Social Security Disability Law: News and Facts

Sleep disorders can affect a person’s physical and mental health. Night after night of interrupted sleep can leave a person exhausted and drowsy. He or she may experience episodes of microsleep, temporary loss of consciousness that last a few seconds to a few minutes. The lack of sleep can also have a psychological impact; it can affect judgment and emotions. Sleep disorders can keep you from getting the rest you need to be functional, and can lead to serious health problems. There are a variety of sleep disorders that can keep you from being able to live the life you want, affecting your ability to concentrate, causing mood swings, impairing your memory, and putting you at risk for falling asleep during the day. Sleep disorders are often linked to other serious problems as well, such as heart attacks, depression and diabetes. Twelve of the most common sleep disorders include: 1. Hypopnea Syndrome: Abnormally shallow breathing, slowed respiration, or interruption in breathing while s

Pancreatic Cancer is one of the conditions that qualify for the compassionate allowance program. Pancreatic cancer qualifies for Social Security disability benefits because in almost all cases the cancer isn’t diagnosed until it has reached a very advanced level where it will be either difficult to treat or terminal. Pancreatic Cancer may be present for a long time before symptoms manifest themselves, which means that the disease is often quite advanced when it is diagnosed. Symptoms may include nausea and/or vomiting, loss of appetite, weight loss, jaundice, fatigue, dark urine, clay colored stools, back pain, diarrhea, difficulty sleeping and indigestion. In non-terminal cases the cancer is so difficult to treat that it’s impossible for people to work while undergoing treatment. Treatment needs to begin immediately after diagnosis so there’s no time to waste when it comes to applying for Social Security disability benefits. People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer qualify for disabili

 It is estimated that more than 30 percent of the adult population currently suffers from obesity. While the severity of the limitations surrounding obesity obviously varies from case to case, some of the individuals are simply unable to work because of the condition. Obesity is defined by the Social Security Administration ("SSA") as a chronic disease that is characterized by excessive buildup of body fat. Someone with a body mass index ("BMI") of 30 and over is considered obese, and an individual with a BMI of 40 or more is considered morbidly obese. SSA removed obesity from its listing of impairments due to the fact that many individuals who are still morbidly obese could function adequately at work. Under Social Security Rule 19-2p, the Social Security Administration is required to evaluate the effects of obesity on a claimant. Specifically, obesity, when established by objective medical evidence (signs, laboratory findings, or both) from an acceptable medical s

Workers' compensation provides benefits to workers who are injured on the job or have a work-related illness. Benefits include medical treatment for work-related conditions and cash payments that partially replace lost wages. Temporary total disability benefits are paid while the worker recuperates away from work. If the condition has lasting consequences after the worker heals, permanent disability benefits may be paid. In the case of a fatality, the worker's dependents receive survivor benefits. Although Social Security disability benefits and workers' compensation are the nation's two largest disability benefit programs, the two programs are quite different. Workers are eligible for workers' compensation benefits from their first day of employment, but Social Security disability benefits are paid only to workers who have a substantial work history. Workers' compensation provides benefits for both short-term and long-term disabilities and for partial as well a

Tinnitus can be a severe medical condition, therefore it should be listed if a person is filing for SSD or SSI disability benefits. This condition is most often classified as a hearing impairment. If it were listed in the SSA Blue Book impairment listings, it would be covered in the adult listings section 2.00, Special Senses and Speech - Adult.  It is most often evaluated under listing 2.07, Disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function. The listing requires a history of frequent attacks of balance disturbance, tinnitus, and progressive loss of hearing verified by an audiometry test. If a person cannot meet this listing they may be evaluated under listing 2.10, Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation. There are more than 37 million American adults experiencing some kind of hearing loss. Approximately one-fourth of the adults older than 65 experience disabling hearing loss. The numbers are lower with younger groups, and some 60,000 U.S. adults have undergone cochlear impl

Neuropathy, short for Peripheral Neuropathy, is nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system, meaning nerves outside the brain and spinal cord are involved. Neuropathy is usually a complication found in a number of medical conditions. Neuropathy can be caused by repetitive injuries, infections, metabolic problems, or physical trauma. Many people with cancer, diabetes, HIV-AIDS, liver disease, Lyme Disease, etc. experience symptoms of neuropathy. Neuropathy can bring on burning sharp pain, numbness, muscle weakness and lack of coordination. As anyone who has lived with Neuropathy knows, these conditions and symptoms can make day-to-day activities virtually impossible. Peripheral neuropathy occurs when there is damage to the peripheral nerves, the nerves that carry messages to and from the spinal cord and brain from the rest of the body. When peripheral neuropathy is caused by diabetes mellitus (a common cause), it is called diabetic neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy can also be caused