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Cysticercosis is a systemic parasitic infestation that is caused by the pork tapeworm that is known as Taenia solium (T. solium). Characteristic cysticerci (cysts) develop from this illness that causes your signs and symptoms.

The illness is referred to as neurocysticercosis when these cysts affect you central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). In fact, neurocysticercosis is a leading cause of adult-onset seizures around the world. Cysticercosis may also affect your eyes, skin and skeletal muscle.

The tapeworm that causes cysticercosis is epidemic in many parts of the developing world like Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Although rare in the United States, the incidence of cysticercosis has increased because of immigration from developing countries. It is now estimated that around 1,000 new cases of cysticercosis are diagnosed each year in the United States.

Cysticercosis is caused by eating eggs from the pork tapeworm that are located in contaminated food. This illness is not caused by eating undercooked pork. Cysticercosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork that is contaminated with the larval cysts. These larval cysts become adult tapeworms in a person’s intestine and produce a huge number of eggs. The eggs are then passed in the person’s stool and are spread through water, food or surfaces that have been contaminated with feces. You get cysticercosis when you swallow these eggs.

The signs and symptoms of cysticercosis may occur over a period of several months to several years after your initial infection (incubation period). The signs and symptoms that you have will depend on the number and location of your cysts. It is possible that you may not experience any signs or symptoms at all with cysticercosis. Most of the people who experience signs and symptoms are those whose central nervous system has been affected by the illness (neurocysticercosis). Possible signs and symptoms include:

• Seizure
• Lethargy
• Changes in vision that may include decreased vision or blindness
• Vomiting and nausea
• Confusion
• Numbness or weakness
• Headache
• Changes in walking
• Abnormal heart rhythms or heart failure.

You or a loved one may have or have had cysticercosis. Cysticercosis and/or complications that developed from it or other conditions afflicting you along with this illness may have caused you or your loved one’s disability and inability to work.

Because of this, you may need help. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may consider applying for the financial help that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by cysticercosis and/or complications that developed from it or other conditions afflicting you along with this illness. You or your loved one may have already taken this step, and your application was denied by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one decides to reapply or appeal the denial, you really ought to think carefully about this important fact. The simple truth is that people who have a disability lawyer on their side like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.