Porphyria
Porphyria is a rare disease that affects the way our bodies make a chemical called heme, which is important in making our red blood cells. Heme is made up of a bunch of different parts, and sometimes there can be too much or too little of these parts in our bodies, which can cause problems.
Some people with porphyria might get painful blisters on their skin when they're out in the sun, because their bodies make too much of one of the heme parts that can react to sunlight. Other people might have stomach problems or muscle weakness because their bodies don't make enough heme.
Doctors can treat porphyria in different ways depending on what kind of symptoms you have. Sometimes they might give you medicine to help your body make more heme, or they might suggest ways to avoid things that could trigger your symptoms (like staying out of the sun). It's important to talk to a doctor if you think you might have porphyria, since it's not something that can be cured but it can be managed with the right treatment.
Some people with porphyria might get painful blisters on their skin when they're out in the sun, because their bodies make too much of one of the heme parts that can react to sunlight. Other people might have stomach problems or muscle weakness because their bodies don't make enough heme.
Doctors can treat porphyria in different ways depending on what kind of symptoms you have. Sometimes they might give you medicine to help your body make more heme, or they might suggest ways to avoid things that could trigger your symptoms (like staying out of the sun). It's important to talk to a doctor if you think you might have porphyria, since it's not something that can be cured but it can be managed with the right treatment.