Vampire legends are voluminous throughout medieval history. Some legends date back as far as the 12th century. It is possible that these original tales of vampires were inspired by real medical conditions.

Porphyria

There are many classifications of porphyria. Four of the categories have symptoms of light sensitivity: Variegate Porphyria, Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT), Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) or Protoporphyria, and Congenital Erythropoetic Porphyria (C.E.P.) . Other symptoms encompass hypertrichosis (excessive hair growth), red and sometimes bloody gums, and brown teeth. These symptoms coincide with many vampire myths. Still, victims of porphyria don't crave or consume blood.

Catalepsy

Catalepsy is a sensory malady classified by a decreased susceptibility to stimuli combined with muscular rigidity. Persons with catalepsy don't react to outside stimuli. Subjects comprehend their surroundings but they can't speak or move. Attacks of catalepsy may last for several minutes or for a few days.

In bitter cases, a subject who is suffering from a cataleptic episode will look like they're dead. Indications of life can solely be detected by way of scientific medical instruments. Ancient patients with catalepsy may have been buried alive. Afterward, when they regained muscular control patients most definitely would've tried to escape from their coffins. Some vampire stories describe banging coming from newly buried coffins. When local villagers dug up these graves and unlocked them, scratch marks were found on the interior, leading townspeople to surmise vampires were trying to free themselves from their graves.

Anemia

Anemia is a condition that is characterized by blood without sufficient healthy red blood cells. Since red blood cells carry oxygen all around the body, symptoms encompass vertigo, fatigue, weakness, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are a result of the body's organs not getting sufficient oxygen. These symptoms also mirror the symptoms of vampire victims in traditional tales. Anemia is a very common condition.

Rabies

Bats and Wolves are both often associated with vampires. They are common carriers of the disease rabies. This disease has characteristics that look like vampirism. Hyper-sensitivity, a characteristic of rabies, might result in light or garlic abhorrence. Other characteristics entail becoming nocturnal due to aberrant sleep patterns and hyper-sexuality. The disease is spread by biting, and persons with rabies are sometimes witnessed frothing with blood at the mouth.

Conclusion

Modern medical science may translate some of history's medieval vampire stories. Porphyria, catalepsy, anemia, and rabies are all explainable reasons for early vampire myths. Villagers of the period that lacked medical knowledge would not comprehend these conditions and their symptoms. The result may be the vampire legends that ran rampant in Europe in the middle ages.