Equipping People To Make Sense Of What They Are Told
Bullous Pemphigoid is a skin disease that causes blisters. It mainly affects those
over 70. A rare, persistent skin condition that usually appears as large, fluid-filled
blisters (bullae) in the skin.
It occurs when the immune system mounts an attack against a thin layer of tissue
below the outer layer of skin. The reason for this abnormal immune response is unknown.
Tends to affect men and women equally.
Symptoms
The primary feature is the appearance of blisters, such as:
Blisters are large, filled with fluid and don't easily rupture when touched.
Fluid inside the blisters is usually clear but may contain some blood.
Skin around the blisters may appear normal, reddish in those with light skin colour
or darker than normal in those with dark skin colour.
Blisters can appear anywhere on the body, but they are most often on the abdomen,
groin, inner thighs and arms.
Blisters are often located along creases or folds in the skin, such as the skin on
the inner side of a joint.
The site of a ruptured blister may be painful or sensitive.
Hives - raised, red or dark patches of swollen skin (hives) may appear before the
development of blisters. In some cases, hives may be the only skin lesion to develop.
Itching - the affected areas of skin are usually very itchy.
Mouth sores - may develop as blisters or sores in the mouth and, rarely, on other
mucous membranes.
