We’ve all woken up with the sniffles and automatically reached for the Ibuprofen, but what happens when you wake up with a medical condition so strange you’re not even sure what it is, let alone what caused it? These 10 medical conditions are truly bizarre, and they can happen to anyone. Well, almost anyone. See for yourself below!
Number Ten: Pupula Duplex. People who suffer from Pupula duplex have two irises and two pupils in the same eye, as you can see above. The condition is extremely rare; however, it is largely harmless.
Number Nine: Aquagenic Urticaria. Yes, it is technically possible to be allergic to water, and that’s exactly what people who have aquagenic urticaria have. Though not a legitimate “allergy” (there is no histamine response), these unfortunate people can develop rashes and even hives when exposed to chemical impurities ubiquitous in water.
Number Eight: Fish Odor Syndrome. Fish odor syndrome is an unfortunate condition that causes people to reek of a stench resembling dead fish. This is caused by the person’s inability to break down certain organic compounds found in most foods. Though fish odor syndrome is presently incurable, it is manageable with a highly regulated diet.
Number Seven: Spatial Orientation Phenomenon. Though only one person has ever been documented to suffer from the spatial orientation phenomenon, it is very, very real. Bojana Danilovic, the woman who has this condition, sees the world entirely upside down. This happens because her brain flips the images seen by her eye.
Number Six: Gastroschisis. Gastroschisis is an unfortunate and terrifying condition that occurs when a fetus’ abdomen doesn’t close around its organs, causing the organs to be placed outside of the body. Surprisingly, babies who survive this bizarre condition are meant to have relatively high life expectancies.
Number Five: Congenital Insensitivity. Though many people joke about wanting to have a superpower that would stop them from feeling pain, congenital insensitivity to pain is a real condition, and it is extremely dangerous. People who have this kind of insensitivity may go so far as to walk on broken bones without ever realizing it.
Number Four: Hypertrichosis. Known as Werewolf syndrome, hypertrichosis occurs when the body triggers excessive hair growth in places that do not normally have much hair. Most commonly, sufferers of hypertrichosis have hair growing all over their face.
Number Three: Progeria. One of the sadder syndromes on our list, progeria is a condition that causes young children to begin to age at a very rapid pace. From the age of two, children with progeria begin to develop wrinkles and skin spots, and many experience achy joints. Most children who have progeria die during their teenage years from a heart attack or stroke.
Number Two: Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis. Known as the tree-man syndrome, Epidermodysplasia verruciform is a rare genetic mutation that causes the immune system to be extremely susceptible to HPV. When a sufferer comes in contact with the HPV virus, he or she will most certainly contract it and will be covered in warts resembling tree-bark. There is very little that can be done about these warts, and they are extremely debilitating.
Number One: Methemoglobinemia. No, the picture you see above isn’t fake! Methemoglobinemia is an extremely rare condition that causes the skin to turn blue. The condition, which leaves its victims looking like aliens, is caused by a decrease in blood oxygen levels and is totally curable.
