Overview
“So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.” — Book of Job, 2:7.
“Pemph” disease has been around for a long time. The “Pemph” consists of various serious and sometimes dangerous autoimmune skin diseases, that involve sores or blisters on the outer skin or in the mouth and other mucosal surfaces. Onset is usually sudden and unexpected: one day one your feeling fine and in the following weeks you find daily living increasingly difficult. The Pemph usually strikes mature individuals, age 60 years and over, though those much younger can get it too. The Pemph is a very serious disease, for if left untreated, it can permanently injure or even prove lethal.
Although serious, Pemph disease is rare; affecting about 1 in 100,000 people in industrialized nations. It is so rare that even most general doctors haven’t seen it, and it is often mistaken for better-known diseases until clear and sometimes severe symptoms have developed.
The Pemph can sometimes be brought into a lasting remission with treatment, but many patients experience repeated “flares” where the disease gets worse after a brief remission.
The good news is that the Pemph is manageable with modern medications in most cases, and the treatments are getting better every passing year. With the help of a good medical specialist, a person with the disease need not suffer, and can often return back to a normal lifestyle.