Pemphigus
Pemphigus is an autoimmune disorder: the immune system attacks healthy cells in the skin and mouth, causing blisters and sores.
- Cause: unknown.
- Contagious? No — it doesn't spread from person to person.
- Inherited? It doesn't appear to be, but some people's genes raise their risk.
Pemphigoid
Pemphigoid is another autoimmune skin disease. It causes deep blisters that don't break easily. It's most common in older adults and can be fatal for older people who are already sick.
Diagnosis
A physical exam, a biopsy and blood tests.
Treatment
Pemphigus and pemphigoid are treated the same way — with one or more medicines to control symptoms, such as:
- steroids to reduce inflammation;
- drugs that suppress the immune response;
- antibiotics for related infections.
Sources
Based on "Pemphigus," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licence: CC0 1.0 (public domain) · Adapted from medlineplus.gov
1
0
0
0
Comments
Read next
Version: 2CC0 1.0 — public domain
Crohn’s disease is a long-lasting inflammation of the digestive tract, most often the small intestine and the start of the large intestine. There is no cure, but treatment can control it.
Version: 2CC0 1.0 — public domain
Telehealth uses phones, video, the internet and other communications technology to deliver health care at a distance — from virtual visits to home monitoring. How it differs from telemedicine, what it offers, where it falls short, and the kinds of care you can get this way.
Version: 2CC0 1.0 — public domain
An organ transplant replaces a failed organ with one from a living or deceased donor. Which organs can be transplanted, why the wait can be long, and why recipients take anti-rejection drugs for life.
Version: 2CC0 1.0 — public domain
EoE is a chronic disease in which white blood cells build up in the esophagus, making swallowing hard. Its symptoms at each age, why only a biopsy confirms it, and the medicines and diets that treat it.
Version: 1CC0 1.0 — public domain
The flu: - Is linked to serious infections like pneumonia
- Can make existing health problems worse (for example, long-term heart or lung disease)
- Can lead to hospitalization or death Flu vaccines can help prevent people from getting sick with the flu — and lower the risk of hospitalization and de