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Fibromyalgia is one of those conditions that most people don’t know much about. And in many ways, these are some of the worst conditions to suffer from. Because they’re rare, they don’t get much of the scarce funding for medical research. Those dollars tend to go to conditions like cancer. That’s not to say that these conditions aren’t just as worthy as research. But they do tend to take resources away from the research of rare diseases.

But while the obvious solution is more medical research funding for every condition. But, we can’t hold our breath for that to happen. So, raising awareness of these conditions is probably the best alternative at the moment. And with that in mind, let’s talk about a few rare diseases you’ve probably never heard of.

10 Rare Diseases You’ve Never Heard Of

The basic criteria for a “rare disease” according to the National Institute of Health is that it affects less than 200,000 people. But all the same, they can be extremely devastating. Here are a few worth noting.

Kuru

Kuru is an incredibly rare condition that has only been documented among one specific tribe in Papua New Guinea. This particular tribe, the Fore people, practiced a form of burial that involved the tribe eating the brain of the deceased. As a result, many suffered from a progressive disease that caused uncontrollable laughter, loss of muscle control, difficulty swallowing, and eventually death.

For years, this condition was a mystery until researchers discovered that the disease was caused by prions (a form of protein) from the brains of the dead people damaging the brains of the living. The fact that the brains of those who died were also eaten contributed to the number of people in the tribe suffering from it until it became endemic in the tribe. Luckily, once they ceased the practice of eating brains, the disease disappeared for the most part.

But it’s worth noting that there are many other kinds of prion disease like mad cow disease.

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Commonly called “stone man syndrome,” fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a condition that causes bone tissue to spread through the muscles and other tissue.

Over time, this leads to an inability to move and is eventually fatal. The condition is caused by a genetic mutation and generally becomes noticeable in early childhood, progressing until adulthood.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is named after a scene in the book where Alice finds herself in situations where the size of things becomes distorted. The hallmark of the condition is a conviction that everything is suddenly smaller. The sense of size becomes completely distorted, making sufferers feel like giants.

It’s thought to be a result of issues with the frontal lobe of the brain, which alters perception. And the condition can be caused by everything from tumors to migraines.

Porphyria

Porphyria is a condition that affects the ability of your blood to create hemoglobin. There are different forms of porphyria. But cutaneous porphyria results in an extreme sensitivity to sunlight. For someone who suffers from it, simply going outside can result in painful burns on the skin.

It can also lead to conditions like hallucinations and delusions as well as chest pain and vomiting.

Pica

Pica is an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia. But pica manifests itself as uncontrollable desire to eat strange things like dirt or hair.

Pica can be life-threatening when people who suffer from it eat poisonous substances like lead or ingest enough indigestible substances to make normal digestion impossible.

Cotard’s Delusion

Cotard’s Delusion is a neurological disorder that causes people who suffer from it to believe that they’ve lost a limb or organ when they haven’t. And in spite of all assurances to the contrary, they are unable to accept that they are still in one piece. In some cases, the sufferer might believe that they have actually died and are a walking corpse.

The condition is extremely rare but has been reported in several different cases over the years.

Cold Urticaria

Urticaria is the scientific term for hives. Usually, these are a reaction to allergens in the air or touching the skin. But in cases of cold urticaria, the patient seems to be allergic to cold.

Exposure to cold air causes them to break out in hives. Usually, this condition isn’t dangerous, but it is difficult to live with in certain climates.

Elephantiasis 

Elephantiasis is a condition caused by infection by a parasitic worm. The result is a swelling of the limbs to huge proportions. Legs that are affected can grow to the width of an elephant’s foreleg, which is where the name comes from.

The disease is obviously isolated to countries where the parasitic infection is common.

So, which of these diseases do you find the most interesting? Do you suffer from any of them? Let us know in the comments.