WHEN it comes to our health, there are many conditions we know about.
Whether it’s diabetes, asthma, skin issues or cancer, in most cases we know what to look out for.
GettyMost of us know the most common conditions such as diabetes and skin ailments, but there are some strange ones you might not be aware of[/caption]
But there are some conditions, with symptoms so strange – that you might not even believe they exist.
We previously highlighted the debilitating mental illnesses you’ve never heard of.
This included conditions such as alien hand, where a person experiences a complete loss of feeling in their hand or limb – thereby it feeling ‘alien’ to them.
Other odd conditions include Alice in Wonderland Syndrome, whereby the sufferer will often see things smaller or larger than they are – which can be overwhelming as well as confusing.
However, there are five strange physical conditions that might also surprise you.
1. Auto-brewery syndrome
Auto-Brewery Syndrome (ABS) is a condition that raises the levels of alcohol in the blood.
Because of this, it produces symptoms of intoxication in those who suffer with it – meaning they might feel drunk or even hungover.
This happens even when they have had small amounts of booze, or even no booze at all.
It’s also referred to as gut fermentation syndrome (GFS).
Medics at the Stony Brook University Hospital in New York, US, said people with the condition also often have a high-sugar, high carbohydrate diet.
2. Fatal familial insomnia
According to experts at the Genetic and Rare Disease Information Center in the US, fatal familial insomnia (FFI) affects the part of the brain that controls the sleep-wake cycle, the thalamus.
Despite its name, the condition isn’t fatal and actually refers to severe insomnia.
The most common symptoms of the condition include psychiatric problems, weight loss, and balance problems.
You may also struggle with high blood pressure, excess sweating, and difficulty controlling body temperature.
They often get worse overtime and experts say it’s caused by a change in our DNA.
3. Fish odour syndrome
Trimethylaminuria (fish odour syndrome) is a condition that can give a smell of rotting fish or something similar and it may be caused by a faulty gene – but it isn’t always the case, the NHS states.
Basically, it’s caused by a missing enzyme which means that you will have an abnormally strong odour prevalent in your sweat, urine and breath.
Currently there is no cure for this condition. However, there are treatments that can help with the symptoms.
You should see your GP if you notice a strong, unpleasant smell that doesn’t go away.
The NHS states that they will be able to check for more common causes such as body odour, gum disease, urinary tract infections and bacterial vaginosis.
4. Foreign accent syndrome
Foreign accent syndrome is a rare speech disorder in which the person who has it sounds like they are from another country, experts at Winchester Hospital said.
Problems could last for months, years or could be permanent.
Symptoms of the condition might include making vowel sounds that are longer and lower, for example, changes English ‘yeah’ to German ‘jah’.
You might also experience changing sound quality by moving the tongue or jaw differently while speaking
Those who have the condition may substitute words or use the wrong words to describe something
They may also put sentences together the wrong way.
5. Proteus syndrome
Proteus syndrome is a medical condition that leads to disproportionate growth of tissues such as bone, skin, vascular and fatty tissue, medics at Great Ormond Street Hospital state.
It’s a genetic condition but it’s not passed on from parent to child and is caused by an out of the blue mutation in a gene called AKT1.
The main feature is asymmetrical overgrowth of parts of the body.
“This overgrowth is often not present at birth but may become more noticeable over time.
“In addition to overgrowth, children with Proteus syndrome may have distinctive facial features with a long face, low nasal bridge, large nostrils and downturned outer part of the eye.
“Some children have seizures, vision problems and learning difficulties,” the experts said.
It’s important that if you have any symptoms you’re unsure about then you see a GP.