Do you know that there is a syndrome called Alice in Wonderland? 

Have you ever heard of a syndrome that causes water allergies? Or one in which some parts of your body turn into stone? These syndromes sound like something out of a horror film, but they are real! According to Global Genes, an organization for individuals and families fighting rare and genetic diseases, there are over 7000 different types of rare diseases, with more being discovered every day!  They are a combination of symptoms or conditions that signal the presence of or risk of an ailment. Some of these syndromes are bizarre. We uncover four of them for you.  

Foreign accent syndrome   
A person with foreign accent syndrome awakens one day speaking in a completely different accent! Only 100 people have been diagnosed with this condition since the first known case was discovered in 1907. An American woman in Arizona awoke one day in 2018 with Australian, British and Irish accents! She had fallen asleep with a headache the night before, one of the symptoms of foreign accent syndrome. Other symptoms include speaking in your native language but with a different accent or getting stuck on certain words. Don't worry, not everyone who has a headache wakes up with a new accent. It is frequently caused by a stroke, trauma or tumours. Speech therapy is the most common treatment. 

Alien hand syndrome  
Just as the name suggests, people with alien hand syndrome experience sudden and involuntary movements in their hands. It’s as if the hand had its own brain! For example, you could be stirring the pot with one hand while the other abruptly flips it over. In a paper published in 1998, an 81-year-old woman reported that her left hand repeatedly hit her and even tried to strangle her! Some patients may also experience uncontrollable movements in one of their legs. This is known as the alien leg phenomenon. But what exactly causes this syndrome? It develops due to brain lesions that disrupt areas of the brain that control movement. It is a very rare disease with no approved treatments. Although patients are given physiotherapy, it is ineffective. Several health organisations have recently begun researching on this illness, so there may be some hope for people suffering from alien hand syndrome after all. 

Alice in Wonderland syndrome 
This condition, named after the popular children's fiction Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865), alters your perception of your own body. Do you remember Alice being stuck in little White Rabbit’s house? This syndrome makes you feel that way. You might feel like a giant in your normal-sized room or as if you have suddenly shrunk. Doesn't this also sound like a plot from Jonathan Swift's book, Gulliver's Travels (1726)? This is a rare condition that appears to be more common in children. However, it is temporary. It can last for a few minutes to a few hours and sometimes even months. The most common causes of Alice in Wonderland syndrome are brain disorders and migraines, and there is no approved treatment currently. 

Stone man syndrome 
People with stone man syndrome have their muscles regenerate as bones, making them immobile and stiff as stone. No, they did not look into the eyes of Medusa, a mythological creature who can turn anyone into stone. This is a genetic disorder! Stone man syndrome is characterised by deformed toes, joint stiffness and movement issues. It is undeniably a devastating condition. How would you react if you awoke one day to find your legs turned to stone? It only takes a minor injury to the patient's bones for the muscles to regenerate as bones. Surgical removal of excess bone growth is the only option at such times. However, it is a rare condition, and only 285 people in the U.S. are known to suffer from stone man syndrome.