Australian man can't feel hot or cold because of a strange condition with no known cause and treatment

A 22-year-old Australian man is suffering from a condition in which he is unable to differentiate between hot and cold. When he picks up something hot, he feels cold, and when he holds something cold, he gets a burning sensation. Aidan McManus' mystery illness started when he was just 17, Nine News reported. 

He started to lose the feeling in his feet. His mother, Angela McManus told the outlet that he started complaining about feeling tingly and numb in his feet that were not swelling up. The doctor said it was fluid retention and gave him some medicine. Slowly, he started developing problems walking. 

Angela said it felt "like he was walking on little tacks". However, he managed to finish High School despite only attending five weeks of classes. The numbness became worse, and he was referred to a neurologist.

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The neurologist ran several tests over three years, but Aidan's condition remained a mystery. Angela said the doctor ran "20-odd blood tests" and conducted a biopsy on a piece of nerve. 

He was finally diagnosed with generalised nerve disorder - axonal peripheral neuropathy. In this condition, a problem occurs with the way nerve cells transmit signals throughout the body. The cause of the problem could still not be determined.

Aidan ultimately took to a wheelchair as walking became almost impossible for him. He is facing problems with balance and coordination and can barely walk.

The problem got worse, and the tingling and numbness crept up to his hands. Angela says they were told this would happen, but didn't know so soon. "Mum, I picked up my can of Coke and my hands felt like they were on fire," Angela recalled Aidan as telling him.

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"If he holds something cold, it feels like his hands are burning. And if he picks up something hot, it's like it's freezing."

This has added to Aidan's woes, who cannot cook because of the condition, and needs to be told whether something is hot or cold, so he is careful.

Aidan applied for NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), but it was rejected on the grounds that he had not "examined all possible treatment options". His neurologist wrote to the NDIS, telling the body that there were no treatments available.

Aidan's neurologist says it is a progressive condition, and the cause remains unknown.