7 Mystery Conditions That Are Both a Blessing and a Curse to Live With

2 years ago

Many of us hate that feeling of fear that paralyzes us in everyday situations and leave us wishing we didn’t feel fear whatsoever. And few people deny the fact that physical pain is uncomfortable and irritating to go through and wishes to be immune to it. Well, be careful what you wish for because these “superpowers” and many more do actually exist in real life, but they often come with a package of rare chronic conditions.

We at Bright Side want to present you with 7 rare medical conditions that make people who have them seem enviable or unique, however, to live with them may actually be unpleasant and sometimes dangerous.

1. Crying crystal tears

This condition consists of the accumulation of rigid crystals in the cornea, the transparent front part of the eye. It’s one of the symptoms of a rare genetic disorder that targets different tissues and organs of the body, including the kidneys, muscles, liver, pancreas, and brain, in addition to the eye itself. And what’s worse is, if this symptom is left untreated, it can cause photophobia, a form of eye sensitivity that involves a painful feeling in response to sunlight.

Medical term: ocular cystinosis

2. A total absence of fear

This complete lack of fear is the result of an extremely rare genetic disorder with less than 500 cases reported worldwide! In addition to this psychological symptom, the disease affects the skin, the respiratory tracks, and the nervous system. Although this fearlessness may look enviable at first sight, it actually leaves the patient vulnerable to all kinds of dangers.

Medical term: Urbach-Wiethe disease

3. Insensitivity to pain

Although not being able to feel any pain sounds enticing, this “stroke of luck” is actually a hidden curse. In fact, our body informs us about problems it has by sending us signals in the form of pain, and missing the signs would be dangerous, especially for little children. This condition is actually the result of a particular defective gene and, surprisingly enough, the patient can still feel normal body-to-body contact!

Medical term: congenital analgesia

4. Mirror touch

A person with this condition feels as if their own body is being touched whenever they see someone else being touched. In fact, this condition is associated with structural differences in the brain that cause the visual and tactile senses to get mixed up — think of someone who “sees” sound or “hears” colors. Although this might sound like being blessed with extra sensorial experiences, it actually causes real harm to the person’s physical and mental well-being.

Medical term: mirror touch synesthesia

5. Super memory

People with this condition accurately recall every single detail of their lives, even describing events from their deep childhood! The exact cause remains unknown, however, ongoing research suggests that it might have a genetic basis. If you think it’s enviable, remember that these people can not sugar-coat unpleasant moments they would prefer to forget, and their constantly active memory causes them chronic headaches and insomnia.

Medical term: hyperthymesia

6. Island of genius

Genius syndrome is a rare condition that might be typical for people with developmental disorders, or those with brain damage, generally in the left hemisphere. Patients with such conditions display extraordinary talents in music, painting, calculations, and constructing 3D models. Despite the fact that they are geniuses in some fields, they present difficulties in others.

Medical term: savant syndrome

7. Speaking in foreign accents

Imagine yourself being able to mimic the accents of people from countries you’ve never even been to! This might sound super cool, but it’s no fun for the patients themselves, as they speak with a foreign accent uncontrollably. The most common reason for this condition is a head injury or stroke. And this “gift” is, in fact, a legitimate neurological condition that may have complications if the underlying cause isn’t diagnosed and treated.