How’s it going all of you most amazing people?
I’m Landon Dowlatsingh, your host and today we are going to be looking at some pretty
rare conditions.
But first, I want to know, what is an unusal fact about yourself?
I want to get to know you guys better so stay tuned at the end of this video to find out
one weird fact about me.
Did you guys know that on February 28th it is known as Rare disease day.
The main objective is to raise awareness of rare diseases in order to get more research
and funding for the families who are affected by these conditions.
So let’s take a look at the top 10 rarest human conditions.
Starting us off in at number 10 with Foreign accent syndrome.
People who suffer from this will find themselves randomly talking in a different accent.
There have only been 60 cases of this syndrome documented.
Doctor’s initially thought that this was a psychiatric problem but in 2002 scientists
found that all of the suffers share the same brain abnormalities which led to changes in
speech pitch and other irregularities.
The first case of this syndrome was documented in a Norwegian woman back in 1941 who developed
a strong German accent and because of this, she was hated by her community.
Morgellons comes in at number 9.
This condition is known to have affected nearly 14,000 people and sadly, it is a poorly understood
condition.
This disease is classified by biting, itching or crawling sensations, filaments growing
under the skin and skin lesions.
To top it all off, sufferers also experience memory loss and fatigue.
There isn’t even a drug or effective form of treatment for Morgellons.
Falling into number 8 is Alice in wonderland syndrome.
People who suffer from this rare condition perceive objects as being smaller than they
are.
This condition can also affect their sense of hearing, touch and perceptions of their
own body image.
Strange things reportedly happen when you have an episode of alice in wonderland syndrome.
Your body parts or things around you might look bigger, smaller, closer or farther away
than they really are, things that are still might look like they are moving and faces
might look distorted.
Up next in at number 7 we have Moebius Syndrome.
This is a very rare genetic disorder that is characterized by complete paralysis of
the face.
People who suffer from this condition are unable to close their eyes, form facial expressions
or even look from side to side.
They might even have clubbed feet and missing fingers.
However, a lot of patients with this syndrome go on to lead long healthy lives.
Microcephaly makes its way into number 6.
This very rare condition is evident at birth and sometimes even before birth.
This is a condition where the baby’s head is much smaller than expected.
Microcephaly can occur because the baby’s brain has not developed properly during the
pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth.
Children with this condition will have problems with hyperactivity, dwarfism, seizures, balance
problems, speech and motor problems and many other things.
Number 5 brings us to Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Proressiva.
This is a disorder in which muscle tissue and connective tissue are gradually replaced
by bone.
This causes the formation of bone to form outside of the skeleton which limits movement.
People with this condition will have extreme difficulties with their mobility as their
joints become affected.
They will be unable to fully open their mouth which may cause difficulties with speaking
and eating.
This is a very rare disorder that is believed to occur in approximately 1 in 2 million people
worldwide and only several hundred cases have been reported.
Water allergy trickles into number 4.
When a person suffering from this condition comes into contact with water, they have painful
skin reactions such as hives, intense itching and skin flushing.
Once contact with water is removed, the rash generally fades within 30-60 minutes.
An allergy to water usually occurs later in life and it is often due to a hormonal imbalance
brought on by giving birth.
And now in at number 3 we have Fields disease.
There have only been two diagnosed cases of this condition in history.
It is named after two twins named Catherine and Kristie fields.
It a neuromuscular disease that causes muscular degeneration and since little is known about
this disease, doctors are unable to know if the disease is fatal, what the life expectancy
is or if it is genetic.
The twins are currently 21 years old and they are living with persistent and painful muscle
spasms.
Doctors are continuously administering tests on the twins in order to try to find a treatment
or cure.
Kulu or the laughing death chuckles into number 2.
This disease was exclusive to the Fore tribe in New Guinea.
This disorder gained international attention because the sufferers would suddenly burst
into fits on maniacal laughter.
They also start to lose their ability to stand, they become cross-eyed and they lose the ability
to speak before they die.
It was later discovered that this disorder was caused by the tribe’s custom of eating
dead family members.
After the government banned cannibalism, this epidemic came to an end.
Number 1 we have Progeria.
This extremely rare genetic disorder causes children to rapidly age.
Children with Progeria appear normal and healthy at birth but during their first year, signs
and symptoms such as slow growth and hair loss begin.
The life expectancy for a child with Progeria is about 13 years and unfortunately most children
with Progeria die of a heart attack or stroke and there is no cure.
It is estimated that Progeria will occur in 1 in 4-8 million newborns worldwide and currently
there are between 200-250 children living with Progeria.
Well there you guys have it…