Just laugh and twitch

For Mike Hallowell, laughing is a disaster. He always had to prepare a calm face and was not allowed to laugh at any happy or funny emotions that appeared in him and those around him. The case of Mike and some others who can't laugh for years has not only hurt scientists and doctors but also a difficult phenomenon to explain.

'A smile is . a chain of twists'

Laughing and being surprised is part of the joy of life, but for Claire Allen, a British scientist, they can cause hypnosis-like abnormalities: unable to look or move.

For more than 35 years, Claire Allen has created attention in the scientific world by a strange disease that causes the body to react violently to extremes such as fear, anger, or amazement . Each when she smirked or moved too much, Allen's body was constantly twitching, causing her to be so exhausted she couldn't get up. After a few minutes of calmness, Allen could return to his normal state. And everything for her was going on normally as if nothing had happened, even though the time was only a few minutes ago.

She is also a doctor at a well-known general hospital in Cambridge UK, but Claire Allen cannot understand the strange disease she herself has suffered for many years. Every time he encountered a situation, even simple emotions, made Allen ill.

On average, Allen suffered about 100 episodes of illness. The lightest will take about half a minute to return to normal.'At that time, I had no pain at all. First, I couldn't speak, I didn't see anything, then my whole body was limp. I don't feel anything different when I'm awake, except that I can't see anything and can't move, my whole body is completely paralyzed , 'Allen said.

Currently, Allen has used a new drug, which helps to regulate sleep at night. Thanks to that, she was able to sleep straight for 3 hours, instead of having to wake up to 30 times each night as before."Everything that your body normally does at night, such as for your skin to recover, nails, and longer hair does not happen to me ," Allen said.

The first symptoms appeared when Allen found his body having trouble sleeping, waking up 30 times during the night. Each time he woke up like that, Allen felt his body go down, like he was beaten or did a very heavy job, and his head kept nodding like a child trying to say something. After 6 months from the time of the detection of the disease, Allen began a serious illness. Her entire body collapsed and could not suppress her feelings when being laughed at. At this time, for Allen, laughing with endless twitches.

Allen tried many treatments, but it didn't work. About a few years ago, Allen stopped trying to find that the disease had no direction of decline, but also became more serious. The number of episodes of illness increases hundreds of times each day. After efforts, Allen was diagnosed with a form of disease such as transient paralysis, or a form of muscle loss. Allen tried a new drug called Xyrem, but the drug only worked to reduce the illness within a few months.

To the whole body powerless

Mike Hallowell must always keep a sad face

For Mike Hallowell, laughing is a disaster. Even watching a comedy or listening to a joke is not allowed to laugh if Mike Hallowell and his relatives don't want him to faint. Mike suffers from a very strange and rare neuropathy, which is an instant fainting if he laughs .

Doctors diagnosing Mike's illness appeared after a dental surgery took place 7 years ago. According to Mike, he will feel his muscles weak and have no strength when emotions are high, such as when he laughs and worries or fears.

'There was a time when I saw a comedy and there were scenes that made me laugh, at the same time the phone rang. When I tried to stand up to pick up the phone, I immediately fell to the floor. This strange phenomenon happened very quickly after I laughed , ' he said.

Currently, Mike is Dr. Paul Reading from James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, the most trusted neurologist in the UK. However, Paul says that Mike's illness has no cure, but the only way is to avoid laughter that stimulates Mike to increase his emotions.

Despite knowing that the disease cannot be cured, Mike still likes to watch comedies.'My favorite comedy movie is Bottom. I keep watching this movie, but I have to try my best not to laugh when I watch it. Fortunately my wife is very patient. I don't know what will happen without her , 'said Mike.

Currently, his family is looking for ways to cure it, but this is a strange disease that many large hospitals in the region have not recorded any such case. He hoped someone knew the special remedy so he could smile.