Original source :
http://dailyzim.com
From a very early
age, we learn that optimism is the key to happiness. Unfortunately, when people
catch a disease, especially an incurable one, they tend to lose their optimism
and fall into depression, and this only aggravates their condition. Even though
this attitude is perfectly explainable, as being ill is the essence of human
suffering, one should remember that there is no bad without good.
To prove this
point, here is a list of 10 diseases with surprising benefits for those who
suffer from it.
Benefit: Makes you
muscular
This is a very rare
condition, which is known to increase the skeletal muscle size in humans and
animals while reducing the body fat, without any medical complications (every
athlete`s dream). People suffering
from this condition lack the Myostatin hormone – the negative regulator of
muscle growth in a normal person. Therefore, their muscle development starts
while they are still in their mother’s womb and continues after birth, reaching
astonishing levels at a very early age. Probably the most
famous case of Myostatin – Related Muscle Hypetrophy is the one of Liam
Hoekstra, a little boy from Michigan,
who was able to do expert gymnast moves at only 5 months old. A treatment for
this condition has not yet been revealed, and scientists are not very keen to
find one as no “sufferer” has ever complained.
9. Persistent
Sexual Arousal Disorder
Benefit: Gives you
spontaneous orgasms
Persistent Sexual
Arousal Disorder, or Restless Genital Syndrome, is a condition that causes
uncontrollable genital arousal in women. As the description
goes, people suffering from this ailment are unable to control their sexual
organs’ activity, the arousal not being linked to any sexual desire. The
arousal does not always end with an orgasm, although it’s sometimes accompanied
by waves of such physical responses. The condition has
been the subject of a UK
documentary - 100 Orgasms A Day - that presents the life of several women with
PSAD. Rachel, one of these women, says that sometimes the orgasms come every
thirty seconds for periods as long as eight hours. Although this is a
very serious condition that can bring people on the brink of anxiety, as they
become unable to comply to their daily routine due to the distraction caused by
the spontaneous arousal episodes, it’s undeniable that the PSAD’s exhilarating
effect on the human body classify this disease as highly preferable to others.
8. Syphilis
Benefit: Gets you
high
One of the oldest
STDs, syphilis is undoubtedly one of the most horrible ailments out there. The
excruciating pain caused by non–healing skin ulcers, so deep that they may
reveal the bone, combined with such complications as liver failure and nervous
system breakdown, describe a tableau of suffering and despair. However, as
unlikely as it may sound, syphilis can bring some comforting symptoms to the
sufferer in its very last stage, the Neurosyphilis, when it finally gets to the
brain. Before reaching its fatal destination, the Neurosyphilis triggers
physical reactions very similar to those triggered by drug consumption, such as
euphoria, extreme excitement, loads of creative energy, and a great sense of
relaxation. In fact, the case of a 90-year-old woman suffering from this
condition is described in the medical books. She was so excited about the way
she felt that she refused treatment. While, as we
mentioned in the opening paragraph, Syphilis is far from a condition one might
wish for, in its final stage it might be capable of delivering some closure to
the sufferers.
7. Parasite
Infection
Benefit: Makes you
healthier
Well, of course not
all parasites are beneficial, and we most definitely should not run out and
trample in the dirt in order to get infected. Nevertheless, a decent exposure
to some parasites will make us healthier. And the explanation
is simple: our immune system has two lines of defense against diseases. The
first one, called Th1 lymphocytes, is in charge with attacking infected body
cells by deploying specialized white blood cells (think of it as the Navy SEALs
of teeny microbes). The other line of defense, called Th2 lymphocytes, attacks
the disease earlier, by trying to stop the microbes even before entering our
body. Now, if we do not
enter in contact with parasites, by living in a germ-free environment, our Th2
will do all the work, not allowing our Th1 to ever exercise its “fighting
skills.” In the long run, our Th1 will become lazy and unable to fight even the
weakest microbe. Thus, we will be prone to get sick as soon as we leave our
germ-free environment. We must conclude
that, even though rolling naked in the mud is definitely not the way to go, a
bit of exposure to the natural environment may not be such a bad idea after
all.
6. Polycythemia
Vera
Benefit: Increases
your stamina
Polycythemia vera
is a condition that causes our body to produce more red blood cells than
normal, due to a mutation in a bone marrow cell. This causes the blood to
become thicker and, as a result, the sufferer becomes prone to a large number
of possible medical complications, like heart attacks and strokes. However, given the
fact that red cells play a key role in increasing stamina, by being responsible
for transporting oxygen to the muscles, it’s only obvious that having a lot of
them, thanks to Polycythemia vera, would be a great asset to anyone looking to
finish a marathon. Of course, like any
other disease, Polycythemia vera is not a desirable condition but, in some
circumstances, it might help the sufferer to compete shoulder-to-shoulder with
world-class athletes, with no previous training.
5. Huntington’s
Disease
Benefit: Protects
you from cancer
Huntington’s
Disease is an incurable genetic condition, that causes the degeneration of
nerve cells in certain parts of the brain. This leading to shattering
complications, like significant declines in cognitive functions and psychiatric
abnormalities. However, following
a recent Swedish medical study carried on 1510 patients for a period of over 39
years, the scientist concluded that patients suffering from Huntington’s
Disease are far less prone to develop cancer than healthy people. Unfortunately, the
condition is known to lead to suicide in some cases, and patients diagnosed
with it are likely to die within 15 to 20 years. But, despite all these awful
expectations, the fact remains that Huntington’s Disease seems to offer
protection against the most terrifying and ruthless ailment of recent history:
cancer.
4. Sickle Cell
Disease
Benefit: Protects
you from Malaria
Sickle Cell Disease
represents, in fact, a group of genetic illnesses affecting the hemoglobin (the
molecule in charge of transporting oxygen through the body) by decreasing the number
of red blood cells in the body. Therefore, sickle-cell is the exact opposite of
Polycythemia vera. A recent study, led
by biologist Marek Cyrklaff at the Heidelberg
University in Germany,
unveiled that mutated hemoglobin molecules affected by sickle-cell defend the
sufferer from the malaria parasite, which is responsible for 1 to 2 millions
deaths every year. The malaria
parasite acts a lot like sickle-cell, by modifying the shape of the red blood
cells. The researchers have observed that malaria is unable to affect the cells
that have already been affected by sickle-cell, thus the sufferers have
developed a sort of immunity to malaria. Considering that
sickle-cell is much less dangerous than malaria, a condition able to kill the
sufferer in a matter of weeks, its benefits are only obvious, especially for
those living in malaria-affected areas.
3. Urbach – Wiethe
Disease
Benefit: Makes you
fearless
This very rare,
incurable, non-life-threatening, congenital disease, that causes the thickening
of the skin and brain tissue, was first reported in 1929 by Dr. Erich Urbach
and Dr. Camillo Wiethe. While the patients
whose skin has been thickened by the condition have such reactions as dry or
wrinkly skin, those with damage to the brain, and especially to the amygdala,
turn into full-blown Terminators. A study carried on
a woman suffering from Urbach–Wiethe Disease with a damaged amygdala, revealed
that she became utterly fearless. She is known to have undertaken such actions
as picking up a huge snake with her bare hands, or confronting an assailant
while being threatened at gun point. The researchers stated that “what stands
out most is that, in many of these situations, her life was in danger, yet her
behavior lacked any sense of desperation or urgency.” While this remains
a very serious condition, as fear has its own purpose, being developed as a
defense mechanism and all, we must admit that a sufferer could well have a
great career in MMA, the Army, the Justice League, or most any other childhood
dream job out there.
2. Savant Syndrome
Benefit: Makes you
a genius
This rare condition
“affects” people who are already suffering from severe mental disabilities. The
Savant Syndrome basically develops the mental capacity of the sufferer at an
astonishing level, but in an unconventional way. A real explanation
for the occurrence of the Savant Syndrome has not yet been discovered by
scientists, but it is believed that one side of the brain gets shattered by the
condition, while the other side overdevelops to compensate the loss. One famous case of
a patient suffering from the syndrome is that of Thomas Fuller, an
African–American slave nicknamed “The Virginia Calculator” who possessed
extraordinary calculation abilities. He is known to have been unable to
understand anything theoretical or practical. However, when asked how many
seconds a 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours old person had lived, he immediately
gave the correct answer (2,210,500,800, in case you hadn’t figured it out
already). The Savant Syndrome
is a perfect example of why we must never call someone “stupid,” as the brain
has unsuspected ways of developing, and stupidity is a very subjective and
shallow way of human (or animal) classification.
1. Hyperthymesia
Benefit: Makes you
remember everything
Hyperthymesia is an
extremely rare neuropsychological disorder that confers the sufferer an
extraordinary memory capacity. The explanation is given by the fact that the
condition affects two areas of the brain controlling the memory capacity and
formation: the Caudate Nucleus and the Temporal Lobe. The Caudate Nucleus
has the role of storing memories we don’t even think about. Like riding a bike,
we get better and better through practice, but we never directly memorize our
body’s position or what exactly makes us better. Meanwhile, the Temporal Lobe
is responsible for storing dates, facts, or events that we choose to remember. The Hyperthymesia
is, without a doubt, a burden to the sufferer, who lacks the choice of what to
remember and what not, being forced to live a life followed not only by nice
memories, but by all of them. Very often, people suffering from this condition
are unable to live in the present, being haunted by their memories. However, the good
side of the disease is obvious. Let’s just say that Alex Trebek should think
twice before letting a hyperthymesia patient on Jeopardy. Unless he feels like
bankrupting the show within a week.
~Admin~
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