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30 Netizens With Various ‘Medically Cool’ Body Traits Share Things They Are Happy (Or Not) To Have
Many years ago, when I was still a teen, I learned that my dental canal had a unique structure. This was discovered by a respected professor of dentistry, who immediately wanted to take an X-ray of my tooth to show to his students. The case was complicated by the fact that, at that time, I had a metal needle in my dental canal, which they used to pull out the nerve, and I was not given anesthesia...
Brrr—I still shudder when I remember this experience... By the way, as it turns out, many people have various features in their bodies that give them an advantage in some way, or cause discomfort in others, and some of them can simply be bragged about in company. So, this selection of body features made for you by Bored Panda is dedicated to exactly those.
More info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I used to donate plasma and was told I have some sort of super measles immunity. Apparently, this is usually only found in people who had measles as a child. They tested my plasma a bunch of times, and then asked for my consent to turn it into medication for people whose immune systems are too compromised for a traditional measles vaccine. It made me feel like a mini super hero.
*Edit: I just returned to Reddit and saw this! Wow, thank you guys for all of your kind words. That means the world to me. And thank you random stranger for the gold!
Alexia 1 month ago
Kudos to you! I know how it feels like. I have a rare blood type, and I donated regularly for several years (currently in a pause due to some minor health issues). I even got text messages from the transfusion center a few times, asking me if I could come to donate earlier for urgent cases (I did, every time 😊)
RELATED:
#2
I have little calcified spots all over the inside of my lungs from when I had chicken pox as a kid. They're harmless, but they show up on x-rays and most doctors don't have a clue what they are. The pulmonary specialist that diagnosed them asked if she could keep the x-ray films to show med students because it was so rare.
#3
I have a twin sister and we are mirror twins (I'm right handed, she's left handed, etc). We both have scoliosis and hers curves to the left while mine curves to the right.
The selection we present to you today is based on this viral, albeit, quite old thread from the AskReddit community, where the user u/Legendary888 once asked: "What's something medically cool/unique about your body?" In full accordance with the username of the thread starter, it turned out to be legendary, eventually gaining over 19K upvotes and 22K different comments.
I didn't even know people could have so many different body features, and also—that literally every "unique" feature in the comments immediately found people who said that they have the same thing. Or, that they know someone with something similar. So, just let's read on.
#4
If I clench my buttcheeks hard enough, I can crack my lower back.
Edit: I like to think I made 1000's of people clinch their Cheeks today.
Thanks for the gold whoever you are.
#5
Hearing loss. I was diagnosed when I was 4. Turns out aids cost a lot more than glasses. My current ones actually have a Bluetooth connection to my phone so I can listen to music while it's in my pocket.
Edit: 8 hours later and exactly 4000 upvotes. Finally my disability does some good.
#6
I had 6 wisdom teeth. I joked to my dentist about how wise I must be, and he said "you're just really unevolved."
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
6? Amateur. I had 8. I had them removed when I was 18 because my dentist said, "dude, you'll be dead by the time you're 25 if you don't" XD He also said "you'd be sooo dead if you'd been born before modern dentistry!" Thanks, bro? XD But yeah, apparently I am so unevolved that I'm just an Australopithecus XD
In general, all the features of the body can be divided into four main groups: small genetic changes, rudiments, atavisms, as well as some acquired features. With the first, everything is quite clear—due to some change in the human genome, a person receives (sometimes inherits from parents) certain features.
For example, polydactyly—when a person has extra fingers on their hands or feet. In the future, by the way, these changes can either be inherited or not—if, for example, the spouse's genome contains a special gene that blocks these changes.
#7
I have beaded hair. Everyone's hair is coated in a layer of protein, but in my hair that protein is constricted in certain places, making each stand look like it's covered in little beads. You don't notice it when you look at me, but if you're really examining my hair closely you will. Hairdressers often comment on it and will call other hairdressers over to look at it because it's rare.
#8
I've posted before on askreddit :
I have JME: Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy and my seizures are synced up with my period. Yupp. So growing up it took us like 2 years to figure out why my period symptoms were so bad and included bed wetting whenever I started my period. Turns out it wasn't bed wetting, it was grand mal seizures in my deep sleep. But only the 1st and 2nd day of my period.
Ah the wonders of the human body.
#9
I once managed to break my jaw in such a unique way that I became a case study at the local medical university. I fell off my bike and landed square on my chin. Instead of breaking somewhere in the middle, my jaw broke at the hinges. As a kid it was awesome though. Lots of ice cream and pudding for a month or so. Even though I was wearing a helmet I almost died.
Edit: I'm glad this has turned into a giant talk on safety. Saying the helmet did me no good is not an invitation to try and see what happens without one. Also, to clarify I was riding a bicycle, nothing motorized.
Rudiments are the remains of some organs that were vital for our very distant ancestors, but in the process of evolution, they lost their significance for humans. For example, we have ear muscles—which were actively developed thousands of years ago, but are now almost completely reduced.
And yet, some of us can move our ears—this means that these muscles are simply slightly more developed than they are for other people. Or, the so-called "goose bumps"—our skin's reaction to cold or stress. The thing is, we were once almost completely covered in fur—and reacted to strong irritants in much the same way as cats do now.
Only, there is almost no fur left on us today—only the goose bumps remind us of the "glorious" prehistoric times... So, for some people, rudiments may simply be more developed than they are for others.
#10
My sweat is corrosive. I can rot the back off a cheap watch in 4 months. My watch and jewelry are titanium. Two of my three children are likewise afflicted, but not as bad as me.
#11
I have a bifid uvula. Which means my uvula, the hangy thing at the back of your throat, isn't completely formed and is split in two ends instead of one. Basically it looks like I have throat balls.
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 month ago
So instead of a Ballchinian, OP is a Ballthroatian? (Men In Black reference)
#12
I dont have depth perception.
This means I see the world kind of like a TV screen. Everything is in 2D. Its kinda hard to explain because Ive never seen normally and I dont even know how you regular people see the world.
Its not super debilitating. I can drive if I leave a huge following distance between my car and the car in front of me. Under good conditions, I can even catch things thrown at me although Ive never been good enough to do things like actually play basketball. I can still kinda gauge distance the same way you would in a video game I guess, just not super quickly.
The most annoying thing though is sometimes Ill be reaching for a door handle for a car or my house and Ill just jam my hand super hard into the door. Ive even broken super thin doors just because I missed the handle.
Edit: 3D movies just give me migranes. Cograts to that one guy, but it does not work for me.
Serena Myers 1 month ago
I don't think OP should be driving if they have no depth perception. Not at all.
As for atavisms—this is a manifestation in the human body of some features that were also inherent in our ancient ancestors. The thing is, the genes "responsible" for these features can still remain in our genome, but their action is usually blocked. However, for some reason, this block can be removed.
This is how people develop, for example, excess hair, a tail-like appendage, additional pairs of mammary glands, and so on. By the way, one should not perceive atavisms as something simply harmless or even funny. For example, a congenital heart defect in humans is also a kind of atavism. So one should always consult a doctor, just in case.
#13
I can dislocate my left shoulder at will. I don't though because when I was a child the Orthopaedic Consultant said that it was bad for the joint and I shouldn't do it even if the Queen asked me to. So far this eventuality has never arisen.
#14
In the womb my 13th and 7th chromosomes switched places. Doctors say I should've had Down syndrome, but I ended up just being your run-of-the-mill awkward boy. Take that, DNA.
Feathered Dinosaur 1 month ago (edited)
This shouldn't have given you Down syndrome. I guess it doesn't really matter in everyday life but it could make you infertile (offspring being non-viable)
#15
Apparently, I was born with extra tendons in my knees. Found this out when I had surgery on my knee. Watched the surgery video with my doctor.
Me: what's that?
Doctor: oh, a tendon.
* video shows him snipping it and sucking it up *
Me: um... What?
Doctor: it was an extra one, you didn't need it.
Edit: d**n, who would think my weird body would cause my top rated comment?
Finally, as a result of some changes that have happened to us during our lifetime, our body can acquire certain features, too. For example, as a consequence of illnesses, physical injuries, or even surgeries. In any case, this also requires a consultation with medical specialists—so as not to cause a threat to life or even discomfort in the future.
#16
I have pectoral aplasia, or Poland Syndrome as some may know it. This means I was born without a pectoral muscle on the right side of my chest. A quick google image search should give you a good idea of what it looks like.
Tried surgery that took tissue from elsewhere and put it in my chest but the minimal gains were not worth more, painful surgeries and recovery times. I'm happy to be as Nature intended and the right person will come to me!
#17
I have leaky blood vessels in my legs. The tiny drops of blood that leak out kind of make it look like I have a mild sunburn on my legs. It's called Shamberg's disease. Sometimes I like to tell people that I have a "rare, incurable disease." They automatically think it's something tragic, but nope! It's just leaky blood vessels!
#18
I have no large intestine! Got it taken out about 4 years ago because it was being a d**k.
Well, if one of us also has something similar, then we can only perceive it as an annoying misunderstanding in life—or a superpower. Or, just so we share our own medically unique features in the comments below this post. And then, perhaps, you could find new friends who have similar features—why not? After all, curiosity and friendship are also our features—but very common.
#19
/r/earrumblersassemble I am an ear rumbler.
To clarify, when a regular person yawns they can probably hear a rumble. I can use the muscles in my ear to make that rumbling sound on command without flexing any other muscles.
#20
Had 3 sets of front teeth.
#21
I'm 31 and on my third pacemaker. First one was placed in 2003 when I was 18. I've got a cool scar, and you can feel the battery under my skin. Also, I travel a lot, so I have to carry this handy card with me so TSA/foreign equivalent won't make me go through the metal detectors.
EDIT:
Thank you for all the questions and comments, you guys are all awesome.
Ange Marsden 1 month ago
Kiwi airports now have an option to skip the scanner and go straight to a manual pat down for device wearers and it's so much easier and faster than telling your medical history to all the staff!
#22
I have Nocturnal Epilepsy.
I will be on the onset of sleep when my brain decides to go all out and convulse.
Huddo's sister 1 month ago
A friend of a friend of mine used to only have this, but now can have seizures anytime, no definite triggers except stress. It was late onset too. She wasn't allowed to get a car licence, even when it was just nocturnal epilepsy which she was annoyed about.
#23
I had several organ transplants so none of my organs are in the correct spot, I also don't have a gallbladder because they just didn't put it back while operating near it.
RedMarbles 1 month ago
OP is probably on immunosuppressant d***s, which apparently can increase the risk of gallstone formation.
#24
I can breath out of my ear. Tried this my putting my entire head underwater other than the ear, while it's not a lot of oxygen, it's enough to make me live I guess.
I had holes in them as a baby and had tubes put in there, which didn't work apparently.
It's not really an issue, so eh, just a mutant power I guess.
Lene 1 month ago
It doesn't sound very good, though? It sounds, to me as a person with very little knowledge about the anatomy of inner ears, like there's a greater risk than normal of bacteria getting into the inner ear via that hole OP can breathe through? I must be wrong about this. I think?
#25
A small sliver of my iris runs across my pupil! My doctor said it was the only time he had seen it and that it's so smalll that it doesn't affect my vision.
#26
I have a bunch of titanium plates in my face. Luckily the surgeon was great. People who've know me for years can't even notice any difference in my appearance.
#28
When I was 2 years old, I tripped and a nail pushed my left incisor tooth up into my gums. It sat there until I was 11 years old which then it came down over about 3 weeks and popped out. My adult tooth is just fine. In fact, I never needed braces.
#29
I have a dip in my chest. Kind of like a dent. Makes my chest look bigger.
Apatheist Account2 1 month ago
I actually have arched ribs, which confused a consultant until he checked with a colleague. They're arched upwards (ie towards my head) more than it normal. No effect on anything though (yet).
#30
Uneven number of ribs. Extra is on the left. Actually forgot about it until I lost 40 pounds.
What do you think ?
Mabelbabel 1 month ago
I'm normal (as far as I know) but my sister had catamenial endometriosis. Endometriosis is when endometrial tissue (which should be just in the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. Mostly it's around the abdominal cavity, but she has some in her lungs. The endometrial tissue bleeds during your period same as it does in the uterus, and when her lung endo did that, it made her lung collapse. She had to have surgery to keep her lung inflated-they made the pleural surface around the lung stick to the pleural surface lining the inside of the chest cavity.
Disgruntled Pelican 1 month ago
Out of curiosity, what kind of symptoms did she have prior to her lung collapsing? When my Endo would flare, it would often correspond with chest pain that they chalked up to be nothing important, but I've always wondered if it was something more...
Load More Replies...
B.Nelson 1 month ago
I have the opposite problem of the person with no depth perception. Colors have different depths for me. Red is closer than other colors while blue is further away. My previous glasses fixed this but my new glasses are fixing an entirely different problem (apparently I'm cross eyes but outward).
Eri J 1 month ago
I was five years old and had develop a heart aneurysm. Became paralized some how. Doctors thinks the infection shot back to my spine. But the meds I was on should have killed anything. They also thought I was going to die. I didn't. Survived unable to walk but have feelings in my legs, can move them, can crawl, and twitch my right little toe. Just can't stand up and walk. So I'm definitely a "God only knows" type situation.
Mabelbabel 1 month ago
I'm normal (as far as I know) but my sister had catamenial endometriosis. Endometriosis is when endometrial tissue (which should be just in the uterus) is found elsewhere in the body. Mostly it's around the abdominal cavity, but she has some in her lungs. The endometrial tissue bleeds during your period same as it does in the uterus, and when her lung endo did that, it made her lung collapse. She had to have surgery to keep her lung inflated-they made the pleural surface around the lung stick to the pleural surface lining the inside of the chest cavity.
Disgruntled Pelican 1 month ago
Out of curiosity, what kind of symptoms did she have prior to her lung collapsing? When my Endo would flare, it would often correspond with chest pain that they chalked up to be nothing important, but I've always wondered if it was something more...
Load More Replies... B.Nelson 1 month ago
I have the opposite problem of the person with no depth perception. Colors have different depths for me. Red is closer than other colors while blue is further away. My previous glasses fixed this but my new glasses are fixing an entirely different problem (apparently I'm cross eyes but outward).
Eri J 1 month ago
I was five years old and had develop a heart aneurysm. Became paralized some how. Doctors thinks the infection shot back to my spine. But the meds I was on should have killed anything. They also thought I was going to die. I didn't. Survived unable to walk but have feelings in my legs, can move them, can crawl, and twitch my right little toe. Just can't stand up and walk. So I'm definitely a "God only knows" type situation.
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