How Can You File for Disability with Sarcoidosis?
If you have been suffering from sarcoidosis and your condition has lasted for at least 12 months, you should consider applying for disability benefits. To qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you must have worked and paid into the system for a certain number of years.
If you have not worked for at least five years, you may still qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These benefits can provide you with much-needed financial assistance as you cope with your sarcoidosis.
While it is possible to receive Social Security disability for Sarcoidosis, there is no specific listing for the condition in the SSA’s Blue Book. This means that you will not automatically qualify for benefits based on your diagnosis. Instead, the SSA will consider your individual case and make a determination based on the severity of your symptoms and how they affect your ability to work.
What is Sarcoidosis?
Sarcoidosis, commonly known as Besnier Boeck disease, is an immune disorder that can affect any organ in the body. People who suffer from this disability experience granulomas, which are microscopic bumps or lesions that form when the body’s immune system attacks its own cells. These granulomas can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including:
-Coughing
-Chest pain
-Shortness of breath
-Fatigue
-Fever
Sarcoidosis causes these granulomas to enlarge until they begin to affect the proper functioning of the immune system. The organs begin to function slowly, causing scarring of organs and tissues.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sarcoidosis?
The symptoms of this impairment can vary among different patients. Most often, sarcoidosis occurs in the lungs. The granulomas cause shortening of breath thereby leading to excessive pain. Some people might experience weakness in the heart. Sarcoidosis might also attack the brain or the spinal cord, which would lead to paralysis.
The condition is not diagnosed easily and may even take years to diagnose correctly. X-rays are used to diagnose this problem in people who are experiencing a weakening of the lungs. Proper medical treatment is required to rectify this disorder. While there is no cure for this disease, medical therapy can bring patients some relief.
Sarcoidosis can cause permanent scarring to vital organs, which can be devastating for the patient. Sarcoidosis long-term disability is often caused by scarring of an infected organ.
People often work for many months even after suffering from this disability. However, as the disability progresses, the patient will eventually be unable to perform any substantial gainful activity. After that, they can apply for disability for Sarcoidosis in the form of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
One of the parameters that must always be taken into consideration while applying for Sarcoidosis disability benefits is that the applicant must have a diagnosis report. The Disability Determination Services (DDS) who works with Social Security to approve or deny benefits gives more weight to medical reports prepared by a healthcare specialist.
What Happens When Sarcoidosis Affects the Different Organs in a Body?
Lungs: When sarcoidosis affects the lungs, it can cause chronic pulmonary (COPD) insufficiency. Sometimes, this disorder can also cause bacterial and fungal infections. This leads to mycobacterial or bronchiectasis or Mycotic lung infections. To prove this diagnosis, you need to have a report specifying that your lungs are not functioning effectively.
Skin: When this impairment affects the skin, it can lead to different skin disorders such as scaly or dry skin. To be eligible for benefits, you must show that you are suffering from large skin lesions for an extended time. The lesions must be severe enough to interfere with your work or daily activities.
Eyes: When sarcoidosis affects the eyes, it can cause vision loss. This happens when the granulomas attack the optic nerve. To be approved for benefits, you need to have a detailed report from an ophthalmologist specifying the extent of your vision loss.
The process of getting disability benefits for this disease might be a complicated task. To make the entire process easier, you can seek guidance from a Social Security Disability Attorney. They know the entire legal process and what evidence is required to prove your disability to the Social Security Administration (SSA).