These diseases only occur in one place in the world

This disease occurs in South Asia. It affects healthy men, usually around the age of 33. These men go to bed at night and die from sudden cardiac arrest at night. An autopsy usually shows death around 3 hours. In Asia, it is widely believed that death is the result of the deadly harvest that is picked up by a demon that appears at night. Many horror movies have been created on the basis of this myth. In the 90s, however, it was shown that Brugada disease, a rare genetic disorder, was responsible for death. Its connection to genes explains why it occurs mainly in the South Asian population. It happens, however, that it sometimes appears in other places in the world, also in Poland. The disease causes ventricular tachycardia, which can progress to ventricular fibrillation, which in turn leads to cardiac arrest. photo: Shutterstock

This band is found in Micronesia and other Pacific islands. For centuries, the people living in these areas lived mainly on fruit and fish. Western luxuries, including highly processed food, entered their world relatively recently. The body is not adapted to the metabolism of a huge amount of carbohydrates and fat, gaining weight rapidly. The percentage of obese people in the Pacific Islands is gigantic. The incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases has also increased dramatically. Many people in Micronesia get their first heart attack as early as their 20s. photo: Shutterstock

Japan is famous for its work culture. Subordinates almost never leave the office in front of their supervisor, even after they have already performed their duties. This takes family life to the background. The situation changes completely when men retire and suddenly spend whole days at home. It turns out that the spouses know practically nothing about each other. Moreover, people who have worked their entire lives suddenly don’t know what to do. This causes enormous stress which manifests itself psychosomatically. There is a rash, asthma, peptic ulcer disease or high blood pressure. photo: Shutterstock

The Korean Hwabyung disease is also culturally conditioned. This mental disorder occurs when people are unable to confront their anger resulting from years of victimization, poor economic condition, and lack of freedom of speech. In North Korea, all manifestations and signs of dissatisfaction with a poorly ruled country are brutally suppressed and threaten not only imprisonment, but even death in extreme cases. As a result, people are afraid to express their anger even to their loved ones. The disease manifests itself psychosomatically. There is a burning sensation in the chest, heat waves, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, insomnia and headaches. photo: Shutterstock

Dhat is a delusional disorder emerging in India. It echoes the Ayurveda philosophy, according to which blood, fat, body, bone marrow, lymph and semen are key to the proper functioning of the body. Interestingly, semen is considered to be the most important of these ingredients. Dhat affects men who fear that semen “escapes” from their body, for example when urinating. Strong delusions lead to sexual dysfunction, loss of appetite, sleep disorders, fatigue and problems with concentration. photo: Shutterstock

Pa-Leng and Pa-Feng are anxiety disorders that affect people living in China and practicing the philosophy of yin and yang. Pa-Leng is a fear of the cold, while Pa-Feng is a fear of the wind. These fears stem from the belief that the body can achieve physical and mental balance by maintaining a constant body temperature, among other things. Body cooling is supposed to lead not only to weakness but also to mental disorders. Moreover, according to old Chinese beliefs, the wind is responsible for all kinds of diseases. Cold and wind are associated with yin force, while heat is associated with yang. photo: Shutterstock