Applying for Social Security Disability with Connective Tissue Disease

Connective tissue disease affects your body’s connective tissues, which are the substances that connect and hold the cells together. Fat and cartilage are examples of connective tissues. Connective tissues are found throughout the body, being vital to the body’s shape and functioning. There are many kinds of connective tissue disease, but they are most often grouped into two different kinds based on the cause.

Some connective tissue diseases are genetic mutations that are inherited at birth, such as Marfan syndrome, which impacts the bones, eyes, lungs, and heart, or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which causes loose joints and skin. There is a much larger group of connective tissue diseases that have no known cause. Many connective tissue disorders care called autoimmune disorders. Systemic lupus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, and polymyositis are among those.

Dermatomyositis has raised skin rashes on the trunk, the face, and knuckles while causing muscle weakness.

Scleroderma causes thick, hardened skin patches that are painful and restrictive of movement.

Rheumatoid arthritis has fever, inflammation, aches and pains, redness, and joint pain during flare-ups.

Systemic lupus has rashes on the face, fever, mouth ulcers, swelling in the heart and lung linings, poor circulation, and many other complications.

All of these conditions do present hallmark symptoms, but sometimes blood tests are more definitive showing the particular antibodies and abnormalities. The process of developing into the full-blown problems that they can cause can take years. Milder or beginning cases can take years to diagnose as they progress because of the similarities.

These diseases are listed by the SSA as qualifying impairments using the category “Immune Disorders”, which is found in Section 14.00 of the medical guide. In order to be approved for disability benefits for the disorder, you have to be able to provide medical proof that either:

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease – you have symptoms associated with connective tissue disease but not meeting the criteria for and therefore are unable to be narrowed down to one specific disease. For example, if a blood test demonstrated findings of rheumatoid arthritis, but you are unable to meet the specific listing.

OR

Mixed connective tissue disease – symptoms and blood tests that solidly indicate more than one kind of connective tissue disease is present.

If you need helping applying for Social Security Disability or SSI, please contact me at joshben99@gmail.com. I have over 20 years experience with Social Security Disability cases.

Location: Michigan, USA

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