Many human diseases are the result of genetic mutation that is passed down through generations. Of course some are more uncommon than others, and ther

Many human diseases are the result of genetic mutation that is passed down through generations. Of course some are more uncommon than others, and there are an estimated 350 million people on Earth living with rare disorders. Many of these people still lead normal lives, aside from a few physical quirks that make them truly one-of-a-kind. So why don’t you take a look at these five genetic conditions with fascinating symptoms that will blow your mind. 1. Methemoglobinemia  The human race comes in a wide shade of skin tones including… blue? This is the case of people who suffer from methemoglobinemia, a recessive genetic mutation that affects one’s ability to carry oxygenated blood. Other times it can be caused by medication. One such example was a man named Martin Fugate who passed the condition onto four of his seven children including his future great-great-great-great-grandson Benjamin Stacy who later outgrew it. Aside from turning blue, there are no serious problems associated with the disease. 2. Klippel–Trénaunay Syndrome People suffering from the congenital vascular disorder Klippel–Trénaunay Syndrome can experience a wide range of symptoms from overactive bone to soft tissue growth and dark-colored birthmarks. It often presents in a single limb and can lead to fused fingers or toes. In the case of a man named Matthias Schlitte, his condition caused his arm to grow unusually muscular, almost as if he spent his entire life lifting weight with just one arm. To put things into perspective, the average bicep measures under 14 inches in diameter, while Schlitte’s is 18 inches. Now he’s a professional arm wrestler whose condition gives him a huge advantage. 3. Total Color Blindness  On the tiny Pacific island of Pingelap, nearly 10% of the population sees the world totally colorless, only in dull shades of black and white. This is known as monochromacy and it affects roughly 1 in 33,000 people globally. However, they need to wear sunglasses during the day as the sun totally blinds them, though their night vision is way above average. These people all have a common ancestor, a king, who set about repopulating the island after a tsunami in 1780 diminished their numbers to nearly 20.  4. Adermatoglyphia In our modern society, fingerprints are one of the most important identification markers as there are no two people with the same fingerprint, not even identical twins. But due to an extremely rare condition known as adermatoglyphia, one could be born with entirely smooth fingertips. This is due to a mutation in a gene called SMARCAD1 and only a few families around the world are afflicted with the condition, including a woman who was unable to travel from Switzerland to the United States due to her lack of fingerprints. Unsurprisingly, many of her family members are in the same boat! 5. Snatiation Snatiation is a lesser known but odd condition that was first identified in 1989. The reason why it hasn’t been studied much is because the only symptom is harmless but uncontrollable sneezing. So what exactly is snatiation? First of all, the name is a combination of the words “sneezing” and “satiation,” meaning that people with the condition sneeze after feeling full from eating. The first reported case was a man who sneezed about four times after every meal, and so did most of his family. Another person has a personal best of 22 sneezes in a row! The sneezes are completely pain free and aren't triggered by the type of food they eat.

Genetic Conditions with Fascinatingly Strange Symptoms

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