Doctor, Doctor...
By Dave Hall
For all you hypochondriacs out there, Dave Hall continues his regular look at a some of the more unusual medical conditions, as well as some you thought you knew all about.
This week: FATAL FAMILIAL INSOMNIA.
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Condition – No sleep for the wicked they say, but also no sleep for the fatal familial insomniacs. Certainly sounds ridiculous, but its a rare brain disorder that makes patients unable to fall asleep. It’s caused by a mutation of a protein that affects the thalamus, the section of the brain associated with sleep.
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Contagion – It’s genetic, so no chance of suddenly waking up with the condition (no pun intended).
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| Danger of death – High. Symptoms include the inability to produce tears or feel pain, poor reflexes and hallucinations - you’ll go steadily more and more crazy without sleep and it is eventually fatal. |  |
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Incurability? – There is no known cure, so it’s goodnight Charlie (no pun intended). It’s hoped that gene therapy may be the answer in the future.
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Likelihood of getting time off work – If you're diagnosed with this condition, you’re more likely to give up work than get time off from it. Or you may just get the sack for looking constantly wired.
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| Brag-ability – It might sound cool to say you can keep going for 24 hours, but the novelty will soon wear off. There is not all that much to do between 2 and 5 am really, even with Sky TV. |
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Overall ridiculousness – An unusual but dangerous condition that will leave you tearing your hair out and desperate for a few hours kip. Mind you, it could be useful for those all-night revision sessions. |
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More conditions to come soon:
The Common Cold, Spaghetti Wrist Trauma and more.
Find more curious conditions in Doctor Doctor. If you can't wait for the next Doctor Doctor, then why not find a Phunny Phobia to keep you going?
Photo: Akbar Nemati
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