A young Vietnamese woman’s look has changed into an old lady just in a few days, reported the Daily Mail on Friday.
Nguyen Thi Phuong, 26, has claimed that the transformation may have been caused by severe sea food allergy. Her puffy face and sagging skin was developed, but she took some medicine bought at a local pharmacy instead of going to a hospital because she could not afford it.
“One month after taking the drugs, I became less itchy but hives remained on my skin,” said Phuong. “Then I switched to traditional medicine and all the hives disappeared, together with my itching. However, my skin began to sag and fold.”
To prevent the skin aging, she took another kind of traditional medicine, but to no avail.
“'I thought that it was my destiny and I quit treatment in 2009. Now I always wear a face mask whenever I go out,” said Phuong.
Thankfully some doctors have shown their willingness to help her after her story was made public by the local media. The symptom is so rare that the doctors have argued about the reason why she has suffered from the rare disease. However, they are of common opinion that it may have been the long-term use of the traditional medicines. It has been somewhat effective to be less itchy, but could also have triggered the rare skin disease.
They have planned to examine Phuong for free. One of them, Doctor Hoang Van Minh from the Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy University Hospital claims Phuong could regain some of her previous beauty with medical treatment. “She needs to be treated for her allergies first,” said Dr Hoang. “I plan to restore between 50-70 percent of her skin to normal and laser therapy could reduce the folds.”
He also said he should have more tests to find any other diseases she might have.
Her husband, Tuyen, said her disease has not affected his love or their relationship. “I married Phuong when she was a beautiful woman. I have followed her through her disease and have never been shocked at all,” the 33-year-old man said. “It's not easy to talk about one's own marital affairs. Just simply understand that I still love her very much.”
Mrs Nguyen said her husband's love is the reason she is able to persevere in the face of adversity.
“He still loves me like before despite the fact that I look old and ugly. With him, I feel more confident to live and work,” she said.