Strange Malady

Mysterious diseases you never knew existed.

- Shalini Bhardwaj

Have you ever thought that a relaxing bath can cause burning pain all over the body or a burst of deep laughter could literally be fatal? No, this is not a bizarre jest, but an unpleasant reality for few people, a kind of rare disease. The world is a queer place and many medical conditions can throw people for a loop.

Rare diseases also referred to as orphan diseases, are mostly genetic diseases and appear early in life. These diseases affect a small percentage of the population all over the world and remain present throughout the person’s entire life. Unfortunately, there is still no definite cure for most of these diseases. Many of us are not aware that the last day of February each year is marked as Rare Disease Day to raise awareness among the public, policymakers, researchers, and health professionals about these diseases and empathise them with people who are affected by these diseases.

Here are eight strange diseases you never knew existed:

1.Alice in the wonderland syndrome

Alice in Wonderland syndrome also known as Todd’s syndrome is a rare condition that temporarily changes how the brain perceives things.