First, rarely will a doctor come out and say “he/she cannot work” in your medical records. Thus, SSA does not even know that your doctor thinks that you cannot work.

Secondly, (and more importantly), even if the SSA is aware that your doctor thinks that you cannot work, they will simply reply to your doctor’s opinion by saying something like “the final responsibility for deciding issues such as whether an individual is disabled is reserved to the commissioner.” This is SSA speak for “your doctor is not a vocational (i.e., job) expert.” Essentially, your doctor does not know what kind of requirements every job in the national economy has. And because a finding of disability usually requires persuading the SSA that you cannot perform any work on a full time basis, judges do not give much weight to opinions such as “Ms./Mr. Claimant is unable to work.”

Rather, the more helpful opinion is for your doctor to say what your physical or mental limitations are. That is, how long you can sit, stand, kneel, crouch, stoop, bend, how much you can lift, carry, push, pull, your ability to pay attention, follow instructions, complete simple tasks, etc. Then, the SSA can consult a vocational expert for an opinion as to whether or not there are jobs in the national economy that you can perform (or not perform) with your limitations.

Under the SSA’s rules, your doctor’s opinion is supposed to be given the most weight. However, there are exceptions to this. For example, if your doctor says that you can only sit 2 hours total in an 8 hour day, then this opinion should usually be given more weight than an opinion of one of the SSA’s doctors who says you can sit 6 out of 8 hours in a day. But if there is no objective medical evidence to support this (i.e., an MRI, X-ray, physical exam, etc.), then the SSA will NOT agree with your doctors opinion as to your limitations. That is why it is very important to see your doctor on a regular basis, and inform him or her of ALL you ailments.

At Hoglund Law, we have forms that we can send your doctor to fill out to tell SSA what your limitations are; not just “can the claimant work: yes or no?” That is just another of the many reasons it is important to hire an experienced and knowledgeable attorney to help you with your claim.

This condition can be manageable. The client above reported that she had occasional flare-ups, where she would have edema in most of her body, but with a modified diet and proper medication, the flare-up doesn’t last longer than a few days. However, it is painful for her and she is fatigued during the episode. She also suffers from joint pain as a side effect from the medication. A typical regime for people with nephrotic syndrome includes daily urine testing, reduced sodium diet, steroid treatment, and sometimes also treating the high blood pressure. If the syndrome is under control, then it is not likely to cause any renal failure down the line. However, in some cases it can lead to end stage renal disease, which can be life-threatening.

Social Security does have rules governing whether or not this condition is disabling on its own. Under Listing 106.06, a child diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome can be found disabled if they suffer from anasarca, it persists for at least 3 months even with treatment, and the levels of serum albumin and proteinuria in the urine must be at a certain mark. Any medical records must describe the treatment, whether or not your body is responding to the treatment, and the side effects experienced. Social Security will also consider the complications from the nephrotic syndrome, such as “orthostatic hypertension, recurrent infections, or venous thromboses, under the appropriate listing for the resultant impairment.” That means they may refer to other Listings that address those complications to evaluate their severity and how they affect you.

If you are an adult diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, similar guidelines apply. Under Listing 6.06, Social Security will look at how long you have been treating the condition, and they will also consider your serum albumin and proteinuria levels. After considering whether you meet the listing, they will also consider your functional capacity. This includes how often you are unable to work or do your daily activities because of the condition or because of any side effects from the medications and this includes if you have frequent episodes that keep you from working or going to school. Social Security will evaluate this along with any other conditions you may have to determine whether you are disabled.

The types of hemophilia are Hemophilia A, Hemophilia B, Hemophilia C, and similar to these is Von Willebrand disease. To diagnose these disorders, most people need blood tests done, including blood typing and platelet counts. Once diagnosed with a bleeding disorder, it is important to see a hematologist regularly. If you or a family member is diagnosed, it is extremely important to have your family tested as well, since this is primarily a genetic disease and it will be passed from mother to child. Hemophilia typically has episodes of internal bleeding, and the usual symptoms are bleeding into joints, bruising, and internal hemorrhaging. Hemophilia can have effects on other body parts such as joint damage or numbness in the affected extremities. The main difference between the types of hemophilia is how it is passed down to you from your ancestors, and which genes are affected.

If you have hemophilia, you may qualify for Social Security Disability on the basis of the severity of your disorder. Under Social Security rules, Listing 7.08 specifies how your condition meets their rules. Essentially, your disorder must be so severe that you have spontaneous hemorrhaging that requires at least three blood transfusions within the five months before your claim is decided by Social Security. Social Security may also look at how your hemophilia affects other parts of your body. For example, if your episodes frequently consist of bleeding around your knees and ankles, and it hinders your ability to walk and move normally, then they will use that information in making their decision.

If your hemophilia isn’t quite as severe as needing frequent transfusions, they will consider how the disease affects your ability to function and do your daily activities. Most people with hemophilia are advised to avoid activities with high instances of physical contact, so this may not be enough to have a finding of disability. However, if you have frequent episodes that require you being in and out of the hospital or doctor’s office, or days where you cannot go into work or school because of the episodes, this may be a factor in Social Security’s decision.

Another common blood disorder is anemia. This is a condition in which your body does not have enough red blood cells, and it prevents oxygen from getting to your body systems. Common symptoms of anemia are headaches, feeling weak or fatigued, and problems with concentration and focus. Some people also experience light-headedness, pale skin, shortness of breath, and it can even affect the brittleness of your nails. Usually this can be treated with iron supplements, corticosteroids, and occasional blood transfusions. If this is a condition that has been documented and has persisted for at least three months, then you may be eligible for Social Security Disability. Under Listing 7.02 of the Social Security rules, you may be found disabled because of chronic anemia if you need to have blood transfusions at least once every two months, or if it is severe enough to affect another body system, they will look at how much the system is affected by the insufficiency.

If you are diagnosed with these or any other blood disorders, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits if it greatly interferes with your ability to work full time. Please contact the Social Security Disability attorneys at Hoglund, Chwialkowski & Mrozik for an evaluation of your case.

A very important aspect of your breathing that the Administration will take into consideration is the severity and the frequency of your asthma attacks.  If your asthma attacks have been severe enough to warrant hospitalizations or steroid intervention, they may be considered more severe than, say, attacks that require that you just sit down and rest to regain normal functioning.  If you have been hospitalized for severe asthma attacks more often than once every two months, you have a fairly good argument that your asthma is bad enough to meet or medically equal Social Security’s requirements for disability benefits.  See more about listings here.

Possibly one of the most important things to remember is that the Social Security Administration needs a paper trail in every  case, including asthma cases.  You must treat with a doctor and if you feel that your asthma is not well-controlled, you must express these concerns to your doctor at every visit.  Many people make the mistake of thinking that there is nothing that their doctors can do for them in terms of relief.  This may not be true and even if it is, it is still important for you to have documentation of your asthma attacks and your subjective severity of them.  One thing that you can do to help your disability claim is to visit a medical doctor who specializes in the type of condition from which you suffer.  In asthma cases, one such specialist would be a pulmonologist.  Often, specialists will perform specific tests which can make or break a claim for disability benefits.  Whenever possible, we encourage you to treat with medical specialists.

If you are over age 50, you may have a different standard and should contact an attorney to review your options.

The bottom line is that if you feel your asthma is so severe that it limits your activities of daily living, you may have a valid claim for Social Security disability benefits.  You should contact an experienced attorney at Hoglund Law to find out if you may be eligible for benefits.

Another common thyroid disorder is hyperthyroidism. This is pretty much the opposite of hypothyroidism; it means your thyroid is overactive & produces too much thyroid hormone. The symptoms can include loss of concentration, fatigue, a swollen thyroid gland, an increased appetite, increased sweating, restlessness, and weight loss. Stress can exacerbate these symptoms. It can be treated with surgery to remove the thyroid, and in some cases a radioactive iodine treatment which destroys the gland and stops the excess production of the thyroid hormone.

Neither of these conditions can automatically qualify a claimant for Social Security Disability benefits. Thyroid disorders are included in the Social Security Listings, but having the disorder does not mean you will necessarily qualify under the rules. Instead, Social Security will evaluate how the changes in your thyroid have affected your cardiac system, any extreme weight loss, if you have had a stroke caused by the thyroid dysfunction, and how it has affected your mental state, including depression or anxiety. This means that your thyroid issues must be so severe as to affect other parts of your body. Social Security will also consider how the thyroid issues affect your ability to complete your daily activities, and how it keeps you from working and maintaining the pace of a full-time job.

In some cases, thyroid cancer can lead to an expedited claim under the Compassionate Allowances program. A Compassionate Allowance is a disorder recognized by Social Security as a disability so severe that there should be no doubt that the claimant is disabled under Social Security’s rules. First, you must indicate on your application that you have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Next, your doctor must quickly respond to requests from Social Security with full information about your diagnosis, or if there isn’t enough information in your record, you must comply with a medical exam so Social Security can get the evidence they need to confirm the diagnosis. In these cases, they may not need your educational or work background because they will just focus on the diagnosis. More information about qualifying disorders can be found on the Social Security web site.

If you or a member of your family is suffering from any thyroid disorder that affects your ability to work full-time, please contact your Social Security Disability lawyers at Hoglund, Chwialkowski & Mrozik for a free case evaluation today.

One of these heart conditions is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscle to become thick.  Typically, this condition targets one part of the heart.  Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy basically makes the heart work harder to force the blood out of the heart and on pumping the blood throughout the body.  Individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy are likely to have symptoms of chest pain, fatigue, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and palpitations.  However, some individuals experience no symptoms.  Sometimes the first symptom that individuals may have is a sudden collapse that might result in death. 

When individuals have the above symptoms, the primary care physician will refer the individual to get testing.  Some of the testing that the primary care physician will have the individual do is a cardiac catheterization.  In addition, the individual will likely need to have a chest x-ray, an ECG, and also a MRI of the heart.  The more tests that an individual has, the better chance of receiving the correct diagnosis.  As a result, it is important for the individual to see their primary care doctor if they are persistently having the above symptoms.  It is also important for an individual to see and follow through with the primary care physician’s recommendations. 

Depending on the severity of the condition, the primary care physician is likely to refer the individual to see a cardiologist.  The cardiologist will likely do more testing and review the prior testing to remark on the severity of the condition.  The cardiologist will want to see the individual more regularly depending on the severity of the condition.  If the condition is mild then the cardiologist is likely to set up yearly appointments with the individual.  The more severe the condition is, the more appointments the individual with have with the cardiologist each year. 

When an individual is considering Social Security Disability, the individual should consider the problems the individual has.  If the individual is still able to work at their current job, then that individual should not file for Social Security Disability.  If an individual can no longer do their past relevant work, but could do other work that is less stressful, then that individual should not file for Social Security Disability.  However, if the individual is not able to maintain working on a full time basis and in fact, their cardiologist recommends four hours per day, then the individual might want to consider Social Security Disability.  If the individual is able to make over a $1010 gross per month with working 4 hours per day, then the individual is not a candidate for Social Security Disability.

In conclusion, depending on the severity of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and the symptoms that an individual is suffering will be the deciding factor on whether an individual is a candidate for Social Security Disability. 

Basically, Dysautonomia is a term use to describe complex conditions that are neurological in nature.  In addition, Dysautonomia is used to describe the malfunction of the nervous system.  More specifically, Dysautonomia is used to describe the failure of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).  The ANS basically controls the unconscious functions of the body.  The fact that a person keeps breathing without telling themselves to breath is a function of the ANS.  The ANS controls multiple body systems like the gastrointestinal system, the metabolic system, cardiovascular system, and endocrine system.  

Depending on the severity of Dysautonomia, an individual might suffer mild to severe symptoms of this condition.  In addition, the mild to severe symptoms might vary for one body system to another.  Some of the most common symptoms are excessive fatigue, lightheadedness or dizziness, feelings of anxiety or panic, excessive thirst, rapid or slow heart rate, and fainting.  In addition, some individuals might also suffer from gastroparesis and headaches.  Other symptoms that an individual might have are: numbness, chest pain, seizures, constipation, diarrhea, pallor, facial flushing, visual disturbances, nausea, malaise, pallor, and hypotension.  It is important for the individual to see their primary care physician is any of these symptoms persist.

If an individual is having any of these symptoms, it does not mean that the individual has Dysautonomia.  There are many different types of conditions that have the same symptoms as Dysautonomia.  Once an individual goes to their primary care physician, their primary care physician will start running tests like blood work and ultrasounds of the affected area.  In addition, the primary care physician will likely refer the individual to see a neurologist.  The neurologist is likely to order CAT scans and MRIs of the affected areas. 

The ordered tests are to help the treating physicians find the correct diagnoses for the individual.  While the treating physicians are trying to find the correct diagnosis, the treating physicians normally try treating the symptoms that the individual is experiencing.  Because each individual has different levels of severity of symptoms, there is not one specific treatment for all.  As a result, there is not one major cause of Dysautonomia.  Some of the most common possible causes are:  autoimmune disorders, diabetes mellitus, brain injuries, Lyme disease, genetics, degenerative neurological disease, and spinal cord injuries.  In conclusion, Dysautonomia is a condition that everyone should be aware of because of the multiple symptoms that it may cause.  Because there are a lot of associated causes, this condition affects a bigger portion of the population. 

According to the POMS Section DI 23022.905, Social Security Disability classifies Stiff Person Syndrome as a Compassionate Allowance.  Social Security requests medical records for review.  It is important that the medical records have information about the examinations, electromyography, and special antibody testing.  The medical records might have different names for Stiff Person Syndrome.  The symptoms are typically the same, but the diagnosis name may be different.  Stiff Person Syndrome also goes by Stiff-Man Syndrome, Moersch-Woltmann Syndrome, SPS, SMS, Stiff Baby Syndrome, and additional names. 

Regardless of the name, the symptoms are basically the same.  The most common symptoms of this condition are frequent falling because of muscle spasms in the back and the affected limb.  In addition, an individual also lacks normal defensive reflexes.  Stiff-Man Syndrome may affect individuals at any age.  This condition affects infants and does increase the risk of infant death.  The longer the condition continues the more damage the condition causes to the body.  Individuals typically have fractures and joint deformities. 

Social Security Disability looks at Listings 111.06 for children and Listings 11.04B and 11.06 when deciding adult cases.  These listings are looking for medical records that show diagnoses that are caused by a neurological component.  It is important that the medical records show muscle atrophy and muscle spasms.  It is also important that the individual’s primary care physician has sent the patient to see a neurologist.  It is also important that the neurologist has ordered and done testing like an EMG and MRIs to help with the diagnoses. 

In conclusion, Stiff-Man Syndrome is a severe condition that Social Security Disability will allow to be fast tracked under the Compassionate Allowances procedure.  It is important for the individual that is diagnosed with Stiff-Man Syndrome to be seen by a neurologist and have objective testing that proves the diagnosis. 

Stiff-Man Syndrome is also known as Moresch and Woltman Syndrome, Stiff Person Syndrome, and Anti-GAD antibody.  Regardless of the name, the disease is the same.  Typically this disease affects one out of every million people.  Stiff-Man Syndrome is a disease that causes severe muscle stiffness.  It typically affects areas such as the spine and the lower extremities.  In addition, an individual will also suffer muscle spasms that may be triggered by external stimuli and/or emotional stress. 

Typically, individuals are diagnosed between the age of 30 and 50 years old.  Often the first symptoms that individuals have include a stiff back and/or achiness.  Individuals might also notice stiffness and achiness in the limbs.  If an individual is noticing persistent stiffness and achiness, it is important for the individual to go see their primary care physician.  The primary care physician is likely to do some testing to rule out other diseases and conditions.  Some of the testing that a primary care physician might do is lab work, especially checking the ANA and sediment rate.  In addition, the primary care physician is likely to order an EMG.  An EMG is one of the best ways to diagnose Stiff-Man Syndrome.  The EMG will commonly show abnormalities.  In addition, the EMG will also show anti-GAD antibodies.  The majority of individuals with Stiff-Man Syndrome will have the anti-GAD antibodies.  As a result, it is important to have an EMG done.

Another way to diagnose Stiff-Man Syndrome is through medications.  The primary care physician is likely to refer the individual to see a neurologist to help rule out other conditions like Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.  If the Parkinson’s medication helps the individual, then the condition is likely Parkinson’s disease versus Stiff-Man Syndrome.  Another way to diagnose Stiff-Man Syndrome is through a physician exam.  The physical exam will look for stiffness, muscle spasms, and pain along with rigidity or increased tone in the muscles.  These symptoms are likely to be found in the areas of the spine, face, abdomen, neck, and any limb.  But as mentioned above, the most common areas are the spine and legs. 

In conclusion, Stiff-Man Syndrome is known by many different names and only affects a small number of the population.  However, the symptoms of this condition may be quite severe and regular treatment with the individual’s primary care physician is one of the best ways to be diagnosed.  The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier the treatment and the better quality of life the individual is likely to have. 

There are three types of Tyrosinemia.  Type 1 Tyrosinemia is the most severe out of the three types.  Individuals with Type 1 Tyrosinemia are usually month old infants that have trouble gaining weight and have jaundice.  This type may lead to liver and kidney failure and have an increased chance of getting liver cancer.  In addition, this type of Tyrosinemia may cause problems with the nervous systems.  Type 2 Tyrosinemia is a condition that typically is diagnosed in early childhood.  This type of Tyrosinemia affects the skin, eyes and mental development.  A lot of children with this type of Tyrosinemia also have painful skin lesions and around 50 percent of children with this type of Tyrosinemia have learning disabilities.  Finally, Type 3 Tyrosinemia is a condition that is very rare.  Typically the individuals with this type of Tyrosinemia have problems with learning disabilities, seizures, and attacks of loss of balance and coordination.  There have only been a few cases that have ever been reported of this type. 

As mentioned above, Tyrosinemia is a genetic condition.  Tyrosinemia is a very rare condition that affects 10-15 people out of a million.   In order for a child to have this illness, both of the child’s parents need to carry the recessive gene.  The parents likely do not even know that they are carriers of this condition.  This genetic condition is very severe and individuals with this condition would likely qualify for Social Security Disability due to the severity of the condition.  

The related genes to the Tyrosinemia condition are FAH, HPD, and TAT.  These genes cause problems in the breakdown of the tyrosine enzymes.  As a result, the tyrosine builds up in the body.  Most of the affected areas are the liver, the kidneys, and the nervous systems. In addition, the tyrosine may also build up in any of the other organs or tissue areas. 

In conclusion, Tyrosinemia is a rare genetic condition that is very serious.  It is a genetic condition that may be preventable by getting genetic testing done.  In addition, it is important for parents to take their infants to primary care physicians on a regular bassis to help diagnose the condition.