Pics: marking Rare Disease Day this Leap Year!
This year's Rare Disease Day falls on the 29th of February and the spotlight is on people with unique medical conditions.
According to Rare Diseases South Africa there are over 7000 unique diseases that affect about 350 million people globally.
2016 marks nine consecutive years of Rare Disease Day with over 7000 different rare diseases identified to date. The complex nature of rare diseases, coupled with limited access to treatment and services, means that family members are often the primary source of solidarity, support and care for their loved ones.
The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.
On this rare leap year, awareness about these diseases is being raised.
These are our top three mysterious diseases:
Have you ever imagined what it feels like to perceive of the room you are sitting in as one that is shrinking? People who live with Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (AWS) have different perceptions of the size, distance and the shape of objects. For instance, a person with this rare condition may perceive their hands and feet to be larger or smaller and closer or further than they really are.
The medical term for this skin disorder is 'methemoglobinemia' and it is caused when the body is unable to transfer oxygen to body tissues. The disorder can be genetic and in some case people's skin turns blue due to medications with high doses of copper and iron.
Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) is a speech disorder that causes a sudden change to speech by affecting a person's speech patterns. People who are affected by this condition change the way they pronounce things suddenly while they talk; for instance, a person who has been speaking in an American accent their entire lives may suddenly change to a Chinese accent. Scientists claim that the causes of this syndrome are complicated.
Watch: the official video for Rare Disease Day
Let Martin know: have you been affected by any unique conditions? #MBDShow