Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is responding to speculation about his health and changing appearance by revealing he is undergoing steroid treatment for a rare skin disease.

In a statement, Flaherty’s office confirmed that the Whitby-Oshawa MP has been diagnosed with a serious but non-life-threatening dermatological condition known as bullous pemphigoid.

As he faced mounting questions about his well-being, Flaherty has gone public with his condition in an attempt to assure people that he is OK and that the disorder is not interfering with his role as finance minister.

The skin condition causes large, fluid-filled blisters on areas of skin that often flex, including the lower abdomen, upper thighs or armpits, according to the Mayo Clinic’s website.

To clear up the condition, Flaherty has been prescribed a steroid called prednisone, which brings side effects such as bloating, weight gain, redness in the face and bouts of sleeplessness, according to the statement.

Flaherty, 63, has been dealing with the health issue for nearly a year and he will remain on the job as he continues to receive treatment, his office says.

“The minister says the condition is clearing up and he is hopeful his appearance will return to normal in the near future,” his spokesman, Dan Miles, wrote in the statement. “Minister Flaherty will continue carrying out his day-to-day responsibilities and will not be commenting further on his condition.”

Flaherty went public in an interview with the Globe and Mail, telling the newspaper that he has received “too many” questions about his appearance and weight gain.

“Most people are quite cautious about what they say, but a few people have said to me, ‘Do you have cancer? … What’s going on? Are you going to die?’ That kind of thing,” he told the newspaper. “And, obviously, I am not. I mean, I will die eventually, but not over a dermatological issue.”

Flaherty said he informed Prime Minister Stephen Harper last year before Christmas.

According to the Mayo Clinic, bullous pemphigoid is most common in people older than 60, and it occurs when a person’s immune system attacks a thin layer of tissue below the outer layer of skin.

According to the clinic, the cause of the disease is not well understood, but it can be triggered by medication, ultraviolet light therapy or radiation therapy to treat cancer.

It can be a life-threatening condition, especially for older people who are already in poor health.

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