fact these are 2 rare ones genetic diseases: ectodermal dysplasia and erythropoietic porphyria. Both diseases are characterized by the fact that patients do not tolerate sunlight well, so their activity increases during dark time days.

Ectodermal dysplasia. This is dead pale skin, lack of front teeth (there are only fangs), big forehead, rare hair on the head increased dryness skin. sunlight causes increased formation of blisters on their skin.

Erythropoietic porphyria. It is characterized by a violation of pigment metabolism, as a result of which porphyrins accumulate in the blood, develops, red urine, neuropsychic and gastrointestinal disorders are periodically observed, and photodermatosis occurs. The skin around the mouth gradually atrophies, forming a special type of grin, reminiscent of that of fairy-tale vampires, and the teeth are ultraviolet rays acquire pink tint. Persons suffering from this disease also prefer to be nocturnal and hide from the sun's rays.

Jumping lumberjack syndrome

U different nations this psychological phenomenon is called differently: arctic hysteria, measuring, Lat syndrome, jumping lumberjack syndrome, etc. This is a peculiar reaction to fear, a sharp shout, sudden movement, manifested in the form of performing certain actions and complete submission.

Science has made significant progress in medicine - it is now possible to cope with diseases that our ancestors only dreamed of defeating. However, there are still diseases that make doctors throw up their hands in bewilderment. The origin of some of them is unknown, or they affect the body completely in an incredible way. Perhaps one day it will be possible to explain these strange diseases and cope with them, but for now they still remain a mystery to humanity.

From people who can dance themselves to death to water allergies, here are 25 incredibly weird but real diseases that science can't explain!

Sleeping sickness

This disease was terrifying when it first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. First, the patients began to hallucinate, and then they became paralyzed. They seemed to be sleeping, but in fact these people were conscious. Many died at this stage, and those who survived experienced terrible behavior problems for the rest of their lives (Parkinsonism syndrome). The epidemic of this disease did not appear again, and doctors to this day do not know what caused it, although many versions have been put forward (a virus, an immune reaction that destroys the brain). Presumably, Adolf Hitler suffered from lethargic encephalitis, and subsequent parkinsonism could have influenced his rash decisions.

Acute flabby myelitis

Myelitis - inflammation spinal cord. It is sometimes called polio syndrome. This neurological disease, affecting children and leading to weakness or paralysis. Young patients experience constant pain in joints and muscles. Until the end of the 50s of the twentieth century, polio was a formidable disease, epidemics of which different countries claimed many thousands of lives. Of those sick, about 10% died, and another 40% became disabled.

After the invention of the vaccine, scientists claimed that the disease had been defeated. But, despite WHO assurances, polio has not yet given up - its outbreaks occur from time to time in different countries. At the same time, people who have already been vaccinated get sick, since the virus of Asian origin has acquired an unusual mutation.

Berardinelli-Sape congenital lipodystrophy (SBLS)

This is a condition characterized by an acute lack of fatty tissue in the body and its deposition in unusual places, such as the liver. Because of such strange symptoms LSPS patients have a very distinctive appearance - they appear very muscular, almost like superheroes. They also tend to have prominent facial bones and enlarged genitalia.

In one of the two known types of LSPS, doctors also discovered a mild mental disorder, but this is not the most a big problem for the sick. This unusual distribution of adipose tissue leads to serious problems, more specifically, high levels of fat in the blood and insulin resistance, while the accumulation of fat in the liver or heart can lead to severe organ damage and even sudden death.

Exploding head syndrome

Patients hear incredibly loud explosions in their heads and sometimes see flashes of light that do not exist in reality, and doctors have no idea why. This is a little-studied phenomenon that is classified as a sleep disorder. The causes of this syndrome, which is more common in women than men, are still unknown. It usually manifests itself against the background of lack of sleep (deprivation). IN Lately everyone suffers from this syndrome large quantity young people.

Sudden infant death syndrome

This phenomenon is sudden death from respiratory arrest of an apparently healthy infant or child, in which an autopsy does not allow the cause to be determined fatal outcome. SIDS is sometimes called “cradle death” because it may not be preceded by any signs, often the baby dies in its sleep. The causes of this syndrome are still unknown.

Aquagenic urticaria

Also known as water allergy. Patients experience a painful skin reaction upon contact with water. This real disease, although very rare. IN medical literature Only about 50 cases have been described. Water intolerance causes a severe allergic response, sometimes even to rain, snow, sweat or tears. The manifestations are usually more severe in women, and the first symptoms are detected during puberty. The causes of water allergy are not clear, but symptoms can be treated with antihistamines.

Brainerd's Diarrhea

Named after the city where the first was registered similar case(Brainerd, Minnesota, USA). Sufferers who have contracted this infection visit the toilet 10-20 times a day. Diarrhea is often accompanied by nausea, cramps and constant fatigue.

In 1983, there were eight outbreaks of Brainerd's diarrhea, six of them in the United States. But the first one was still the largest - 122 people got sick in a year. There are suspicions that the disease occurs after drinking fresh milk - but it is still unclear why it torments a person for so long.

Severe visual hallucinations, or Charles Bonnet syndrome

A condition during which patients experience quite vivid and complex hallucinations despite suffering partial or complete loss of vision due to old age or diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma.

Although there are few recorded cases of this disease, it is believed to be widespread among older people suffering from blindness. Between 10 and 40% of blind people suffer from Charles Bonnet syndrome. Fortunately, unlike the other diseases listed here, the symptoms of severe visual hallucinations disappear on their own after a year or two as the brain begins to adjust to the loss of vision.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Quicker mental illness than physical. Patients believe that they various symptoms caused by the action of electromagnetic fields. However, doctors have discovered that people cannot distinguish between real and fake fields. Why do they still believe this? This is usually associated with a conspiracy theory.

Shackled person syndrome

As this syndrome progresses, the patient's muscles become more and more stiff until he is completely paralyzed. Doctors aren't sure what exactly is causing it similar symptoms; Possible hypotheses include diabetes and mutating genes.

Allotriophagy

This disease is characterized by the consumption of inedible substances. People suffering from this disease experience constant desire eat instead of food Various types non-food substances, including dirt, glue. That is, everything that comes to hand during an exacerbation. Doctors have still not found either the real cause of the disease or a method of treatment.

English sweat

English sweat, or English sweating fever, - infectious disease unknown etiology with very high level mortality rate, visiting Europe (primarily Tudor England) several times between 1485 and 1551. The illness began with chills, dizziness and headache, as well as pain in the neck, shoulders and limbs. Then a fever and extreme sweat, thirst, increased heart rate, delirium, and pain in the heart began. There were no skin rashes. A characteristic feature The disease was characterized by severe drowsiness, often preceding the onset of death after exhausting sweat: it was believed that if a person was allowed to fall asleep, he would not wake up.

At the end of the 16th century, “English sweating fever” suddenly disappeared and since then has never appeared anywhere else, so now we can only speculate about the nature of this very unusual and mysterious disease.

Peruvian meteorite disease

When a meteorite fell near the village of Carancas in Peru, local residents who approached the crater fell ill with an unknown illness that caused severe nausea. Doctors believe the cause was arsenic poisoning from a meteorite.

Blaschko lines

The disease is characterized by the appearance of unusual stripes throughout the body. This disease was first discovered by a German dermatologist in 1901. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of visible asymmetrical stripes on human body. Anatomy still cannot explain such a phenomenon as Blaschko Lines. There is an assumption that these lines have been embedded in human DNA since time immemorial and are transmitted hereditarily.

Kuru disease, or laughing death

The Fore tribe of cannibals, living in the mountains of New Guinea, was discovered only in 1932. The members of this tribe suffered fatal disease kuru, the name of which in their language has two meanings - “trembling” and “spoilage”. The Fore believed that illness was the result of an evil eye from a foreign shaman. The main signs of the disease are severe trembling and jerky movements of the head, sometimes accompanied by a smile, similar to that which appears in patients with tetanus. In the initial stage, the disease manifests itself as dizziness and fatigue. Then it is added headache, convulsions and, eventually, typical tremors. Over the course of several months, the brain tissue degrades into a spongy mass, after which the patient dies.

The disease was spread through ritual cannibalism, namely eating the brain of someone with the disease. With the eradication of cannibalism, kuru practically disappeared.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome

Usually develops in childhood. The symptoms are quite clear - repeated bouts of vomiting and nausea. Doctors do not know what exactly is the cause of this disorder. What is clear is that people with this disease can suffer from nausea for days or weeks. In the case of one patient, the most acute attack expressed in the fact that she vomited 100 times per day. Usually this happens 40 times a day, mainly due to stress or in a state of nervous excitement. Seizures cannot be predicted.

Blue skin syndrome, or acanthokeratoderma

People with this diagnosis have blue or plum skin color. In the last century, a whole family of blue people lived in the American state of Kentucky. They were called Blue Fugates. By the way, besides this hereditary disease they had no other diseases, and most of this family lived over 80 years.

Twentieth century disease

Also known as multiple chemical sensitivity. The disease is characterized by negative reactions to various modern chemicals and products, including plastics and synthetic fibers. As with electromagnetic sensitivity, patients do not react unless they know they are interacting with chemicals.

Chorea

The most famous incident of this disease occurred in 1518 in Strasbourg, France, when a woman named Frau Troffee began dancing for no reason. Hundreds of people joined her over the next few weeks, and eventually many of them died from exhaustion. Probable Causes- mass poisoning or mental disorder.

Progeria, Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome

Children affected by this disease look like ninety-year-olds. Progeria is caused by a defect in a person's genetic code. This disease has unpreventable and detrimental consequences for humans. Most people born with this disease die by age 13 as their body accelerates the aging process. Progeria is extremely rare. This disease is seen in only 48 people around the world, five of whom are relatives, therefore, it is also considered hereditary.

Porphyria

Some scientists believe that it was this disease that gave rise to myths and legends about vampires and werewolves. Why? The skin of patients affected by this disease blisters and “boils” upon contact with sun rays, and their gums “dry out,” causing their teeth to look like fangs. Do you know what's the strangest thing? The stool turns purple.

The causes of this disease are still not well understood. It is known to be hereditary and associated with improper synthesis of red blood cells. Many scientists are inclined to believe that in most cases it occurs as a result of incest.

Gulf War Syndrome

A disease that affected war veterans in Persian Gulf. There are several symptoms, ranging from insulin resistance to loss of muscle control. Doctors believe that the disease was caused by the use of depleted uranium in weapons (including chemical weapons).

Maine Jumping Frenchman Syndrome

The main symptom of this disease is severe fear if something unexpected happens to the patient. In this case, a person susceptible to the disease jumps up, starts screaming, waves his arms, stutters, falls, starts rolling on the floor and cannot calm down for a long time. This disease was first recorded in the United States in 1878 in a Frenchman, hence its name. Described by George Miller Beard, the disease only affected French-Canadian lumberjacks in northern Maine. Doctors believe it is a genetic disease.

Science has made significant progress in medicine - it is now possible to cope with diseases that our ancestors only dreamed of defeating. However, there are still diseases that make doctors throw up their hands in bewilderment. Some of them have unknown origins, or they affect the body in completely incredible ways. Perhaps one day it will be possible to explain these strange diseases and cope with them, but for now they still remain a mystery to humanity.

From people who can dance themselves to death to water allergies, here are 25 incredibly weird but real diseases that science can't explain!

(Total 25 photos)

Acute flabby myelitis

Myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord. It is sometimes called polio syndrome. It is a neurological disease that affects children and leads to weakness or paralysis. Young patients experience constant pain in joints and muscles. Until the end of the 50s of the twentieth century, polio was a terrible disease, epidemics of which in different countries claimed many thousands of lives. Of those sick, about 10% died, and another 40% became disabled.

This is a condition characterized by an acute lack of fatty tissue in the body and its deposition in unusual places, such as the liver. Due to such strange symptoms, patients with LSPS have a very characteristic appearance - they appear very muscular, almost like superheroes. They also tend to have prominent facial bones and enlarged genitalia.

With one of the two known types of LSPS, doctors also discovered a mild mental disorder, but this is not the biggest problem for patients. This unusual distribution of fat tissue leads to serious problems, namely high levels of fat in the blood and insulin resistance, while the accumulation of fat in the liver or heart can lead to severe organ damage and even sudden death.

Sleeping sickness

This disease was terrifying when it first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. First, the patients began to hallucinate, and then they became paralyzed. They seemed to be sleeping, but in fact these people were conscious. Many died at this stage, and those who survived experienced terrible behavior problems for the rest of their lives (Parkinsonism syndrome). The epidemic of this disease did not appear again, and doctors to this day do not know what caused it, although many versions have been put forward (a virus, an immune reaction that destroys the brain). Presumably, Adolf Hitler suffered from lethargic encephalitis, and subsequent parkinsonism could have influenced his rash decisions.

Exploding head syndrome

Patients hear incredibly loud explosions in their heads and sometimes see flashes of light that do not exist in reality, and doctors have no idea why. This is a little-studied phenomenon that is classified as a sleep disorder. The causes of this syndrome, which is more common in women than men, are still unknown. It usually manifests itself against the background of lack of sleep (deprivation). Recently, an increasing number of young people are suffering from this syndrome.

Sudden infant death syndrome

This phenomenon is the sudden death from respiratory arrest of an apparently healthy infant or child in which an autopsy cannot determine the cause of death. SIDS is sometimes called “cradle death” because it may not be preceded by any signs, often the baby dies in its sleep. The causes of this syndrome are still unknown.

Aquagenic urticaria

Also known as water allergy. Patients experience a painful skin reaction upon contact with water. This is a real disease, although very rare. Only about 50 cases have been described in the medical literature. Water intolerance causes a severe allergic response, sometimes even to rain, snow, sweat or tears. The manifestations are usually more severe in women, and the first symptoms are detected during puberty. The causes of water allergy are not clear, but symptoms can be treated with antihistamines.

Brainerd's Diarrhea

Named after the city where the first such case was recorded (Brainerd, Minnesota, USA). Sufferers who have contracted this infection visit the toilet 10-20 times a day. Diarrhea is often accompanied by nausea, cramps and constant fatigue.

Severe visual hallucinations, or Charles Bonnet syndrome

A condition during which patients experience quite vivid and complex hallucinations despite suffering partial or complete loss of vision due to old age or diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma.

Although there are few recorded cases of this disease, it is believed to be widespread among older people suffering from blindness. Between 10 and 40% of blind people suffer from Charles Bonnet syndrome. Fortunately, unlike the other conditions listed here, the symptoms of severe visual hallucinations go away on their own after a year or two as the brain begins to adjust to the loss of vision.

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

More of a mental illness than a physical one. Patients believe that their various symptoms are caused by electromagnetic fields. However, doctors have discovered that people cannot distinguish between real and fake fields. Why do they still believe this? This is usually associated with a conspiracy theory.

Shackled person syndrome

As this syndrome progresses, the patient's muscles become more and more stiff until he is completely paralyzed. Doctors aren't sure what exactly causes these symptoms; Possible hypotheses include diabetes and mutating genes.

Nodule syndrome

This disease is characterized by the consumption of inedible substances. People suffering from this disease experience a constant desire to consume various types of non-food substances, including dirt and glue, instead of food. That is, everything that comes to hand during an exacerbation. Doctors have still not found either the real cause of the disease or a method of treatment.

English sweat

The English sweat, or English sweating fever, is an infectious disease of unknown etiology with a very high mortality rate that visited Europe (primarily Tudor England) several times between 1485 and 1551. The illness began with chills, dizziness and headache, as well as pain in the neck, shoulders and limbs. Then a fever and extreme sweat, thirst, increased heart rate, delirium, and pain in the heart began. There were no skin rashes. A characteristic sign of the disease was severe drowsiness, often preceding death after exhausting sweat: it was believed that if a person was allowed to fall asleep, he would not wake up.

Peruvian meteorite disease

When a meteorite fell near the village of Carancas in Peru, local residents who approached the crater fell ill with an unknown illness that caused severe nausea. Doctors believe the cause was arsenic poisoning from a meteorite.

The disease is characterized by the appearance of unusual stripes throughout the body. This disease was first discovered by a German dermatologist in 1901. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of visible asymmetrical stripes on the human body. Anatomy still cannot explain such a phenomenon as Blaschko Lines. There is an assumption that these lines have been embedded in human DNA since time immemorial and are transmitted hereditarily.

Kuru disease, or laughing death

The Fore tribe of cannibals, living in the mountains of New Guinea, was discovered only in 1932. Members of this tribe suffered from the fatal disease Kuru, the name of which in their language has two meanings - “trembling” and “spoilage”. The Fore believed that illness was the result of an evil eye from a foreign shaman. The main signs of the disease are severe trembling and jerky movements of the head, sometimes accompanied by a smile, similar to that which appears in patients with tetanus. In the initial stage, the disease manifests itself as dizziness and fatigue. Then a headache, cramps and, eventually, typical tremors are added. Over the course of several months, the brain tissue degrades into a spongy mass, after which the patient dies.

The disease was spread through ritual cannibalism, namely eating the brain of someone with the disease. With the eradication of cannibalism, kuru practically disappeared.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome

Usually develops in childhood. The symptoms are quite clear - repeated bouts of vomiting and nausea. Doctors do not know what exactly is the cause of this disorder. What is clear is that people with this disease can suffer from nausea for days or weeks. In the case of one patient, the most acute attack was that she vomited 100 times in 24 hours. Usually this happens 40 times a day, mainly due to stress or in a state of nervous excitement. Seizures cannot be predicted.

Blue skin syndrome, or acanthokeratoderma

People with this diagnosis have blue or plum skin color. In the last century, a whole family of blue people lived in the American state of Kentucky. They were called Blue Fugates. By the way, besides this hereditary disease, they did not have any other diseases, and most of this family lived more than 80 years.

Morgellons disease

Twentieth century disease

Also known as multiple chemical sensitivity. The disease is characterized by negative reactions to various modern chemicals and products, including plastics and synthetic fibers. As with electromagnetic sensitivity, patients do not react unless they know they are interacting with chemicals.

The most famous incident of this disease occurred in 1518 in Strasbourg, France, when a woman named Frau Troffee began dancing for no reason. Hundreds of people joined her over the next few weeks, and eventually many of them died from exhaustion. Probable causes are mass poisoning or mental disorder.

Children affected by this disease look like ninety-year-olds. Progeria is caused by a defect in a person's genetic code. This disease has unpreventable and detrimental consequences for humans. Most people born with this disease die by age 13 as their body accelerates the aging process. Progeria is extremely rare. This disease is seen in only 48 people around the world, five of whom are relatives, therefore, it is also considered hereditary.

Porphyria

Some scientists believe that it was this disease that gave rise to myths and legends about vampires and werewolves. Why? The skin of patients affected by this disease blisters and “boils” when exposed to sunlight, and their gums “dry out,” causing their teeth to resemble fangs. Do you know what's the strangest thing? The stool turns purple.

Gulf War Syndrome

A disease that affected Gulf War veterans. There are several symptoms, ranging from insulin resistance to loss of muscle control. Doctors believe that the disease was caused by the use of depleted uranium in weapons (including chemical weapons).

Maine Jumping Frenchman Syndrome

The main symptom of this disease is severe fear if something unexpected happens to the patient. In this case, a person susceptible to the disease jumps up, starts screaming, waves his arms, stutters, falls, starts rolling on the floor and cannot calm down for a long time. This disease was first recorded in the United States in 1878 in a Frenchman, hence its name. Described by George Miller Beard, the disease only affected French-Canadian lumberjacks in northern Maine. Doctors believe it is a genetic disease.