10 Weird Diseases

In this world of over 6 billion human beings, not everyone lives a life of fulfillment; apart from people suffering from AIDS, cancer, hepatitis and many diseases that you know, people suffer from far more peculiar disease that you even haven’t heard of. Today we take a look at 10 of the weirdest diseases in the world.

Note:

1. This list is, in no intention a “Top 10 list”, the purpose is just to list, not to rank.

2. Some people might find some of the pictures in this post to be grisly, gruesome and/or disturbing, so discretion is advised.

No 10. Trichotillomania

People suffering from this disease tend to pull out their hairs, be it from the head, eyelashes, nose or even from the unmentionables. Commonly known as trich, this disease can be caused by stress, depression or even graver agents such as a defective gene.

No 9. Aquagenic Urticaria

Sometimes wrongly described as allergy, it is an extremely rare condition in which the victim becomes sensitive to the ions found in non-distilled water, or in other words the sufferer experiences pain when in contact with water and that pain can last for anywhere between 10 to 100 minutes or even more. The worst part is, that you cannot even cry for your agony; your own tears can burn down your skin. Itchy, raised bumps known as hives develop as a consequence of contact with water. There is no treatment for this horrible disease yet.

No 8. Pica

The image above shows stomach content of a Pica victim. Pica can be described as an appetite for non-food or non-edible substances. Sufferers tend to eat anything from wood to steel, from not-so dangerous paper to potentially fatal plastics. Unfortunately, very little research has been done for this disease due to which there neither are solid causes nor cures found for this disease.

No 7. Moebius Syndrome

A disease characterized by the lack of development of facial nerves, which lead to lack of facial expressions. People suffering from this disease might be sometimes wrongly considered unfriendly due to the “facial paralysis”, so next time you think someone is rude, think again and take some time before judging. Usually people suffering from this disease are also unable to move their eyes from side to side. While the causes are still unknown for this disease, the medical treatment is also not definitive and is carried out in accordance with the symptoms.

No 6.  Elephantiasis

A rare disease which causes the sufferer’s body members to thicken and to swell to gross proportions. Caused by parasitic worms such as Brugia malayi and B. timori, this disease is transmitted through mosquitoes. The disease is common in tropical regions of Africa and is highly prevalent in Sudan, Rwanda, Egypt and Ethiopia among others. The most commonly infected body parts of this disease are arms, legs, genitalia and breasts. Depending on the infected region and the amount of infection, the disease can cause serious difficulties in everyday life.

No 5. Necrotizing Fasciitis

Commonly known as flesh eating bacteria disease, Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare infection of the deeper layers of skin that can make your skin “rust off”. This “flesh eating” bacteria can enter your skin through minor or even non-apparent cuts and bruises. The bacteria once inside the sufferer’s body, moves/locomotes and eats away anything in its path; flesh and skin both. In extreme cases, it can even result into a complete loss of body parts such as limbs. If left untreated it can lead to death, with mortality rate upto 73 percent.

No 4. Progeria

Also known is Hutchinson–Gilford progeria syndrome, it is a condition, caused by a genetic defect, that literally, fast forwards victim’s life. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” may have been inspired from this disease. Occurring one in eight million births, this disease leads to an early death at an average age of 13. People suffering from this disease are often prone to many other diseases or ageing conditions such as premature baldness, heart diseases and thinning of bones. The exact cause, as Wikipedia states is “a point mutation in position 1824 of the LMNA gene, replacing cytosine with thymine, creating an unusable form of the protein Lamin A”, well, if that makes any sense to the non-medical.

No 3. Exploding Head Syndrome

When suffering from a headache, it seems the worst thing to happen. Causing the victim to hear loud explosions, screams, gunshots or similar loud noises, Exploding Head Syndrome kicks in after 2 to 3 hours of falling asleep. It can cause fear, anxiety and increased hear rate. These conditions can also be accompanied by difficulty in breathing. The cause of this odd disease is not exactly known, but it has been found to be correlated with stress and fatigue. Fortunately, successful and effective treatments are available.

No 2. Cotard’s Syndrome

Also known as Cotard delusion, people suffering from it believe that they are dead, have lost all of their blood or have lost their internal organs. This disease, again, is related to extreme stress. The treatment of this disease is equally difficult as its complexity, because in most cases this disease is as linguistic and intellectual as it is biological.

No 1. Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome

Every had difficulty in breathing while, like after running or when in some closed room? Well, if yes, then you might know how painful and distressing that is. Also known as Ondine’s Curse, Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome is a disease which can cause serious difficulty in breathing i.e. taking in oxygen. Victims get tired very quick and often. The causes can be severe brain damage or spinal trauma. But, people born with this disease do not survive through infancy unless assisted by mechanical ventilation. Its treatment is available, but is a lifelong task. In some serious cases, sleep can result into death, because the victim in this case cannot take in oxygen while “unconscious”.

Top 10 Oddest Phobias

Describes as an “irrational, intense and persistent fear of certain situations, activities, things, animals or people” by Wikipedia, approximately 1 in every 23 people suffer from phobias (according to Phobia Statistics). 20 percent of these phobias disappear on their own in adults, whereas, the remaining have to be treated. Today we list the top 10 oddest phobias.

No 10. Pteronophobia

Any guesses what this is? It is the fear of being tickled by feathers. Yes, and it can  develop due to many reasons; like when a baby is tickled by feathers he might feel trapped and this can lead to Pteronophobia during the later years.

No 9. Taphophobia

While this wasn’t totally irrational before the advancement to modern medicine, it is now. It is the fear of being buried alive. There are many cases in history of people being buried alive because of lack of adequate medical techniques for finding out whether a person was actually dead or, say suffering from paralysis. If you are afraid of being buried alive, then ask your family members to bury you in a safety coffin so you can let them know if you delay your trip to the heavens.

No 8. Triskaidekaphobia

Related to fear of Friday the 13th, this is the fear of number 13 itself. If you are Triskaidekaphobic then fear not because Adolf Hitler was also one. Number 13 is usually regarded as bad luck in the west, whereas most east-asian countries are tetraphobic; fearful of number 4!

No 7. Chemophobia

The name tells the story; the fear of chemicals. Chemophobics think that the “artificial” chemicals are way more dangerous than the “natural” ones. Truly an irrational fear considering that even water is a chemical and some chemicals that you consume daily are more dangerous than the ones that are being produced in that “industry of dangerous artificial chemicals”.

No 6. Ephebiphobia

If you are young, especially if you are in your teens then keep a look out for Ephebiphobics. Earlier known as “fear and loathing of teenagers”, it is now more broadly considered as psychological and social fear of youth. It arises from stereotypical thinking about the youth as unprincipled or immoral.

No 5. Scopophobia

It is the fear of being looked at. Scopophobics tend to avoid public places such as shopping malls, markets and other large gatherings. Performing daily work can become a difficult task as if the sufferer for examples while watering his garden perceives someone staring at him or even looking at him, he will experience an immense feeling of fear and uneasiness and will want to run away from the situation as soon as and as far as possible.

No 4. Coulrophobia

It is an exaggerated fear of clowns. It is found in children, teenagers as well as adults but mostly children suffer from it as they tend to absorb the effects of a negative portrayal of a clown more deeply than teenagers and adults. While adult sufferers know that this fear is completely illogical, it is still impossible for them to get rid of it unless properly treated.

No 3. Nomophobia

Opinions wary as to naming it a phobia, but we list it nevertheless. It is fear of being out of mobile contact. Well, to check whether you are a nomophobic or not, try turning your cell phone off for one whole day and observe whether you are anxious and stressed or not. This phobia can also be triggered in a no-network area because in today’s culture of around the clock connectivity it is really impossible for some to even think about being out of touch, whether it’s from friends and family or from work.

No 2. Ergasiophobia

This is fear of work. It can render many people ineffective and penniless in extreme cases. Sufferers might feel anxiety about the workplace and its environment. This fear can in turn be a combination of many other fears, such as fear of failure to meet a deadline and fear of socializing with your colleagues.

No 1. Papaphobia

No, this is not the fear of your father, it is fear of the Pope. While millions of people turn to him for blessings, there are some who dread his appearance. Its symptoms can range surprisingly from increased heart rate to sweating and from nausea to shortness of breath. Furthermore it can also include fear of the Roman Catholic Church as whole…

Porcine Miracle: Pig Extract Helps Marine Regrow Lost Leg

As if the world needed any further proof that bacon is made of miracles, a US Marine recently re-grew a missing part of his leg thanks to an injection of hormone extracted from pigs. Marine Isaias Hernandez was repairing a truck in Afghanistan when a nearby explosion caused extensive damage to his right leg, claiming more than 70 percent of his right thigh muscles. By anyone’s (conventional) measure, damage like this should have resulted in amputation. But Hernandez was instead given a revolutionary new treatment that allowed him to regenerate the missing part of his limb.

Medical science has long been striving to make human limb regeneration possible. Many other animals regrow lost limbs, and even human fetuses can regrow damaged parts in the womb. But until now, this amazing feat has eluded us. The treatment used in this case involves injecting the patient with a growth-stimulating hormone extracted from pig bladders. Before the treatment could begin, Corporal Hernandez had to build up the remaining 30 percent of muscle on his injured leg. Then his leg was cut open and surgeons inserted a small piece of extracellular matrix, a component of body tissue that is like cellular scaffolding.

Corporal Hernandez was able to regain nearly all of the strength in his wounded leg following the operation. But this wasn’t a case of simply regrowing a chunk of lost tissue; Hernandez regrew skeletal muscle, a striated muscle type that typically does not grow back after traumatic injuries. His recovery was thanks to a $70 million research project conducted by the US military to explore regenerative medicine. The research will not only benefit injured soldiers, but anyone facing limb amputation in the future.