Top 5 Strange Cases in Medicine
There are many different medical disorders and diseases out there, more than most people could ever learn in their lifetime. New conditions are being discovered all the time, while some of the older ones are being prevented through new research into cures. However, while there are many, MANY, different medical conditions, there are a few that are very interesting, and make everyone ask if the condition is real, or if it’s just some internet hoax. Let me tell you that there are very weird and seemingly impossible conditions that are still out in the world today, I’d like to share my top 5 strange cases in medicine.
5. Progeria (Hutchinson – Gilford syndrome)
Progeria is an extremely rare disorder that causes rapid aging normally starting during childhood. When a person with Progeria is born, there appears to be no difference between a baby without Progeria and a baby with the disorder. However, when childhood begins the disorder become very apparent, causing the child to experience rapid aging, which manifests in the loss of hair, wrinkles, and severe damage on the arteries that will result in death within the first years of adolescence.
4. Jumping Frenchmen of Maine
Jumping Frenchmen of Maine is a much exaggerated form of startle reflex called hyperexplexia. Suffers were reported to react strangely to loud sudden noises, and obeying the commands of another. When asked by a loud authoritative voice to do something like hit someone they would obey and go hit someone.
Walking corpse syndrome is a very unusual syndrome, in that the sufferer believes that they are dead, decaying, or have lost a body part or internal organ. Those suffering with the disease sometimes do not even think they exist.
The Girl That Collapses Every Time She Laughs
Have you ever laughed so hard that you’ve almost fallen over in tears, well a young women living in the UK feels something like that every time she laughs. The young lady suffers from cataplexy, which means that any strong emotion triggers a weakening of her muscles. This weakening of muscles means whenever she laughs, or is afraid, embarrassed or just about any other sort of emotion, she collapses right on the spot. It’s almost like being allergic response to your emotions.
The Girl Who is Allergic to Water
The majority of our beautiful planet Earth is water, but what happens when you can’t go near the stuff. A teen from Australia, suffers from a very rare skin disorder called Aquagenic Urticaria. This condition means that whenever any water makes contact with her skin, she breaks out in a painful rash. If you think that this just means she can’t go swimming think about all the things you do every day that requires water. Showering/taking a bath, washing your hands, and sweating are all painful things for her to do. I would probably be pretty depressed if I had an allergic reaction to water.