Medical science has made huge strides. We've found treatments for the Black Death, created a vaccine for chicken pox, and eradicated diseases like smallpox and rinderpest worldwide. Yet, some diseases still baffle us. These mystery illnesses include epidemics of dancing dating back to the 1500s and diseases that once affected cows but now target humans. While some may seem comical, most are horrifying, incurable, and deadly. We may never uncover the causes of some, but research continues. For now, what we do know is fascinating. Learn about strange diseases that science can't yet explain.
About this list
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Foreign Accent SyndromeScience MedicineForeign Accent Syndrome is very rare. It has several different causes.Foreign Accent Syndrome has a variety of different causes.Head or brain trauma often causes Foreign Accent Syndrome. A person then starts speaking with an accent not their own and cannot stop it.
Sufferers do not realize they have Foreign Accent Syndrome.Foreign Accent Syndrome is an issue with the brain.Scientists do not know why Foreign Accent Syndrome happens.
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Burning Mouth SyndromeScience MedicineYou know the feeling of your mouth burning when you eat spicy food? Imagine that feeling happens to you constantly, for no reason.Burning mouth syndrome.Burning mouth syndrome occurs when a person feels a constant burn in their tongue, gums, or mouth without any visible cause.
A few treatments exist. A healthcare professional usually manages this condition.
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SchizophreniaScience MedicineDo not confuse Schizophrenia with multiple personality disorder.Schizophrenia is not the same as multiple personality disorder.Popular media often mixes up the two conditions.Schizophrenia.Schizophrenia has many symptoms. Many change for each person. These include hearing voices, paranoia, disorganized speech and thought, and difficulty seeing reality.
Scientists have studied this disease for decades. They still do not fully understand the cause or have found a cure.
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Water AllergyScience MedicineClinically, this is called.aquagenic urticaria.People with this allergy get painful, itchy spots when exposed to water. This means no swimming, no bathing—even drinking water causes problems. Researchers have no idea about the cause, though they know it involves a genetic mutation.
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Stiff-Person SyndromeScience MedicineStiff-Person Syndrome is a condition.rare disease.Stiff-person syndrome attacks the nervous system. It can make someone stiffen gradually all over. No one knows the main cause. There is no cure, and people cannot predict if someone will get it until symptoms appear.
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Peruvian Meteorite IllnessScience MedicinePeruvian Meteorite Illness causes back issues.in 2007.A meteor crashed in the high plains of Peru. People near the site reported headaches, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms. At least twelve people got the illness, and many received treatment for symptoms.
The actual cause of this sickness remains unknown, even though theories exist.
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Persistent Genital Arousal DisorderScience MedicineLet's keep this clinical. This issue affects women. Unlike other genital problems, Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder causes recurring and prolonged arousal.Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder causes recurring and prolonged arousal.
We do not know what causes this., and though treatments exist, there is no known cure.
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Alice In Wonderland SyndromeScience MedicinePeople with Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) have achanging perception of their size.They also perceive the size of things around them. These people can feel two inches tall. Migraines are often linked to AIWS, but no treatments or cures exist yet; the condition is still being studied.
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Dancing PlagueScience MedicineYou know about the bubonic plague or the pneumonic plague. What about the dancing plague? In 1518, about 400 people suddenly needed to dance. This seemed fun at first, but several people's hearts stopped, and they died.died.The Dancing Plague occurs.
Other cases appeared throughout history, but this one was likely the most extreme. Science has never fully explained it, though some people suggest it involvesMass hysteria..
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Sudden Infant Death SyndromeScience MedicineThis is every new parent's worst fear.Sudden infant death syndrome.SIDS hits without warning and for no clear reason; we do not fully grasp why. SIDS happens during sleep. Though risk factors can be lowered, it arrives so fast that no cure exists.
Researchers conduct a lot of study to learn more about this frightening syndrome.
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HiccupsScience MedicineLuckily, we understandHiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm and the voice box, which closes the throat to stop air intake. This makes a strange noise. People do not know why hiccups begin. A million and a half remedies exist online, but there is no cure.an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm, at the same time as a contraction of the voice box that closes the throat to stop air. This makes a strange sound. Nobody knows why hiccups start. Even though a million and a half internet remedies exist, there is no definite cure.Nvoluntary contraction of the diaphragm happens at the same time as the voice box contracts, closing the throat to stop air intake. This creates a weird noise. No one knows why hiccups start. A million and a half Internet remedies exist, yet no definitive cure exists.
Mostly, it is not a big deal, except for people who have itFor decades.At the same time.
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PicaScience MedicineIf you have heard of kids eating dirt, you know about pica. ThisEating disorder.makes people eat things other than food, like dirt, clay, cigarette butts, and paste. It mostly affects children, but adults, pregnant women, and people with developmental disabilities can also get it.
Several things might cause this disorder, but we do not know the main cause or how to fully cure it.
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob DiseaseScience MedicineMad cow disease was a major topic in the '90s, but panic about it seems to have ended. Sadly, it has a terrible relative that infects humans instead of cows. This human version,Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease., has killed hundreds of people globally by destroying the brain over time.
No means exist to cure or control it; we do not fully understand it yet.
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Morgellons DiseaseScience MedicineMorgellons disease is a.A mysterious skin condition.. People with Morgellons have strange skin sores and rashes. They feel a crawling sensation under their skin, and eventually, ffibers, threads, or black stringy material come from the sores on their skin.
Researchers still study what causes this disease and the nature of those fibers.
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ProgeriaScience MedicineProgeria, also calledHutchinson-Gilford syndrome., makes children age faster than normal. This causes hair loss, skin wrinkling, stunted growth, and internal organ problems. Most kids with this illness die before age 13.
There is no cure. While we know this is aA genetic problem., the exact cause remains a mystery.
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Moebius SyndromeScience MedicineCan you imagine never being able to smile?This is the realityfor people with Moebius syndrome. This condition causes weakness or paralysis in the face muscles and can stop the person from frowning, smiling,or even blinking.
Moebius appears at birth and seems to happen randomly, with no family history.
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Alzheimer's DiseaseScience MedicineThe fight against this illness never stops.Alzheimer's.Alzheimer's Disease attacks the brain and nervous system. It remains the main cause of dementia. This is not a normal part of aging. It eventually causes death. No cure exists. Treatments vary in effectiveness for each person.
Scientists do not fully understand this disease. They do not understand its symptoms or causes. Funding for Alzheimer's research keeps flowing.
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Stiff person syndromeScience MedicineStiff person syndrome (SPS) looks like an autoimmune disease. It is considered very rare. Symptoms of this chronic neurological disorder, like muscle spasms and hyper-rigidity, can become violent.These symptoms cause broken bones and dislocated joints.Individuals with SPS feel more sensitive to noise, touch, and emotional distress.
Researchers keep searching for the cause of SPS. That cause remains unknown.The cause of SPS remains unclear.SPS might result from an autoimmune reaction or disorder. Women get SPS more often than men. The condition can cause hunched postures or prevent walking or movement. Medication is the only way to manage SPS symptoms.
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