Image via Wikipedia

Degenerative arthritis is a medical condition that is marked by low-grade inflammation that results in pain in your joints. Degenerative arthritis results from abnormal wearing of the cartilage that covers and acts like a cushion for your joints.

Degenerative arthritis is the most common kind of arthritis. Nearly 21 million people in the United States are afflicted with degenerative arthritis. About 25% of all the visits to the doctor’s office are because of this condition. Degenerative arthritis also accounts for around 50% of all non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions.

There are two forms of degenerative arthritis. They are primary and secondary. Primary degenerative arthritis is a chronic degenerative condition that is related to aging, but it is not the result of aging. There are people well into their nineties who do not have any clinical or functional indications of degenerative arthritis. Secondary degenerative arthritis is due to other factors or diseases, but the medical results are the same as for primary degenerative arthritis.

Degenerative arthritis is also evidenced by the decrease or destruction of synovial fluid that lubricates your joints. You begin to experience pain upon weight bearing, including standing and walking, as your bone surfaces become not as well protected by cartilage. Your regional muscles may atrophy and your ligaments may become more lax because you have less movement due to the pain that you are experiencing.

Researchers believe that heredity may be a key factor in causing degenerative arthritis. This is because this condition often affects more than one member of the same family. Genetics play a role in the occurrence of degenerative arthritis, as well. There is also some evidence that allergies, whether fungal, infectious or systemically induced, may be a critical contributing factor in causing degenerative arthritis.

The hallmark sign or symptom of degenerative arthritis is chronic pain that leads to loss of mobility and possibly stiffness. The pain is usually evidenced by a burning sensation or a sharp ache in your surrounding tendons and muscles.

Degenerative arthritis can cause a crackling noise (called “crepitus”) as your affected joint is moved or touched, and you may have muscle spasm and contractions in your tendons.

At times, your joints may fill with fluid. Humid weather causes the pain to increase in many people. In theory, any joint in your body can be affected. However, degenerative arthritis usually affects your spine, hips, feet and hands.

You or a loved one may be afflicted with degenerative arthritis. Degenerative arthritis and/or complications that have been caused by it or other illnesses that you have besides this condition may have resulted in you or your loved one’s disability and inability to work.

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

Related articles

• Alkaptonuric Ochronosis and Receiving Social Security Disability (socialsecurityhome.com)
• Tracking Your Arthritis Pain (everydayhealth.com)

Image via Wikipedia

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.

Image via Wikipedia

Your piriformis muscle is located deep inside of your buttock. Its function is to externally abduct (pull away) and rotate your thigh.

In most people, the piriformis muscle is located right above your sciatic nerve. Your sciatic nerve begins in your lower back and runs down the back of your leg.

Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder that is characterized by inflammation and irritation of your sciatic nerve. When your piriformis muscle becomes swollen and inflamed, it may exert pressure on your sciatic nerve that causes it to become inflamed and irritated.

Women are much more likely to develop piriformis syndrome than men. Women have this disorder 6 times as often as men.

As mentioned above, in most people the sciatic nerve is underneath your piriformis muscle. However, in 15 to 30% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs through the substance of the piriformis muscle. These people have a higher incidence of piriformis syndrome than the general population.

Piriformis syndrome is caused by irritation or compression of your sciatic nerve by your piriformis muscle. There are several things that can cause this to happen. These include:

• Difficulties related to your sacroiliac joints like overstress or stiffness
• A rotational movement of your foot that is known as pronation
• Being in involved in sports, activities or exercise that call for forward movements/postures of your body
• Injury, trauma or stress in the area surrounding your piriformis muscle
• A combination of weaker abductors and relatively stronger adductors
• Overactive hip flexors and inactivation of gluteal muscles.

There are signs and symptoms that you may have that may be an indication of piriformis syndrome. Some of these are:

• Chronic pain, numbness and tingling in your buttocks and the surrounding area
• Pain that may spread to your lower back, thigh and the back of your calf and get worse with sports activities like running or cycling
• Altered bowel habit
• Pain that gets worse when your sciatic nerve is pressed against in activities like sitting
• Pain when having sexual intercourse.

You or a loved one may have piriformis syndrome. Piriformis syndrome and complications that have resulted from and/or other disabling conditions that you may have along with this disorder may be the reason for you or your loved one’s disability and not being able to work.

Your may need help if this is true. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may be thinking about 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 piriformis syndrome and complications that have resulted from and/or other disabling conditions that you may have along with this disorder. You or your loved one may have already tried this option, and your claim was turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one is considering reapplying or appealing the denial, always remember. People who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer fighting for them.

Please do not hesitate. Contact the disability advocate at Social Security Home, today.

Your eyelid is a thin fold of skin that protects and covers your eye. Your eyelid has the thinnest skin on your body with the exception of the prepuce (fold of skin covering the head of the penis) and the labia minora (lips of the female external genitalia).

It is very important for the front surface of your cornea and eyeball to stay moist. When you are awake, your eyelids do this all-important work for you by sweeping the secretions of your tear gland (lacrimal) apparatus and other glands over the surface at regular intervals. When you are asleep, your eyelids cover your eyes to help prevent evaporation.

Your eyelids allow you to blink. This helps keep dust and dirt out of your eyes. Blinking also helps protect your eyes from injuries that are caused by foreign bodies. Your eyelashes, which are a fringe of short hairs that grow on the edge of your eyelids, serve as a screen that prevents insects and dust particles from getting in your eyes when your eyelids are partially closed.

Blepharitis is a chronic (long-term) disease that causes inflammation of your eyelids. It is a common inflammatory disease. Blepharitis is characterized by your eyelids being inflamed and becoming flaky and scaly.

There are two forms of blepharitis. Posterior blepharitis affects your inner eyelid that contacts your eye. Anterior blepharitis affects the outside front of your eyelid. This is where your eyelashes attach.

There are several different signs and symptoms that are associated with blepharitis. Some of these include:

• Recurrent infections
• Redness of your eye itself
• Gritty (foreign body) feeling
• Swollen or red eyelids
• Watery eyes
• Frothy tears
• Misdirected eyelashes (eyelashes that grow abnormally)
• Dry eyes
• Flakes or crusting on your eye lashes
• Blurred vision
• Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
• Loss of your eyelashes
• Itching
• Burning.

You or a loved one may have blepharitis. Blepharitis and/or complications that have resulted from this disease or other underlying conditions that you have along with it may have brought about you or your loved one’s disability and inability to work.

You may need help if this is your situation. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may have decided to apply 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 blepharitis and/or complications that have resulted from this disease or other underlying conditions that you have along with it. You or your loved one may have already applied, and your claim was turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one intends to reapply or appeal the denial, think about this important fact. The fact is that people who have a disability lawyer in their corner like the one you will find at Social Security Home are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.

Please do not hesitate. This is too important to you or your loved one. Contact us today.

Sacroiliitis is an inflammation of either one or both of your sacroiliac joints that connect your lower spine to your pelvis.  Sacroiliitis occurs when your sacroiliac joint between the sacrum, or base or your spine, and ilium, or pelvic bone, becomes inflamed or infected.

Your sacroiliac joints (SI joints) have a limited range of motion when compared with other major joints in your body, such as your elbow or knee. With sacroiliitis, even the slightest movements of your spine can be extremely uncomfortable or even painful.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is another condition of the sacroiliac joint. It differs from sacroiliitis in that its origin is a disruption in the normal movement of the joint (too much or too little movement in the joint).

Sacroiliitis is a rheumatic disease. This means that it involves pain and inflammation in your joints or muscles.

Many of these rheumatic diseases are not limited to inflammation of your joints. They extend to other organs of your body, such as your lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, heart, skin, eyes and your nervous system.

There are several different things that can cause sacroiliitis. Some of these causes are:

• Spondyloarthropathies, which include ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis that is associated with psoriasis and others
• Pregnancy can also cause sacroiliitis because the pelvis has to stretch to enable childbirth
• Heavy lifting, if your muscles are not properly prepared or you lift incorrectly
• Infection of your sacroiliac joint that can be caused by bacteria in your food
• Osteoarthritis of your spine
• A sudden impact or traumatic injury like a fall or car accident.

There are several ways that you may be affected by sacroiliitis. These include:

• Inflammation in one or both of your eyes
• Psoriasis, which is an inflammation of your skin
• Pain that affects your shoulders and hips
• Diarrhea that is bloody
• Stiffness and pain in your lower back, buttocks or thighs, especially when you have been sitting for long periods of time or when you get up in the morning
• A low-grade fever that appears quickly
• Pain that gets worse when you walk.

Sacroiliitis may be the reason that you or a loved one is unable to work. It may be the cause of your disability.

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

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

You or your loved one may appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, consider this.

You may need a disability lawyer like the one at Social Security Home to represent you in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people without a lawyer.

Your kidneys filter extra fluid and waste from your body. Interstitial nephritis reduces your kidneys ability to filter the way that they should.

Interstitial nephritis is also known by other names. It is also called tubulointerstitial nephritis; nephritis – interstitial; and, acute interstitial (allergic) nephritis.

Interstitial nephritis can be acute or temporary. It can also be chronic and get worse over time. The acute form is common in the United States. Interstitial nephritis is likely to be more severe and lead to chronic or permanent kidney damage in elderly people.

The acute form of interstitial nephritis is usually caused by an allergic reaction to drugs that you are taking for other conditions. In fact, anywhere from 71 to 92% of the cases are reported to be caused by allergic reaction to drugs.

It can be a side effect of certain antibiotics like penicillin, methicillin, ampicillin and sulfonamide medications. It can also be a side effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), furosemide and thiazide diuretics.

Infection and autoimmune diseases like lupus also cause interstitial nephritis. Analgesic nephropathy can cause this condition. Toxins that damage your kidneys are another cause of this disorder.

At times there are no signs or symptoms of interstitial nephritis, but when they do occur they are widely varied and can occur rapidly or gradually. When it is caused by allergic drug reaction, you may have effects like fever, rash and enlarged kidneys.

With chronic interstitial nephritis you may have nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weight loss. You may also be affected by painful urination and lower back pain. Other possible signs and symptoms that you may experience are:

• Blood in your urine
• Weight gain from retaining fluid
• Swelling in any area of your body.

You or a loved one may have interstitial nephritis. This disorder and conditions that have caused or resulted from it may be why you or your loved one is disabled.

If this is the case, you or your loved one may need assistance. You may need financial aid.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, think about this.

You or your loved one will need an established disability lawyer like the one you will find at Social Security Home to counsel and guide you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason why this is true is because people who have an experienced disability attorney on their side are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Colitis is a general term that refers to several diseases. As a result, there are several types of colitis. Some of these are:

• Pseudomembranous colitis
• Crohn’s disease (regional enteritis)
• Ulcerative colitis
• Ischemic colitis
• Necrotizing enterocolitis
• Cryptosporidium enterocolitis
• CMV colitis (a viral infection of the colon)
• Fulminant colitis.

You may have a wide range of signs and symptoms with colitis, according to the cause and type of colitis that you have. Some of the ways that you may be affected by colitis include:

• Pain
• Fever
• Bleeding
• Tenderness of your abdomen
• Swelling of your colon tissue
• Redness of the surface of your colon
• Blood in your stool
• Rectal bleeding
• Aches and pains in your joints
• Rapid weight loss
• Ulcerations of your colon.

There are several more serious effects to watch for. Some of these are:

• Signs of dehydration like excessive thirst, little or no urination and dry mouth
• Severe rectal or abdominal pain
• Fever with diarrhea
• Pain from the area of your belly moving to your lower right abdomen
• Progressively looser bowel movements
• Blood or mucus in your stool
• When more than one person who has shared food with you begins to show signs and symptoms like yours
• Diarrhea lasting more than three days
• Frequent loose bowel movements during pregnancy.

You or a loved one may have colitis. Colitis and/or complications resulting from it may be why you or your loved one cannot work. It may be the cause of your disability.

As a result, you or your love one may be in need of assistance. You may be in need of financial assistance.

Where will you get the financial help that you need? Where will it come from? Who can you turn to?

You or your loved one may have applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by colitis and/or complications resulting from colitis. What will you do if you were denied?

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 or your loved one may need a disability attorney like the one you will find at here 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.

Your sinuses are found between and behind your eyes, at the back of your nasal cavity and on both sides of you nose in your cheeks. You have four pairs of sinuses, or a total of eight.

Your sinuses, like the inside of your nose, are lined with a thin, moist layer of tissue that is known as a mucous membrane. As you would guess, the mucous membrane produces mucous. This is the sticky, green stuff in your nose. Your mucous membranes also moisten air as you breathe it in.

Sinusitis, or sinus infection, is a disease where your nasal passages and sinuses become inflamed. Sinusitis can be either acute or chronic. Acute sinusitis refers to a sudden onset of the inflammation. Chronic sinusitis is when this infection is a long term, ongoing problem. This article will deal with this form of the disease.

Chronic sinusitis is a common problem in the United States. It is the fifth most common disease that is treated with antibiotics. Chronic sinusitis is a problem for about 32 million people in the United States each year. It is the reason for over 11.5 million doctor visits each year.

There are several, different signs and symptoms that you may have with chronic sinusitis. Some of these are:

• Aching in your teeth and upper jaw
• Halitosis (bad breath)
• A reduced sense of taste and smell
• Nausea
• Drainage of a thick, greenish or yellow discharge from your nose or that goes down the back of your throat
• Irritability or fatigue
• A problem with breathing through your nose because of congestion or nasal obstruction
• A cough that may be worse at night
• Sore throat
• Ear pain
• Tenderness, swelling and pain around your nose, forehead, eyes or cheeks
• A headache
• Throbbing facial pain.

You or a loved one may have chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with this disease may be why you are disabled and unable to work.

As a result, you may need help. You may need financial assistance.

You or your loved one may have 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 chronic sinusitis and/or complications resulting from or other conditions along with this disease. Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one appeals the denial by the Social Security Administration, always remember. People who have a disability lawyer are approved more often than people who do not have a disability attorney representing them.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Almost 21 million people in America suffer with osteoarthritis. This medical condition accounts for 25% of all the visits to the doctor’s office, and 50% of all non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions.

There are two types of osteoarthritis, primary and secondary.  Primary osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disorder that is related to aging, but is not caused by aging.  There are people well into their nineties who have no functional or clinical signs of the disease.  Secondary osteoarthritis is caused by other diseases or factors, but the medical results are the same as for primary osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is also characterized by the destruction or decrease of synovial fluid that lubricates those joints. As the bone surfaces become less well protected by cartilage, you experience pain upon weight bearing, including standing and walking. Since there is less movement because of the pain, your ligaments may become more lax and regional muscles may atrophy.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is also known by other names. It is also referred to as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease.

The primary sign or symptom of osteoarthritis is chronic pain that causes loss of mobility and possibly stiffness. The pain is usually a sharp ache or a burning sensation in your surrounding muscles and tendons.

Osteoarthritis can cause a crackling noise (called “crepitus”) when your affected joint is touched or moved, and you may experience contractions in your tendons and muscle spasm. Sometimes, your joints fill with fluid. Humid weather increases the pain in many people. Theoretically, any joint in your body can be affected, but osteoarthritis usually affects your hands, feet, knees, hips and spine.

Osteoarthritis may be the reason that you or a loved one is unable to work. This condition may be the cause of you or your loved one’s disability.

If this is the case, do you or your loved one need help? Do you need financial help?

Where will that financial assistance come from? Who can you turn to? Who 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 osteoarthritis? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

You or your loved one may need a disability lawyer like the one you can find here to help you in this process. This is true because people who are represented by a dependable disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

It is a type of inflammatory muscle disease. Dermatomyositis is one of a group of conditions called inflammatory myopathies. Myopathies are abnormal conditions or diseases of your muscles.

“Derma” means skin. “Myo” means “muscles” in Greek. “Itis” means “inflamed.” When you put this together you see that dermatomyositis is muscle inflammation that is accompanied by skin-related problems.

Dermatomyositis can develop at any age. Usually, it affects children between 5 and 15 years of age or adults in their late 40s to early 60s. Women are more likely to have dermatomyositis than men. Dermatomyositis is a disease that usually develops over a period of weeks or months.

Dermatomyositis may affect you by causing:

• Progressive muscle weakness – This happens usually in your thighs, hips, upper arms, shoulders and neck. These are the muscles closest to your torso or trunk. This muscle weakness is symmetrical. It affects both the right and left sides of your body.
• A dusky red or violet-colored rash – This is usually on your knees, around your nails, knuckles, elbows, back, chest, face and eyelids. These areas are usually more sensitive to exposure to the sun.

There are other ways that dermatomyositis may affect you. These include:

• Fever, weight loss and fatigue
• Gastrointestinal infections and ulcers (more in children)
• Hardened calcium deposits under your skin (also more common in children)
• Dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing)
• Muscle tenderness or pain
• Lung problems

The muscle weakness and skin rash usually develop at the same time. Sometimes, however, the skin rash may begin a few weeks before the muscle weakness. Your skin may become hard and thick like scleroderma in some children with dermatomyositis.

The condition is called sclerodermatomyositis when this occurs. The weakness in your muscles can cause you to have problems climbing stairs, in getting out of chairs, working with your arms over your head, holding your head up or brushing your hair.

Dermatomyositis and/or complications resulting from or along with it may be the reason why you or a loved one is unable to work. It may be the cause of your disability.

You or your loved one may need assistance. You may need financial help.

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 dermatomyositis and/or complications resulting from or along with this 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, 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 do not have a lawyer.