Fatal Familial Insomnia

Among the genetic conditions with remarkably weird symptoms, fatal familial insomnia is one of them. Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is a rare genetic condition that causes progressive insomnia—the inability to sleep. Insomnia worsens to the point where it interferes with daily functioning, eventually leading to a coma and death. It's highly unlikely that you have FFI if you have trouble sleeping. According to experts, only 100 people in 30 families in Europe, China, Japan, Australia, and the United States are carriers of the gene that causes this disease. This disease has a non-genetic variant known as sporadic fatal insomnia (sFI). Experts are baffled as to what causes sFI.

Symptoms of FFI usually appear when you’re between the ages of 40 and 60. They start off mild but progress quickly. In most cases, the first symptom is insomnia, or difficulty sleeping. This may result in confusion and difficulty focusing. Insomnia worsens over time, and other symptoms may emerge. Many of the symptoms that occur after the onset of insomnia are caused by a lack of sleep.

The majority of people with FFI die within 6 to 36 months of the onset of symptoms due to heart problems or infections caused by the underlying condition. The symptoms of sporadic fatal insomnia are similar but progress differently. If you have sFI, you may first have problems with balance or memory.