25 of the strangest diseases in the world that scientists still cannot explain

Science has made significant strides in medicine - it is now possible to cope with diseases that our ancestors only dreamed of defeating. However, there are still diseases that make doctors throw up their hands in bewilderment. Some of them have unknown origins, or they affect the body in completely incredible ways. Perhaps one day it will be possible to explain these strange diseases and cope with them, but for now they still remain a mystery to humanity.

From people who can dance themselves to death to water allergies, here are 25 incredibly weird but real diseases that science can't explain!

Myelitis is inflammation of the spinal cord. It is sometimes called polio syndrome. It is a neurological disease that affects children and leads to weakness or paralysis. Young patients experience constant pain in joints and muscles. Until the end of the 50s of the twentieth century, polio was a terrible disease, epidemics of which in different countries claimed many thousands of lives. Of those sick, about 10% died, and another 40% became disabled.

After the invention of the vaccine, scientists claimed that the disease had been defeated. But, despite WHO assurances, polio has not yet given up - its outbreaks occur from time to time in different countries. At the same time, people who have already been vaccinated get sick, since the virus of Asian origin has acquired an unusual mutation.

This is a condition characterized by an acute lack of fatty tissue in the body and its deposition in unusual places, such as the liver. Due to such strange symptoms, patients with LSPS have a very characteristic appearance - they appear very muscular, almost like superheroes. They also tend to have prominent facial bones and enlarged genitalia.

With one of the two known types of LSPS, doctors also discovered a mild mental disorder, but this is not the biggest problem for patients. This unusual distribution of fat tissue leads to serious problems, namely high levels of fat in the blood and insulin resistance, while the accumulation of fat in the liver or heart can lead to severe organ damage and even sudden death.

This disease was terrifying when it first appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. First, the patients began to hallucinate, and then they became paralyzed. They seemed to be sleeping, but in fact these people were conscious. Many died at this stage, and those who survived experienced terrible behavior problems for the rest of their lives (Parkinsonism syndrome). The epidemic of this disease did not appear again, and doctors to this day do not know what caused it, although many versions have been put forward (a virus, an immune reaction that destroys the brain). Presumably, Adolf Hitler suffered from lethargic encephalitis, and subsequent parkinsonism could have influenced his rash decisions.

Patients hear incredibly loud explosions in their heads and sometimes see flashes of light that do not exist in reality, and doctors have no idea why. This is a little-studied phenomenon that is classified as a sleep disorder. The causes of this syndrome, which is more common in women than men, are still unknown. It usually manifests itself against the background of lack of sleep (deprivation). Recently, an increasing number of young people are suffering from this syndrome.

This phenomenon is the sudden death from respiratory arrest of an apparently healthy infant or child in which an autopsy cannot determine the cause of death. SIDS is sometimes called “cradle death” because it may not be preceded by any signs, often the baby dies in its sleep. The causes of this syndrome are still unknown.

Also known as water allergy. Patients experience a painful skin reaction upon contact with water. This is a real disease, although very rare. Only about 50 cases have been described in the medical literature. Water intolerance causes a severe allergic response, sometimes even to rain, snow, sweat or tears. The manifestations are usually more severe in women, and the first symptoms are detected during puberty. The causes of water allergy are not clear, but symptoms can be treated with antihistamines.

Named after the city where the first such case was recorded (Brainerd, Minnesota, USA). Sufferers who have contracted this infection visit the toilet 10-20 times a day. Diarrhea is often accompanied by nausea, cramps and constant fatigue.

In 1983, there were eight outbreaks of Brainerd's diarrhea, six of them in the United States. But the first was still the largest - 122 people got sick in a year. There are suspicions that the disease occurs after drinking fresh milk - but it is still unclear why it torments a person for so long.

A condition during which patients experience quite vivid and complex hallucinations despite suffering partial or complete loss of vision due to old age or diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma.

Although there are few recorded cases of this disease, it is believed to be widespread among older people suffering from blindness. Between 10 and 40% of blind people suffer from Charles Bonnet syndrome. Fortunately, unlike the other conditions listed here, the symptoms of severe visual hallucinations go away on their own after a year or two as the brain begins to adjust to the loss of vision.

More of a mental illness than a physical one. Patients believe that their various symptoms are caused by electromagnetic fields. However, doctors have discovered that people cannot distinguish between real and fake fields. Why do they still believe this? This is usually associated with a conspiracy theory.

As this syndrome progresses, the patient's muscles become more and more stiff until he is completely paralyzed. Doctors aren't sure what exactly causes these symptoms; Possible hypotheses include diabetes and mutating genes.

It was discovered in East Africa in 2010. It mainly affects children: patients constantly nod their heads, which often leads to malnutrition and stunted growth. Doctors believe the disease may be caused by parasites, but they are not sure.

This disease is characterized by the consumption of inedible substances. People suffering from this disease experience a constant desire to consume various types of non-food substances, including dirt and glue, instead of food. That is, everything that comes to hand during an exacerbation. Doctors have still not found either the real cause of the disease or a method of treatment.

The English sweat, or English sweating fever, is an infectious disease of unknown etiology with a very high mortality rate that visited Europe (primarily Tudor England) several times between 1485 and 1551. The illness began with chills, dizziness and headache, as well as pain in the neck, shoulders and limbs. Then a fever and extreme sweat, thirst, increased heart rate, delirium, and pain in the heart began. There were no skin rashes. A characteristic sign of the disease was severe drowsiness, often preceding death after exhausting sweat: it was believed that if a person was allowed to fall asleep, he would not wake up.

At the end of the 16th century, “English sweating fever” suddenly disappeared and since then has never appeared anywhere else, so now we can only speculate about the nature of this very unusual and mysterious disease.

When a meteorite fell near the village of Carancas in Peru, local residents who approached the crater fell ill with an unknown illness that caused severe nausea. Doctors believe the cause was arsenic poisoning from a meteorite.

The disease is characterized by the appearance of unusual stripes throughout the body. This disease was first discovered by a German dermatologist in 1901. The main symptom of the disease is the appearance of visible asymmetrical stripes on the human body. Anatomy still cannot explain such a phenomenon as Blaschko Lines. There is an assumption that these lines have been embedded in human DNA since time immemorial and are transmitted hereditarily.

The Fore tribe of cannibals, living in the mountains of New Guinea, was discovered only in 1932. Members of this tribe suffered from the fatal disease Kuru, the name of which in their language has two meanings - “trembling” and “corruption”. The Fore believed that illness was the result of an evil eye from a foreign shaman. The main signs of the disease are severe trembling and jerky movements of the head, sometimes accompanied by a smile, similar to that which appears in patients with tetanus. In the initial stage, the disease manifests itself as dizziness and fatigue. Then a headache, cramps and, eventually, typical tremors are added. Over the course of several months, the brain tissue degrades into a spongy mass, after which the patient dies.

The disease was spread through ritual cannibalism, namely eating the brain of someone with the disease. With the eradication of cannibalism, kuru practically disappeared.

Usually develops in childhood. The symptoms are quite clear - repeated bouts of vomiting and nausea. Doctors do not know what exactly is the cause of this disorder. What is clear is that people with this disease can suffer from nausea for days or weeks. In the case of one patient, the most acute attack was that she vomited 100 times in 24 hours. Usually this happens 40 times a day, mainly due to stress or in a state of nervous excitement. Seizures cannot be predicted.

People with this diagnosis have blue or plum skin color. In the last century, a whole family of blue people lived in the American state of Kentucky. They were called Blue Fugates. By the way, besides this hereditary disease, they did not have any other diseases, and most of this family lived more than 80 years.

It is characterized by damage to the skin, with patients complaining that insects or worms are crawling and biting under their skin, and also claim that they find certain fibers under their skin. It is unknown whether this is a new disease or simply a mixture of existing ones. For a long time, the medical community did not recognize this syndrome. It was believed that such damage could be caused by the patients themselves, who suffered from “delusional parasitosis” or “delusional infection.” In other words, such people were suspected of having a mental illness.

Also known as multiple chemical sensitivity. The disease is characterized by negative reactions to various modern chemicals and products, including plastics and synthetic fibers. As with electromagnetic sensitivity, patients do not react unless they know they are interacting with chemicals.

The most famous incident of this disease occurred in 1518 in Strasbourg, France, when a woman named Frau Troffee began dancing for no reason. Hundreds of people joined her over the next few weeks, and eventually many of them died from exhaustion. Probable causes are mass poisoning or mental disorder.

Children affected by this disease look like ninety-year-olds. Progeria is caused by a defect in a person's genetic code. This disease has unpreventable and detrimental consequences for humans. Most people born with this disease die by age 13 as their body accelerates the aging process. Progeria is extremely rare. This disease is seen in only 48 people around the world, five of whom are relatives, therefore, it is also considered hereditary.

Some scientists believe that it was this disease that gave rise to myths and legends about vampires and werewolves. Why? The skin of patients affected by this disease blisters and “boils” when exposed to sunlight, and their gums “dry out,” causing their teeth to resemble fangs. Do you know what's the strangest thing? The stool turns purple.

The causes of this disease are still not well understood. It is known to be hereditary and associated with improper synthesis of red blood cells. Many scientists are inclined to believe that in most cases it occurs as a result of incest.

A disease that affected Gulf War veterans. There are several symptoms, ranging from insulin resistance to loss of muscle control. Doctors believe that the disease was caused by the use of depleted uranium in weapons (including chemical weapons).

The main symptom of this disease is severe fear if something unexpected happens to the patient. In this case, a person susceptible to the disease jumps up, starts screaming, waves his arms, stutters, falls, starts rolling on the floor and cannot calm down for a long time. This disease was first recorded in the United States in 1878 in a Frenchman, hence its name. Described by George Miller Beard, the disease only affected French-Canadian lumberjacks in northern Maine. Doctors believe it is a genetic disease.