Porphyria – vampiric medical condition where sunlight burns skin

Some people believe that a human medical condition called porphyria is what gave rise to the myth of the vampire.  The reason for this is that porphyria has many symptoms that reflect very closely the symptoms humans associate with vampires!  Specifically, symptoms present themselves when exposed to sunlight!

There are two types of porphyria – one that affects the skin and the other that affects the nervous system. The type most closely associated with vampires is the one that affects the skin.  For those individuals that have this type, much like real vampires, they are hyper sensitive to sunlight – in fact, when exposed to sunlight they will break out into blisters anyplace that the sun touches their skin.  Exposed skin will also become inflamed, swell, and itch.

The nervous system type of porphyria, while equally debilitating, does not have the “vampire” type symptoms.  Symptoms include muscle numbness, chest/limb/back/abdomen pain, tingling, cramping, consitpation, and paralysis.

Porphyria is by and large and inherited disorder and is passed down in genes from generation to generation.