BLOGPOST 6: Vampire's Disease

The Vampires disease or Porphyria which is its scientific term is a set of genetic disorders in which an important part of hemoglobin called heme is not made properly which means there is malfunction of the hemoglobin production. People suffering from it face symptoms manifested by mythological vampires. Their skin is sensitive to sunlight, their urine is reddish to purplish in colour, the gums are shrunk making the teeth look more prominent and canine-like and they have an adverse reaction to garlic. Other major symptoms include abdominal pain or cramping, problems with the nervous system and muscles. By just having a glimpse at the heading many of us may think that a patient who is affected by such a disease may transform into some kind of fang gnashing , blood-drinking supernatural creature.

I read an article written by Charlene Collins, "Vampire Syndrome: What are the Porphyrias?" from the site of voices.yahoo. The symptoms of the different types of porphyria include: Anemia, back pain, abdominal pain. muscle pain, neuropathy - numbness or tingling, aggressive behavior, depression, hallucinations, paranoia, photophobia - if the eyes are affected, photosensitivity of the skin, cardiac arrhythmia, red colored urine, red colored tears, ulceration and loss of tissue - especially on the nose, ears, and lips. People who suffered from porphyria, ere responsible for the legends of the vampire. The legends about vampires burning up in the sunlight, having an aversion to garlic, and drinking blood may have come from the symptoms of the porphyrias. People who suffer from the cutaneous porphyrias can suffer from severe burning and blistering on any part of their body that is exposed to sunlight. Sores on the skin can erode tissue. 

The diseases have been around long before it was named. Prior to the present medical term, porphyria was once called blood/liver disease.  Most of the types of porphyria are either caused by a genetic mutation caused by an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive genetic trait. You only need one copy of the mutant gene to have the disease. An autosomal recessive trait requires two copies of the mutant gene to have the disease. One parent can pass on the defective gene in the autosomal dominant trait, two parents are required to pass on their defective genes in the autosomal recessive trait.

According to Charlene Collins, "Porphyrias were sometimes referred to as Dracula disease and Vampire Syndrome or Vampire disease." Vampires have been seen and documented throughout history.  Fictional vampires are also known to fear the sunlight because the sun could damage their delicate skin or they could start sparkling.  The history of vampires goes further back in time than most people realize. Vampires have been around for centuries , in some cases they have been recognized and feared by cultures that were around thousands of years before the time of Christ, such as the Babylonians and the Assyrians. Throughout the ages many medical explanations that could explain the vampire phenomena have been overlooked. 

I read the article of Dr. Peter W. Kujtan entitled "Porphyria: The Vampire Disease" from the site bydewey. There exists a fairly rare group of genetic disorders that have unfairly branded many sufferers with the term "vampire". They're extremely sensitive to sunlight that can easily result in burns and abrasions, and so they prefer darkness. They suffer from acute attacks of abdominal pains, vomiting and loose stools. Their urine may have a purplish-red color leading some to wrongly believe that it results from drinking blood. Porphyria refers to a growing collection of disorders in which there are abnormalities in the enzymes involved in heme production. Heme is an iron-containing compound used throughout the body. 

The most common heme-containing substance found in our bodies is the hemoglobin in our red blood cells - an essential component to transport oxygen around our bodies. Porphyria is very difficult to diagnose. Its symptoms mimic those of a hundred other conditions. Traditional testing rarely shows a problem, and patients who develop recurrent acute attacks often require strong narcotics to control the abdominal pain. They often undergo surgery for appendicitis or ovarian conditions without positive findings, and then run the risk of being labeled with a narcotic addiction. There are no easy tests available to diagnose the various porphyria conditions. 

According to Dr. Peter W. Kujtan, "When encountering the supernatural, consider the evidence because it usually provides an alternately plausible explanation." The porphyrias are so rare that most doctors may not think of testing for porphyria. Thus people suffering from this disease shouldn’t be feared because unlike the dreaded beasts of folklore and superstition they are no more than patients suffering from a rare class of genetic disorder who require medical aid as well as love and affection to lead a normal life like others in the world.