1. Auto-Brewery Syndrome 

There have been instances of people suffering from this syndrome being pulled over to take the breathalyzer test, to find out that the alcohol level in their bodies were several notches over the permissible limit, even though they hadn’t touched a drink. A type of yeast present in the stomach and intestines ferments carbohydrates to produce ethanol which in turn intoxicates the person even without drinking.

2. Fatal Familial Insomnia 

This rare genetic disorder usually strikes with initial worsening sleeplessness and then total insomnia which leads to the person’s physical and mental deterioration. Death usually follows within 18 months or less. There is no known cure for this condition. 

3. CIPA (Congenital Insensitivity To Pain With Anhidrosis)

People suffering from this, are unable to feel pain and are likely to injure themselves without even knowing about it until they see the blood or injury. They cannot feel temperature or the need to urinate. Anhidrosis is the inability of the body to sweat, as a result of which several patients die of over-heating. 

4. Capgras Delusion

This mental disorder leads people to believe that their close ones (friends, parents or spouse) have been replaced by imposters. The misidentification can extend to objects and even to one’s own house. 

5. Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

A mutation in the body’s repair mechanism causes any fibrous tissue like muscles, ligaments or tendons to turn to bone on injury. Sometimes the injuries can lead to joints being frozen in place. When surgical removal of the extra bone was attempted, even more bone grew back to repair the affected place.

6. Myostatin Related Muscle Hypertrophy

This rare condition is characterised by low body fat and almost twice the amount of normal muscle mass, with increased muscle strength.

7. Syndrome X

Syndrome X was coined to describe Brooke Greenberg’s condition in America. Brooke did not grow physically or mentally and remained so for 20 years after which she died.

8. Marie Antoinette Syndrome 

This syndrome refers to a sudden whitening of hair because of extreme emotions, unwelcome news, torture and even overworking. Hair might revert back to its original colour or might not. The term was coined after Marie Antoinette’s hair turned white on three occasions.

9. Dancing Mania

Also known as the Dancing Plague, it occurred between the 14th and 17th centuries in Europe. Thousands of people would start dancing and keep dancing till they collapsed of exhaustion, some broke their ribs, while other had cardiac arrests and died.

10. Alice In Wonderland Syndrome

This syndrome is a neurological condition characterised by skewed perception. Objects may appear smaller or bigger than they normally are, and in some cases even their own body size.

11. Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome

Caused by a deficiency of the HGPRT enzyme, it causes cognitive impairment along with self-mutilation like biting of fingers, lips and in some cases, even head-banging.

12. Munchausen Syndrome By Proxy

A mental condition that makes the parent, most often mothers, purposely make their child sick so that they can gain sympathy and attention from others. 

13. Cotard’s Syndrome 

This mental illness has patients believing that they are already dead and possibly rotting and have lost their vital organs. 

14. Alien Hand Syndrome

This dangerous syndrome involves losing control over one of the hands which acts and manipulates objects without the person even knowing about it. It could place itself in a frying pan without the patient knowing and often might have to be controlled by the other hand.

15. Prader-Willi Syndrome

This congenital disorder involves mental impairment and the patient feels starved all the time, to the effect that they can eat constantly even after they’re full; they can literally eat to death.

Here’s hoping we can come up with a cure for these medical conditions soon.

Design Credit: Rohit Jakhu