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Posts Tagged ‘Autoimmune disease’

Anarthritic Syndrome and Receiving Disability Benefits

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Anarthritic syndrome is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory autoimmune disease of your large arteries. Anarthritic syndrome is a poorly understood pain syndrome that is evidenced by pain and stiffness in your shoulder and hip girdles, neck, thighs and upper arms.  It is highly possible that if you suffer from this immune system syndrome you may qualify for social security disability benefits such as SSI or SSDI.

Anarthritic syndrome was probably first reported over 100 years ago with the name “senile rheumatic gout.” Other names were used until 1957.

There is a relationship between anarthritic syndrome and giant cell arteritis. Each of these disorders seem to have the same disease process with slightly different signs and symptoms. However, you can get one of them without getting the other.

The people who are most often affected by anarthritic syndrome are those who are over 50 years of age. Women are affected by this syndrome more than twice as often as men. Anarthritic syndrome is a relatively common problem in the United States and Europe.

Anarthritic syndrome is believed to be an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is one in which your immune system for some unknown reason attacks the tissues and cells of your own body.

In the case of anarthritic syndrome, your immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of your joints with white blood cells. However, no one knows what causes your immune system to make this mistake. Researchers believe that both genetic and environmental factors are probably involved. There may also be a connection between this syndrome and some viruses that cause respiratory infections.

6 Signs and Symptoms of Anarthritic Syndrome

The signs and symptoms that you may experience with this type of autoimmune disease, anarthritic syndrome, often develop suddenly, without warning. They can literally begin overnight. Some of the signs and symptoms that you may have include:

Ÿ  A slight fever at various times

Ÿ  Unintentional weight loss

Ÿ  Anemia (low red blood cell count)

Ÿ  Weakness or malaise (not feeling well)

Ÿ  Moderate to severe aching, pain and stiffness in the muscles of your thighs, hips, shoulders, neck and upper arms

Ÿ  Fatigue.

The pain and stiffness may begin on one side of your body. You will probably be affected on both sides of your body as anarthritic syndrome progresses. The stiffness and pain is usually more severe in the morning or after you have been sitting or lying down for a long time. It may be severe enough to awaken you from sleep.  Please contact us or visit our other site pages for more information about receiving benefits for the autoimmune disease, anarthritic syndrome.

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Paraneoplastic Pemphigus Autoimmune Disease and Qualifying For Disability

Monday, December 12th, 2011

Pemphigus is an autoimmune disease that is marked by blistering and raw sores on your skin and mucous membranes. The use of Penicillamine is sometimes associated with the occurrence of pemphigus. Penicillamine is a drug that is used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, Wilson’s disease and scleroderma.

There are three major types of pemphigus that are vastly different in severity. They are pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceus and paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus is the rarest kind of pemphigus. However, it is the most serious, severe form of the disease. Most of the time, paraneoplastic pemphigus develops in people who have already been diagnosed with certain types of cancer, such as sarcomas, Castleman‘s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, thymoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus affects men and women equally. It usually begins in people who are middle-aged and older, but the disease can also occur in children and young adults.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus is evidenced by the binding of antibodies to the surface of the cells of your epidermis, which is the outer layer of your skin. This disease is also marked by conjunctiva (scarring and ulceration of your eye and eyelids), skin lesions that may involve violaceous plaques or blisters and severe ulceration of your lips and mouth.

The exact cause of paraneoplastic pemphigus is unknown. As already mentioned, paraneoplastic pemphigus is believed to be an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is one in which for some unknown reason your body’s autoimmune system mistakenly sends antibodies to attack the tissues and cells of your own body. In the case of paraneoplastic pemphigus, there are additional antibodies that are involved in causing the disease that are not seen in other kinds of pemphigus.

As mentioned earlier, paraneoplastic pemphigus is almost always connected to a malignancy of some kind. Other signs and symptoms that you may experience include:

Ÿ    Skin lesions that are highly variable in what they look like that may develop anywhere on your body

Ÿ    These skin lesions may be scaly plaques, ulcerative lesions, red and inflamed spots or fluid-filled blisters

Ÿ    Painful sores on your lips and in your mouth

Ÿ    Ulceration and scarring of your eye and eyelids (conjunctiva)

Ÿ    Lesions in your lungs that may lead to progressive lung disease and make it hard for you to breathe.

 

You  may have been diagnosed with paraneoplastic pemphigus. Paraneoplastic pemphigus and/or complications that have been brought about by it or other conditions that you have in conjunction with this disease may have resulted in the disability of you or your loved one and be what is causing you not to be able to work.  Paraneoplastic pemphigus may qualify you for SSI or SSDI benefits.

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MTCD and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Saturday, August 13th, 2011
Adipose tissue is one of the main types of con...

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MTCD stands for mixed connective tissue disease. MTCD is used by some doctors to describe a disorder that is evidenced by characteristics of three connective tissue diseases, which are scleroderma, lupus and polymyositis. Because of these qualities, MTCD is sometimes known as an overlap disease.

MTCD is a disorder that occurs most often in women. In fact, women represent about 80% of the people with this disorder. MTCD is diagnosed most often in young adults in their 20s and 30s. However, MTCD may develop anywhere from ages 5 to 80, as children have occasionally been diagnosed with this disorder. MTCD takes place in all races all over the world.

MTCD is a kind of connective tissue disease. It is evidenced by abnormal structure or function of your connective tissue.

A connective tissue disease is any disease that has the connective tissues of your body as its main target. Your connective tissues are the structural portions of your body. They essentially hold the cells of your body together. These connective tissues form a framework or matrix for your body.

Researchers do not know what causes MTCD. MTCD is part of a larger group of diseases that are referred to as autoimmune disorders. Your autoimmune system is what fights any thing foreign that invades your body. An autoimmune disorder is when your immune system for some unknown reason mistakes normal, healthy cells and tissues as invaders. In other words, your immune system attacks your own body’s tissues and cells.

No one knows for sure why your immune system does this. Researchers believe that it may be a complex mixture of genetic factors, viruses and chemicals that may be why this takes place.

MTCD does not have a set of signs and symptoms that are unique to it. Instead, the signs and symptoms of MTCD will be like those of scleroderma, polymyositis and lupus. However, the signs and symptoms of these three diseases do not usually take place at the same time. Some of these signs and symptoms include:

  • Muscle weakness
  • Mild fever
  • Fatigue
  • Raynaud’s phenomenon – This is blood vessel spasms that interrupt the flow of blood to your ears, nose, finger and toes
  • Joint swelling
  • Swollen fingers
  • Joint pain.
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Chronic Lymphocytic Thyroiditis and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, July 8th, 2011
Thyroid Gland

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Your thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland that is situated at the base of your neck. It sits just under your Adam’s apple. Your thyroid gland makes hormones that have an enormous impact on your health. These hormones affect all of the various aspects of your metabolism. These hormones that are made by your thyroid gland affect things that range all the way from the rate at which your heart beats to how rapidly you burn calories.

Chronic lymphatic thyroiditis is a condition that affects your thyroid gland. It is evidenced by your thyroid gland being attacked by your autoimmune system for reasons that are not known. Chronic lymphatic thyroiditis is also marked by the failure of your thyroid gland to make enough hormones and inflammation of your thyroid gland.

 

Because of this, chronic lymphatic thyroiditis is considered to be an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are those in which for some unknown reason your autoimmune system mistakenly attacks your own body tissues. In this instance, your thyroid gland is mistakenly attacked by your autoimmune system. In fact, chronic lymphatic thyroiditis was the first disease to be classified as an autoimmune disease.

 

Chronic lymphatic thyroiditis is the number one cause of hypothyroidism in the United States. Hypothyroidism is characterized by your thyroid gland not producing enough hormones. It is also known as an underactive thyroid disease.

Chronic lymphatic thyroiditis can occur in anyone at any age. However, it is found most frequently in middle-aged women.

Some researchers think that a virus, genetic defect or bacterium may trigger this mistaken autoimmune system response. It is also believed that a combination of things like heredity, age and sex may also play a part in causing this condition.

Chronic lymphatic thyroiditis may not cause any signs and symptoms. If you do experience signs and symptoms, they may include:

  • A hoarse voice
  • Hair loss
  • An elevated cholesterol level
  • Fatigue and sluggishness
  • Stiffness in your joints
  • A small or shrunken thyroid gland
  • An intolerance to cold
  • Constipation
  • Dry skin
  • Problems with concentrating or thinking
  • The presence of an enlarged neck or a goiter
  • Depression
  • Irregular and heavy menstrual periods for women
  • Muscle weakness that is most prominent in your lower extremities
  • Facial swelling
  • Mild or unintentional weight gain.

 

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Diffuse Thyrotoxic Goiter and Receiving Social Security Disability

Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
Hyperthyroidism

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Diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is the most common kind of hyperthyroidism (overactivity of your thyroid gland).  In fact, diffuse thyrotoxic goiter represents about 50 to 60% of the 500,000 people who are diagnosed with hyperthyroidism each year in the United States.

Diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is a disorder that may develop at any age to either women or men. However, diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is far more common in women than it is in men. This disorder usually starts after the age of 20.

Diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is a kind of autoimmune disorder that causes your thyroid gland to make too much of the hormone thyroxine. An autoimmune disorder is one where for some unknown reason your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the cells and tissues of your own body. In the case of diffuse thyrotoxic goiter, your immune system makes antibodies that stimulate your thyroid to produce too much thyroxine.

As stated above, diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is believed to be an autoimmune disorder. However, researchers do not know what causes your immune system to attack your thyroid gland. They believe that several factors could be involved in causing your immune system to do this. Some of these factors include:

  • Age and stress
  • Sex
  • Sex hormones
  • Heredity.

In some cases, diffuse thyrotoxic goiter may not cause any signs or symptoms. However, there are many signs and symptoms that you may have with this disorder. The signs and symptoms that are caused by diffuse thyrotoxic goiter may develop slowly or occur suddenly. It is possible for these signs and symptoms to be confused with other medical conditions. Some of the possible signs and symptoms include:

  • Difficulty for a woman to get pregnant
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Unintended weight loss
  • Changes in your vision or how your eyes look
  • Frequent bowel movements
  • Irritability
  • Lighter menstrual flow
  • Sensitivity to heat
  • Muscular weakness
  • Hand tremors
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Trouble sleeping.

Diffuse thyrotoxic goiter is the only kind of hyperthyroidism that involves the tissue around your eyes swelling and bulging of your eyes. In rare instances, you may have a reddish lumpy thickening of the skin in front of your shins that is known as pretibial myxedema. This condition is usually painless.

You or a loved one may be suffering from diffuse thyrotoxic goiter. Diffuse thyrotoxic goiter and/or complications that have been brought about by it or other conditions that you have along with this disorder may have caused you or your loved one’s disability and be the reason why you cannot work.

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Cutaneous Vasculitis and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, February 24th, 2011
Simplified diagram of the human Circulatory sy...

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Vasculitis is a large, inclusive term that is used in reference to a group of uncommon diseases that are marked by inflammation of your blood vessels. Your vascular system refers to the blood vessels of your body. Your blood vessels are made-up of arteries that carry oxygen-rich blood to your body’s tissues and veins that return oxygen-depleted blood from your tissues to your lungs for oxygen. Vasculitis is evidenced by damage to and inflammation in the walls of various blood vessels in your body.

Each one of this group of diseases is marked by distribution of blood vessel involvement, laboratory test abnormalities and certain patterns of particular organ involvement. As a group, these diseases are known as vasculitides.

Cutaneous vasculitis is the inflammation of blood vessels in your skin and subcutaneous tissue. Cutaneous vasculitis especially affects your small and medium-sized blood vessels. These are blood vessels like your capillaries, venules and arterioles.

There are three kinds of cutaneous vasculitis. They are acute, subacute and chronic.

Acute cutaneous vasculitis may damage your tissues and affected blood vessels. It can obstruct blood supply to your surrounding tissues and lead to tissue death.

Subacute cutaneous is usually less serious. It usually lasts for about a week.

Chronic cutaneous vasculitis is an ongoing disease. It is marked by the formation of papules and macules in parts of your body where blood vessels are dominant.

A common cause of cutaneous vasculitis is infection. Other possible causes are:

  • Various cancers
  • Allergy or hypersensitivity to drugs
  • Autoimmune diseases (these are diseases in which your body’s own immune system attacks your own cells)
  • Serum sickness.

There are several signs and symptoms that you may have with cutaneous vasculitis. Some of these are:

  • The formation of macules and papules, wheal or lump formations in your skin
  • Fever
  • A rash on the surface of your skin that forms small red blotches that are called petechiae or large bruises that are called ecchymosis
  • Redness
  • Pruritus or itching
  • Swelling of your lower legs.

You or a loved one may have cutaneous vasculitis. Cutaneous vasculitis and/or complications caused by this disease or the underlying condition that is responsible for it may have led to you or your loved one’s disability and inability to work.

If this is the case, you may need assistance. You may need financial help.

You or your loved one may be considering applying for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by cutaneous vasculitis and/or complications resulting from this disease or the underlying condition that is responsible for it. You may have already tried this option, and your claim was turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one has decided to reapply or appeal the denial, here is something important for you to think about. The fact is that people who are represented by a disability lawyer like the one you will find at Social Security Home are approved more often than people who do not have a disability attorney on their side.

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Receiving Social Security Disability For Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease is a condition which affects your muscles and body organs in a number of ways. It is a disorder that has not yet developed to a point where doctors can easily identify the disease.

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease describes people who have certain laboratory markers and clinical characteristics that suggest a systemic autoimmune disorder or connective tissue disease. However, these patients lack sufficient features for a well-defined connective tissue disease like lupus, scleroderma or rheumatoid arthritis.

It is similar to mixed connective tissue disease but is not the same. With mixed connective tissue disease, patients have enough characteristics of more than one connective tissue disease to simultaneously meet the criteria for several of these disorders.

In contrast to this, people with undifferentiated connective tissue disease do not have enough features of any one connective tissue disease to meet the established diagnostic criteria for that condition. Instead, they may have features of several known diseases. Therefore, they are said to be “undifferentiated”.

Undifferentiated connective tissue disease is believed to be a systemic autoimmune disorder. “Systemic” means that it can affect almost any system in your body. “Autoimmune” refers to conditions in which your immune system mistakenly attacks your own body tissues.

There are several different effects that you may experience with undifferentiated connective tissue disease. Some of these effects are:

  • Oral ulcers
  • Rash
  • Arthritis (link to page Arthritis and Disability)
  • Fever
  • Photosensitivity
  • Neuropathy.

A preliminary classification criterion for this disorder has been proposed. This involves two things:

  • Signs and symptoms for at least 3 years that are suggestive of a connective tissue disease but that do not meet the criteria for any defined connective tissue disorder.
  • The presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) being identified on two different occasions.

The effects caused by undifferentiated connective tissue disease can be debilitating. You or a loved one may be disabled and unable to work because of this disease.

You may be looking for help if this is the case. You may be searching for financial help.

Have you or your loved one applied for that financial assistance from the Social Security Administration for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by undifferentiated connective tissue disease? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, here is something for you to think about.

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

Do not delay. Contact the disability lawyer at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

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