Greetings..
I was prompted to write this article after recent discussions on the VC main e-list. Many people within this community claim they suffer from sun sensitivity going from a mild case to rather acute, and almost all of them feel it is as a direct result of their vampirism, which is unconfirmed at this point. Let's be frank - not everyone on the e-list who describes "symptoms" of vampirism, is one. Many simply don't fit in anywhere else, and so they seek out "dark communities" hoping to be welcomed in, and accepted immediately, and find a whole host of new pals to ease or even cure their abundant loneliness.
Be that as it may, this is not what this article is about. So let us look into some reasons why sun sensitivity could occur. Firstly, it was brought up that some medications can cause you to have this problem. One of those medications would be the cyclines - tetracycline usually prescribed in place of penicillin for those who are allergic to it. Tetracycline drugs can make you more prone to sunburn when you are in sunlight or ultraviolet light. This is also the same with doxycycline, which is another tetracycline drug. This is of course, short-lived, as no one is permanently on antibiotics.
It is common for those suffering from depression, and advanced depression, to sleep during the day, which then leaves them awake by night. Some would see this as being an inherent nature of vampirism, but it is not, because it has been caused by another condition/disorder. Sleeping all day, and being active by night, causes the circadian rhythm to be interrupted, and can eventually be extinguished altogether. For those who are suffering from severe depression, they may be prescribed anti-depressants, many of which are known to cause the user to be lethargic, and to sleep. And since these medications are usually taken in the daytime, they can also influence the circadian rhythm, and totally upset the functions of it.
The circadian rhythm is an important function, since it is what most call the "body clock". The word "circadian" comes from the phrase "circa diem", which means "about a day", or 24 hours. Research has revealed that the body clock operates on a 25 hour schedule, but plants and animals have the ability to adjust their varying cycles to the 24 hour solar day. The circadian rhythm is influenced by light and dark, and it keeps the Self awake and alert by day, and during evening hours, it helps the Self to unwind and relax, leading to eventual sleep. After a time, when your body clock is set for waking at a particular hour, let's say 7am, your body will awaken you, even if you forget to set the alarm clock. This can be unfortunate on days when you wish to sleep in!
The reason for the body clock in the first place, is for melatonin production. This generally occurs at night, at any rate. Melatonin is secreted by the pineal gland, which is located between the two hemispheres of the brain. Melatonin is responsible for helping you to sleep. Melatonin inhibits melanin production, or the pigmentation found in skin. Melanin is that which protects us from the harmful UV rays. Ultraviolet light stimulates melanin production. The pigment has the effect of absorbing the UV radiation in sunlight, so it protects the cells from UV damage. Melanin production takes a fair amount of time - that is why most people cannot get a tan in one day. You have to expose yourself to UV for a short period of time to activate the melanocytes. They produce melanin over the course of hours. By repeating this process over 5 to 7 days pigment builds up in your cells to a level that is protective. By doing this, sleeping by day, and being awake by night, you automatically expose yourself less and less to sunlight, which causes your body to produce more melatonin, which then inhibits the production of melanin, causing you to be naturally pale, which would then cause a sun sensitivity if you did go out in it.
Shift workers also suffer from disrupted rhythm. They may find it difficult to change from day shift to night shift and back again, even with a day or two of leave between shift changes. This of course, interrupts the natural circadian rhythm, and after a time, it can extinguish it altogether. Just to touch briefly, there are several conditions out there which will also have sun sensitivity as one of their many symptoms. Two, just as an example, would be albinism, which is where the body produces no melanin at all, which causes the sufferer to have a high intolerance to the sun, and also porphyria, which can cause severe burning to the skin, including blistering. So here, there are many reasons why people within the vampire community could be experiencing sun sensitivity. We need not simply assume that it is simply an affectation of our vampirism. Many people assume it is, due to books and movies on the subject. Of course, we know that the books and the movies do not accurately describe vampirism, in any case. However, you will always find some which cannot seem to distinguish between the realities of true vampirism, and the fantasies of movie/book vampirism. Hopefully, this article will have helped in breaking down one such "symptom".
Dark Blessings~
Silver
***In 1992 we have yet another classic production of Dracula on the silver screen, name the movie and the director that brought Gary Oldman’s character portrayal of this classic character to life.***