Many of us hate this feeling of fear that paralyzes us in everyday situations and leaves us wishing we weren’t afraid at all. And few people deny the fact that physical pain is uncomfortable and irritating and wish they were immune to it.
Well, be careful what you wish for, because these “superpowers” and many more do exist in real life, but they often come with a set of rare chronic conditions.
We want to introduce you to 5 rare medical conditions that make people who have them seem enviable or unique, yet living with them can be unpleasant and sometimes dangerous.
Crying Crystal Tears
This condition consists of the accumulation of hard crystals in the cornea, the clear front part of the eye. It is one of the symptoms of a rare genetic disease that affects different tissues and organs in the body, including the kidneys, muscles, liver, pancreas, and brain, in addition to the eye itself.
What’s worse, if left untreated, this symptom can cause photophobia, a form of eye sensitivity that involves a painful sensation in response to sunlight.
Medical term: ocular cystinosis
A Total Absence Of Fear
This complete lack of fear is the result of an extremely rare genetic disorder with fewer than 500 reported cases worldwide! In addition to this psychological symptom, the disease affects the skin, the respiratory tract, and the nervous system.
While this bravery may seem enviable at first glance, it actually leaves the patient vulnerable to all sorts of dangers.
Medical term: Urbach-Wiethe disease
Insensitivity To Pain
While not being able to feel any pain sounds appealing, this “lucky break” is actually a hidden curse. In fact, our body tells us about the problems it has by sending us signals in the form of pain and to ignore the signals would be dangerous, especially for young children.
This condition is actually the result of a specific faulty gene, and surprisingly, the patient can still feel normal body-to-body contact!
Medical term: congenital analgesia
Mirror Touch
A person with this condition feels as if their own body is being touched whenever they see someone else being touched. In fact, this condition is associated with structural differences in the brain that cause the visual and tactile senses to mixed up: think of someone who “sees” sound or “hears” color.
While this may seem blessed with extrasensory experiences, it actually does real harm to a person’s physical and mental well-being.
Medical term: mirror-touch synesthesia
Super Memory
People with this condition accurately remember every detail of their lives, even describing events from their deepest childhood! The exact cause remains unknown, however, ongoing research suggests that it may have a genetic basis.
If you find this enviable, remember that these people can’t sugarcoat unpleasant moments they’d rather forget, and their constantly active memory gives them chronic headaches and insomnia.
Medical term: hyperthymesia
What condition did you find most shocking? We would love for you to share it with us.
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