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Archive for May, 2010

Cardiac Arrhythmia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, May 27th, 2010
Normal sinus rhythm, with solid black arrows p...
Image via Wikipedia

Cardiac arrhythmia is a medical term that refers to any of a group of conditions in which the electrical activity of your heart is irregular. This electrical activity may be slower or faster than normal.

Some arrhythmias are minor. They can take place in a normal, healthy heart. They can be regarded as normal. Other cardiac arrhythmias are serious, life- threatening medical emergencies that can cause cardiac arrest and sudden death.

There are several different kinds of cardiac arrhythmia. Some of these arrhythmias include:

  • Tachycardia is a cardiac arrhythmia where your resting heart rate is faster than 100 beats a minute.
  • Bradycardia is a cardiac arrhythmia where your resting heart rate is slower than 60 beats a minute.
  • Fibrillation is a serious form of cardiac arrhythmia. The muscle cells of your heart normally function together creating a single contraction when they are stimulated.  Fibrillation is when your heart muscle begins a quivering motion caused by a disunity in contractile cell function.

There are other kinds of common cardiac arrhythmia. These include atrial, ventricular, atrial ventricular, functional arrhythmias, heart blocks and trigeminal rhythm (trigeminy).

One of the dangers of cardiac arrhythmia is that it can be silent and cause you no ill effects at all. When you are affected by cardiac arrhythmia, you may experience:

  • Dizziness or feeling light-headed
  • Chest discomfort
  • Shortness of breath
  • Weakness or fatigue
  • Pounding in the chest
  • Palpitations
  • Fainting.

The effects caused by cardiac arrhythmia like shortness of breath, pounding in your chest and dizziness or fainting may be serious enough to keep you or a loved one from being able to work. Cardiac arrhythmia may be the reason for you or your loved one’s disability.

You or your loved one may be looking for help if this is the case. You may be searching for financial help.

Where will that financial assistance come from? Who can you turn to? Who can and will help you?

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by cardiac arrhythmia? Were you or your loved one denied by the Social Security Administration?

You or your loved one may be planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, here is something critical that you should know.

You may need a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com to help and represent you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason that this is true is because people who have a disability lawyer in their corner are approved more often than those people who are not represented by an attorney.

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Posted in Cardiovascular | No Comments »

Glycogen Storage Diseases and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Glycogen, a branched polysaccharide
Image via Wikipedia

Glycogen serves as the primary fuel reserve for the energy needs of your body. Glycogen storage diseases are genetically linked metabolic disorders that involve the enzymes regulating glycogen metabolism. They affect the processing of glycogen synthesis or breakdown within muscles, liver and other cell types.

There are more than 10 types of glycogen storage diseases. The most common forms are Types I, II, III, and IV. These are thought to account for more than 90% of all cases.

The types of glycogen storage diseases include:

  • Type Ia, or von Gierke’s disease may affect you with an enlarged fatty liver, elevated levels of lactate, lipids and uric acid in your blood, low blood sugar, impairment in growth, delaying of puberty and bones weakened by osteoporosis. Gout, liver cancer, liver tumors and chronic renal disease may develop.
  • Type Ib is similar to Type Ia. In addition, your immune system is weakened and there is the danger of bacterial infections like gum and mouth infections, pneumonia and inflammatory bowel disease.
  • Type II, or Pompe’s disease or acid maltase deficiency, is classified according to the age of onset.
  • Type III, or Cori’s disease has effects that are similar to Type 1a. It also causes an enlarged heart, muscles prone to wasting and high levels of lipids in your blood.
  • Type IV, or Andersen’s disease is usually fatal to infants.
  • Type V, or McArdle’s disease may affect you with muscle weakness and cramping caused by exercise and burgundy-colored urine after exercise.
  • Type VI, or Hers’ disease may affect you by causing low blood sugar, mildly retarded growth and an enlarged liver.
  • Type VII, or Tarui’s disease has effects that are similar to type V, but also include increased levels of uric acid and anemia.
  • Types VIII and XI have symptoms similar to Type VI.
  • ·Type IX has effects that are similar to Type VI.
  • Type X has effects that are like Type VI and IX.

You or a loved one may have a glycogen storage disease. It may be the reason you or your loved one is disabled and unable to work.

If this is true, you or your loved one may need assistance. You may need financial help.

You or your loved one may have applied for that help from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by a glycogen storage disease. Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is going to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, here is something that you need to consider. People who are represented and aided by a disability attorney like the one you will find here are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

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Posted in Endocrine | No Comments »

Emphysema and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
Patient with severe emphysema.
Image via Wikipedia

Emphysema is a lung disease. Emphysema is an obstructive lung disease because the destruction of lung tissue around smaller airways, called bronchioles, makes these airways unable to hold their shape correctly when you exhale.

Emphysema is one of a group of diseases known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This group of diseases is the fourth leading cause of death in America. Every year in the United States about 100,000 people die of emphysema. Unlike more common causes of death like heart disease, however, the death rate of COPD seems to be rising.

Somewhere around 17 million people have COPD in the United States. Nearly 3 million of those with COPD have emphysema. Millions more Americans are in the early stages of emphysema, and do not know that they have this chronic lung disease because signs and symptoms have not appeared yet.

Emphysema is a dangerous lung disease that damages your lungs air sacs (alveoli) that affect breathing. With emphysema, there is progressive destruction of your air sacs and the surrounding lung tissues.

When emphysema becomes advanced, large air cysts develop where healthy lung tissue used to be. Because of a lack of supportive tissue, air is trapped in your lungs. This leads to a decrease in blood oxygenation, which in turn leads to your body not getting the oxygen it needs.

A couple of the primary signs and symptoms of emphysema are shortness of breath and less ability for physical activities. As emphysema progresses you may have trouble breathing even when you are lying down. After respiratory problems like a cold or flu, you may have a very hard time breathing.

There are other effects that you may experience with emphysema. Some of these are:

  • Loss of weight and appetite
  • Fatigue
  • Mild, chronic cough.

The effects caused by emphysema can be debilitating. You or a loved one may be disabled and unable to work because of the disability caused by emphysema.

Emphysema may be the reason why you or your loved one needs help. It may be why you need financial help.

You or your loved one may have applied for that financial help from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by emphysema. Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, here is something that you should consider. You or your loved one may need the advice and counsel of a disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com because people who have a dependable disability attorney standing with them are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

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Posted in Respiratory | No Comments »

Thalassemia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder. This means that the disorder is passed down from parents to children through genes.

Thalassemia causes your body to make less healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin than your body needs. Hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein that is in your red blood cells. It is the substance that allows your red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of your body.

Normal hemoglobin is also called hemoglobin A. It has four protein chains. Two are alpha globin, and two are beta globin. There are two major types of thalassemia. They are alpha and beta thalassemia, so named after defects in these protein chains.

In order for enough alpha globin protein chains to be made, four genes are required. Alpha thalassemia happens when one or two of the four genes are not present. Moderate to severe thalassemia is a result of more than two of the genes not being present.

An adequate number of beta protein chains require two genes, one from each of your parents. Beta thalassemia is a result of one or both genes being altered.

Thalassemia is also known by other names. It is also called Mediterranean anemia and Cooley’s anemia.

Thalassemia affects both men and women. It is most prevalent in people of Greek, Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern and African descent.

Fortunately, thalassemia is a rare disease. This means that it affects less than 200,000 people in the United States.

If you have a mild type of thalassemia, you may not have any signs or symptoms. The signs and symptoms that you experience will depend on the severity and type of thalassemia that you have. Some of these symptoms are:

  • Irritability
  • Dark urine
  • Weakness and/or fatigue
  • Jaundice (yellow discoloration of your skin)
  • Protruding abdomen
  • Shortness of breath
  • Slow growth
  • Deformities in your facial bones
  • Pale appearance
  • Swelling of your liver and spleen.

Thalassemia and/or conditions along with or that have resulted from it may have reached a point where you or a loved one is unable to work. Thalassemia may be the cause of your disability.

If this is true, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one applied for financial help from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by thalassemia and/or conditions resulting from or along with it? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, remember this. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

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Posted in Hematological | No Comments »

Catatonic Schizophrenia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Schizophrenia refers to a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a mental disorder. It is a severe, chronic and disabling brain disorder. It is evidenced by a belief that other people are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, hearing voices that other people do not hear or being sure that other people are plotting to hurt them.

The result is that people with schizophrenia may be fearful and withdrawn. They may have problems with relationships with other people.

It has been debated as to whether schizophrenia is a single disorder or several discrete syndromes. This is because of the many possible combinations of signs and symptoms with schizophrenia.

It was the Swiss psychiatrist, Paul Eugen Bleuler, who originated the term, “schizophrenia” in 1908. In fact, Bleuler used the term, “the schizophrenias” because of the debate that was mentioned above.

Catatonic schizophrenia is one of the different forms of schizophrenia. It is marked by extremes of behavior. You may involuntarily imitate the movements or sounds of other people and exhibit hyperactive or overexcited motion. Or, you may not be able to move, respond or speak.

Fortunately, catatonic schizophrenia is rare. This is due to greatly improved treatment of schizophrenia.

No one knows what causes catatonic schizophrenia. Growing evidence indicates that this mental illness may be caused by dysfunction of your brain. The interaction of environment and genetics may play a part in this brain dysfunction.

There are several signs and symptoms that may be an indication of catatonic schizophrenia. Some of these are:

  • Peculiar movements like unusual or inappropriate postures, obsessively following a routine or repeating words
  • Extreme resistance to instructions
  • A complete inability to move
  • Imitating movements or speech
  • Moving in an excited or excessive way
  • Hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that do not exist)
  • Outbursts of anger
  • Uncoordinated, clumsy movements
  • Delusions (beliefs that are not based on reality)
  • Neglecting personal hygiene
  • Social isolation
  • Emotions that are not appropriate for the situation
  • A lack of emotions
  • Having trouble functioning at work or school
  • Speech that is incoherent.

You or a loved one may have been diagnosed with catatonic schizophrenia. This mental illness and/or complications resulting from it may be the reason why you are disabled and needing financial assistance.

You or your loved one may have decided to apply for financial help from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by catatonic schizophrenia and/or complications resulting from this mental illness. You or your loved one may have done this already and been denied?

If you or your loved one intends to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, always remember this. People who have a disability lawyer like the one you can find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.

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Posted in Neurological | No Comments »

Multi-infarct/Vascular Dementia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Magnetic resonance imaging (T1) : lacunar infa...
Image via Wikipedia

Dementia is a progressive decline in the way a person knows, perceives and interprets the world around them. With dementia, the cognitive or knowing areas that can be affected include attention, language, memory and problem solving.

In the later stages of dementia, a person can be disoriented in time, place and person. In other words, they may not know when it is, where they are or who they are.

Multi-infarct/Vascular dementia is the second most common kind of dementia in people over age 65. The most common kind of dementia in the elderly is the dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

Multi-infarct dementia is the most common form of vascular dementia. It accounts for 10-20% of all cases of worsening, progressive dementia. It usually affects people between the ages of 60-75. Multi-infarct vascular dementia is more likely to occur in men than women.

Multi-infarct/Vascular dementia refers to a group of syndromes caused by different mechanisms that all result in vascular lesions in the brain. This disorder affects the blood vessels in the brain.

There are some main subtypes of multi-infarct/vascular dementia. These include vascular mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia due to a strategic single infarct, vascular dementia due to hemorrhagic lesions, small vessel disease and mixed Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Multi-infarct/Vascular dementia is caused by a series of strokes that disrupt blood flow to the brain. This results in brain tissue being damaged or destroyed.

The beginning of multi-infarct/vascular dementia often goes unnoticed in the early stages, especially if the strokes are minor. If the strokes are minor, the signs and symptoms caused by each stroke may include slurred speech, mild weakness in the limbs, dizziness and a slight impairment to the short-term memory; however, these do not last for a long period of time.

Eventually, however, the cumulative effects of these strokes will result in noticeable signs and symptoms displayed by a person. These symptoms include:

  • Wandering or getting lost in familiar places
  • Difficulty following instructions
  • Problems with recent memory
  • Walking with rapid, shuffling steps
  • Loss of bladder or bowel control
  • Problems handling money
  • Inability to control emotions.

If this describes a parent or loved one, you may have applied for financial help on their behalf from the Social Security Administration for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by multi-infarct/vascular dementia. Was your parent or loved one denied?

You may plan to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

Your parent or loved one might need the advice and representation of a  disability lawyer like the one you will find here during the appeals process. The reason for this is because people who are represented by a  disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

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Posted in Neurological | No Comments »

Dementia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Dementia is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to disease or damage in the brain that is greater than what might be expected from normal aging. Cognitive function refers to how a person comes to know and interpret things.

Dementia can occur at any stage of adulthood. However, it is much more common in people over age 65.

With dementia, the cognitive or knowing areas that can be affected include attention, language, memory and problem solving. Most frequently in the later stages of dementia people can be disoriented in time (not knowing what day of the week, month or year it is).  They may also become disoriented in place and person (not knowing where they are or who they are).

The effects caused by dementia can be widely different depending on the person and the underlying cause of the condition. These signs and symptoms can be obvious or subtle, and go unrecognized for a long time. The first effect of dementia is usually short-term memory loss. Other indications of early dementia are:

  • Forgetting names and appointments
  • Losing things
  • Difficulty doing familiar tasks
  • Word-finding difficulty
  • Uncharacteristic behavior
  • Confusion, disorientation in unfamiliar surroundings
  • Poor judgment
  • Mood swings
  • Personality changes.

Intermediate dementia has some signs and symptoms. Some of these are:

  • Worsening of the signs and symptoms in early dementia
  • Hallucinations
  • Abnormal moods
  • Disrupted sleep
  • Poor concentration, inattention
  • Inability to learn new information
  • Greater risk of falls and accidents because of poor judgment and confusion.

There are also effects that are caused by severe dementia. These include:

  • Complete dependence on others for daily living activities
  • Inability to move or walk from place to place unassisted
  • Worsening of the signs and symptoms seen in early and intermediate dementia
  • Complete loss of both short-term and long-term memory
  • Complications like dehydration, aspiration, seizures and malnutrition.

If this describes a parent or loved one, you may have applied for financial help on their behalf from the Social Security Administration for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by dementia. Was your parent or loved one denied?

If so, you may be trying to figure out what to do next? What options do you have?

One thing that you can do is to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do on behalf of your parent or loved one, think about this.

Your parent or loved one may need the advice and representation of a disability lawyer like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com in this process. The reason for this is because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

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Posted in Neurological | No Comments »

Primary Aldosteronism and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

Primary aldosteronism is a condition in which the adrenal glands of your body produce too much of the hormone aldosterone. When this happens it causes you to retain sodium and lose potassium.

These two minerals, when working together properly, transmit nerve impulses, relax and contract your muscles and help maintain the right balance of fluids in your body. Too much aldosterone causes you to retain sodium. Too much sodium causes excessive water retention. This, then, increases your blood volume and blood pressure. The problems of high blood pressure (hypertension) are life-threatening.

Primary aldosteronism was once thought of as rare by doctors. Because screening for primary aldosteronism has become more common, there is now evidence that this condition may be responsible for as many as one in eight cases of high blood pressure.

The World Health Organization says that there are approximately 600 million people around the world with high blood pressure. That means that 60 to 90 million people worldwide probably have primary aldosteronism. There may be anywhere from 7 to 11 million people who have this condition in the United States.

There are some effects that primary aldosteronism will have on you. The most predominant effect of this condition is high blood pressure that does not completely respond to medication. Other main effects of this condition are hypokalemia (low potassium) and having a benign tumor on one or both of your adrenal glands.

There are other effects that you may experience which are not as common. Some of these include:

  • Fatigue
  • Numbness
  • Excessive thirst
  • Excessive urination
  • Headache
  • Tingling, pricking sensation
  • Temporary paralysis
  • Muscle cramps and weakness.

There are some serious, life-threatening complications of primary aldosteronism. If your high blood pressure is not treated it can lead to stroke, kidney disease or failure, heart failure, heart attack, another heart condition known as left ventricular hypertrophy and premature death.

Low potassium leads to other complications. These include excessive urination, cardiac arrhythmias, fatigue and muscle cramps.

Primary aldosteronism and/or complications along with or resulting from this condition may be why you or a loved one is unable to work. This disorder may be the cause of your disability.

You may be in need of help. You may need financial aid.

Have you or your loved one already applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and been denied? Are you wondering what to do now? Do you know your options?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, think about this.

You or your loved one may need a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com to help you in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

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Posted in Endocrine | No Comments »

Periventricular Leukomalacia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Monday, May 17th, 2010
Drawing of the lateral and third ventricles of...
Image via Wikipedia

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a type of brain injury that affects infants. Small areas of brain tissue die that are around fluid-filled areas called ventricles. The damage creates “holes” in the brain.

Periventricular leukomalacia involves softening and damage of the white matter, the inner part of the brain that transmits information from one part of the brain to another, as well as between the nerve cells and the spinal cord.

The name “periventricular leukomalacia” can be broken down in this way:

  • Periventricular –Means near or around the ventricles. These are the spaces in the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid.
  • Leuko – Means white.
  • Malacia – Means softening.

Periventricular leukomalacia is primarily found in premature infants. The most prematurely born babies are the ones at greatest risk.

The incidence of this disorder is between 4% and 26% in premature infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). As many as 75% of premature infants have evidence of periventricular leukomalacia on postmortem examination. It occurs most often in premature babies younger than 32 weeks’ gestation at birth.

Periventricular leukomalacia is extremely important because it is one of the major causes of cerebral palsy (link to page Cerebral Palsy and Disability) and other long-term disabilities. 60 to 100% of infants with this condition later develop signs of Cerebral Palsy.

The primary cause of periventricular leukomalacia is premature birth. One of the major reasons for this is thought to be changes in blood flow to the area around the ventricles of your baby’s brain. This area is delicate and has a propensity for injury, especially before 32 weeks of gestation. Infection around the time your baby is born may also be a contributing factor in causing periventricular leukomalacia.

At the beginning, there may be no visible effects of this condition. When there are signs or symptoms, here is what to look for with your baby:

  • Delayed motor movement
  • Problems with coordination
  • Impaired hearing and vision
  • Contracted, tight, spastic leg muscles
  • Delayed intellectual development
  • Seizures.

Periventricular leukomalacia may be the cause of your child’s disability. It may be why you need financial assistance.

You may have applied for that financial assistance for your child with disability by applying for Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by periventricular leukomalacia. Was your child with disability denied?

You may be considering appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, here is something to always remember.

Your child with disability will need to be represented by a disability attorney in the appeals procedure. This is true because people who are represented by a disability lawyer like the one you will find here are approved more often than those people who do not have an attorney.

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Posted in Neurological | No Comments »

Pancreatic Cancer and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Your body’s basic building blocks are your cells. Cancer begins in your cells. If your body is working right, old cells die at the right time, and new cells are produced when your body needs them. Things go wrong, sometimes. Old cells do not die like they should, and new cells are formed even when they are not needed.

A mass (tumor) can develop from these excess cells. These tumors can either be malignant or benign. Malignant tumors are cancer. Benign tumors are not.

Cancer is much broader than a single disease. It is a huge group of diseases. Cancer is marked by cells that are invasive (they invade and destroy adjacent tissue), aggressive (they grow and divide without respect to normal limits) and sometimes metastatic (they spread to other parts of the body).

There are many different types of cancer. Cancer is usually called by where it starts in your body. For example, liver cancer begins in your liver. Prostate cancer begins in your prostate. Cancer may metastasize (spread) to other areas of your body, but it is still called by where it started.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the many forms of cancer. It is cancer that begins in your pancreas.

Your pancreas is a large organ that is located horizontally behind the lower part of your stomach. It secretes hormones that help regulate the metabolism of sugars and enzymes that help digestion.

Between 35,000 and 40,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer each year in the United States. It is the fourth leading cause of death among both women and men.

Pancreatic cancer develops when mutations (defects) occur in the cells of your pancreas. However, no one knows exactly why this process takes place.

One of the problems with pancreatic cancer is that it does not usually cause any signs or symptoms until it is well advanced. Signs and symptoms that you may have are:

  • Jaundice (yellowing of the whites of your eyes and skin
  • Loss of appetite
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Depression
  • Upper abdominal pain that radiates to your back
  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Clay-colored stools and dark urine.

You or your loved one may have pancreatic cancer. This disease and/or complications resulting from it may be why you or your loved one is disabled and needs financial assistance.

You or your loved one may have applied for financial help from the Social Security Administration for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by pancreatic cancer and/or complications resulting from this disease? Were you denied?

If you or your loved one appeals the denial by the Social Security Administration, think about this carefully. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer representing them.

Please do not wait. Get your free consultation today with a disability advocate who can help you through the disability benefits appeals process.

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Posted in Cancer | No Comments »