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- It is possible that a rare inherited blood disorder, called porphyria, gave rise to the myth of vampires and in turn, porphyria has the nickname the vampire disease.
medicover-genetics.com/porphyria-the-facts-behind-the-so-called-vampire-disease/
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Is vampirism based on a real disease?
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Oct 31, 2016 · People turned instead to the supernatural. Some of these diseases helped spawn one of the most enduring and widespread monster myths in civilisation – the vampire.
- What Is Porphyria?
- Types of Porphyria
- Symptoms of Porphyria
- Porphyria and Vampire Myths
- Causes of Porphyria
- Outlook For People with Porphyria
- Genetic Testing and Genetic Counseling
- Famous Cases of Porphyria
- Conclusions
- References
As mentioned, porphyria is the name given to a group of related disorders. In all cases, substances called porphyrins build up in the body causing a variety of symptoms. Porphyrins are molecules that undergo a series of reactions catalyzed by enzymes to create heme, a key component of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells and its main ...
The porphyrias can be divided into two broad categories: acute porphyria and cutaneous porphyria .
The common symptom among the porphyrias is red, brown or purple urine. Other symptoms differ between the two types of porphyria .
Several symptoms of porphyria have been used to explain some features attributed to modern vampires [8, 9]. At first glance, it is easy to see how the two could have been come intertwined. Some people with porphyria develop blisters and other skin symptoms on exposure to sunlight that may mean they only go out once the sun has gone down. The simila...
Most porphyrias are genetic disorders. Pathogenic variants (mutations) in the genes coding for the enzymes involved in making heme result in changes that disrupt the heme production pathway. There are at least 8 enzymes involved in this process, and disruption at any point in the pathway causes porphyrins or porphyrin precursors to build up, potent...
Porphyria cannot be cured, but it can be treated and managed. Healthcare professionals can treat attacks of porphyria and offer lifestyle advice to help prevent attacks or complications, such as limiting sun exposure.
Genetic testing enables relatives of someone with porphyria to find out whether they have also inherited the gene variant. Genetic counseling helps people decide if genetic testing is right for them and what the outcome of the test means. The knowledge can help people make choices that limit exposure to potential triggers and therefore avoid the on...
The most famous case of porphyria is that of King George III of Great Britain and Ireland who reigned from 1760-1820 . His diagnosis was based on the retrospective analysis of medical records by Macalpine and Hunter in 1966, centuries after his death . The authors also published a follow-up study tracing the inheritance of porphyria through the ro...
Porphyrias are a group of inherited blood disorders with a variety of symptoms that vary in duration and severity, and which despite the nickname vampire disease, do not account for all reported characteristics of vampires. In reality, vampires are a myth while the porphyrias are real, albeit rare, conditions. Our increased understanding of rare di...
Porphyria News. What Are Porphyrins and How Are They Connected to Porphyria? Retrieved 21 September 2021 from https://porphyrianews.com/health-insights/what-are-porphyrins-how-do-they-connect-with-porphyria/ NORD Rare disease database. Porphyrias. Retrieved 26 September 2021from https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/porphyria/ National Institute o...
Oct 30, 2017 · Modern scholars have looked to medical literature for an explanation of the universality of the myth, and in some cases suggested that what we know as vampirism is, in fact, based on the symptoms...
- Kelsey Kennedy
Jul 31, 2024 · Vampire, in popular legend, a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood. Vampires have been featured in folklore and fiction of various cultures for hundreds of years, predominantly in Europe, although belief in them has waned in modern times.
- Alison Eldridge
- In popular legend, a vampire is a creature, often fanged, that preys upon humans, generally by consuming their blood. Vampires have been featured i...
- A characteristic central to the vampire myth is the consumption of human blood or other essence (such as bodily fluids or psychic energy). Vampires...
- Creatures with vampiric characteristics have appeared at least as far back as ancient Greece, where stories were told of creatures that attacked pe...
- Many cultures have long believed in the extraordinary powers of garlic: from ancient Egypt to Romania, garlic has been used as a natural insect rep...
- Though not the first literary representation of vampires, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published in 1897, is arguably the most important work of vampire...
Jun 23, 2020 · Medical source of the myth. But where did the myth of vampires come from? Like many myths, it is based partly in fact. A blood disorder called porphyria, which has has been with us for millennia,...
- Michael Hefferon
Oct 30, 2022 · A vampire is depicted as a graceless and withered, scuttling bloodsucker by a Victorian artist. Photograph by Alamy. Not surprisingly, these macabre tales quickly spread throughout...
Oct 28, 2020 · The wolf and the vampire have a well-known link as being a creature the vampire can change into, but further, the disease is spread through biting, victims avoid sunlight, and they can be repelled by strong odors (garlic being a possibility).
