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Archive for the ‘Impairments that Affect Multiple Body Systems’ Category

Neapolitan Fever and Social Security Disability

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

Neapolitan fever is a serious infectious disease. Neapolitan fever results from one of four different species of bacteria that are a part of the genus Brucella.

Neapolitan fever may be local. If it is, it affects only a certain part of your body. However, Neapolitan fever can be extremely dangerous because it can have serious widespread complications that involve different organ systems in your body. This may include your central nervous system.

Neapolitan fever is usually a short-term (acute) disease. However, it may also be long-term (chronic) with long lasting complications.

Neapolitan fever is referred to in several other ways. It is also known as Maltese fever, brucellosis, undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, Bang’s disease, Crimean fever, Cyprus fever, Gibraltar fever, brucellemia, goat fever, rock fever, brucelliasis and melitococcosis.

Neapolitan fever is a disease that afflicts hundreds of thousands of animals and people every year in Mediterranean countries and other parts of the world. Neapolitan fever is not common in the United States. Somewhere around 100 to 200 cases of this disease are reported each year in the United States.

How Neapolitan Fever spreads

Neapolitan fever is a disease that involves many different wild and domestic animals. There are at least six strains of bacteria that lead to this disease in animals, but not all of these strains result in Neapolitan fever in humans. Neapolitan fever spreads from animals to people in three different ways. They are:

  • Ÿ  Eating raw dairy products that come from infected animals or eating raw or  undercooked meat that comes from an infected animal
  • Ÿ  Inhaling the brucella bacteria in the air
  • Ÿ  Direct contact with infected animals by way of a wound or cut that you have on your body.

 

The signs and symptoms of Neapolitan fever

It may begin anywhere from a matter of days to a few months after you have been infected with the brucella bacteria. There are several different signs and symptoms that you may experience, which may be an indication of Neapolitan fever. Some of these may include:

 

  • Ÿ  An undulating fever ( a fever that keeps rising and falling)
  • Ÿ  Chills
  • Ÿ  Sweats
  • Ÿ  Weakness
  • Ÿ  Fatigue
  • Ÿ  Headache
  • Ÿ  Joint, muscle and back pain.

The signs and symptoms that you have with Neapolitan fever may go away for weeks or months. Then they may come back again.

Neapolitan fever signs and symptoms

If you are afflicted with chronic Neapolitan fever, you may experience additional signs and symptoms. Some of these are:

  •  Ÿ Fevers
  • Ÿ  Chronic fatigue
  • Ÿ  Arthritis
  • Ÿ  Spondylitis (an inflammatory type of arthritis that affects your spine and joints that are near by)

Your doctor will likely do a physical exam, ask about your signs and symptoms and whether you have come in contact with animals, recently, in order to diagnose your Neapolitan fever. Your doctor may also ask you about what you have eaten over the past few weeks and months. Your doctor will probably test your blood or bone marrow for the brucella bacteria or antibodies to the bacteria in order for the diagnosis of Neapolitan fever to be confirmed.

Is the reason why you cannot work due to disability that has occurred as a result of Neapolitan fever and/or complications that have developed from it or other underlying conditions that you have in conjunction with this disease? As a result of your disability, have you tried to get financial help?

Have you put in a claim for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? Has the Social Security Administration turned down  your claim?

If you have been thinking about reapplying or appealing your denial, the attorney at disabilitycasereview.com can be of great help to you. The disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com knows how to get the job done.

 

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Chest Discomfort and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Thursday, July 19th, 2012

It could happen at any time. It may occur in the middle of a busy workday. It may take place in the middle of the night. All of a sudden, you begin to experience chest discomfort. You hope that it stops; or you try to ignore it, but it will not go away.

What do you do now? What can you do? What should you do?

One of the most frightening things you can ever have is chest discomfort. You may start to think, “Am I having a heart attack? What should I do? Should I call 911? Should I go to the emergency room at the hospital? Should I wait awhile and see if it goes away?”

Chest discomfort is one of the main reasons why people go to the hospital emergency room. Each year, in the United States, millions of people are evaluated and treated by emergency room doctors because of chest discomfort.

Chest discomfort is a condition that should always be taken with great seriousness. It may be extremely deadly and dangerous to ignore chest discomfort and not do anything about it.

It may be comforting to know that chest discomfort is not always a sign or indication of an approaching heart attack. In many instances, your chest discomfort may not be related to any kind of heart problem. However, even when your chest discomfort is not related to your heart, it may still be an indication of a serious medical problem.

The effects produced by chest discomfort are different according to what is responsible for it. If your chest discomfort is related to your heart, it may be a sign of:

  • Ÿ  Angina, which can cause recurrent episodes of chest discomfort
  • Ÿ  Aortic dissection, which may cause a sudden, tearing chest discomfort, as well as back discomfort
  • Ÿ  Coronary artery spasm that produces varying degrees of chest discomfort
  • Ÿ  Pericarditis, which causes a sharp, piercing centralized chest discomfort
  • Ÿ  A heart attack that causes pressure, fullness or a crushing chest discomfort that lasts longer than a few minutes.

Non-heart related chest discomfort may be a sign or symptom of:

  • Ÿ  A panic attack, which causes chest discomfort, as well as rapid heartbeat and breathing, profuse sweating, intense fear and shortness of breath
  • Ÿ  Pancreas or gallbladder problems that cause abdominal pain that radiates (moves) to your chest
  • Ÿ  Sore muscles that usually produce chest discomfort when you raise your arms or twist from side to side
  • Ÿ  Shingles, which can cause a sharp, burning chest discomfort
  • Ÿ  Esophageal spasms
  • Ÿ  Pinched nerves or injured ribs
  • Ÿ  Pleurisy, which produces a sharp, localized chest discomfort that gets worse when you inhale or cough
  • Ÿ  Achalasia (a food disorder that causes food to back up into your esophagus)
  • Ÿ  Costochondritis (a type of arthritis that affects your breastbone and causes sharp, localized chest discomfort)
  • Ÿ  Pulmonary embolism, which causes a sharp, sudden chest pain that gets worse when you take a deep breath or cough
  • Ÿ  Heartburn.

Are you disabled and cannot work as a result of complications that have been brought about by whatever the underlying condition or disorder is that is causing your chest discomfort? If this is the case, are you in need of financial aid?

Are you planning on filing a request for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration? Have you already applied and been turned down by the Social Security Administration?

If you are intending to appeal your denial or reapply, you need to seriously consider being represented by the disability lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com. The disability lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com knows how to work with the Social Security Administration and can get you all of the disability benefits that you have coming to you.

Do not put this off. Check out disabilitycasereview.com, today.

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Mosquito Virus Breakbone Fever and Getting Social Security

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Breakbone fever is a disease that may range in severity from being anywhere from mild to severe. Breakbone fever is a virus-based disease that is spread by mosquitoes.

When it is mild, breakbone fever is evidenced by muscle and joint pain, rash and high fever. Breakbone shock syndrome and breakbone hemorrhagic fever are more severe types of the disease. They are marked by a sudden drop in your blood pressure and severe bleeding.

Breakbone fever is referred to by several other names. It is also known as dandy fever, seven day fever, dengue type, dengue fever, dengue-like fever, o’nyong-nyong fever and duengero.

Breakbone fever is an extremely common problem all over the world. There are more than 100 million cases of breakbone fever that take place each year around the world. In the vast majority of instances, breakbone fever occurs in tropical and urban subtropical areas of the world.

Breakbone fever is extremely rare in the United States. Cases of the disease have been noted in Florida, Hawaii and Texas, in areas along the border with Mexico. However, in most instances, the cases of breakbone fever are brought in from other countries to the United States. Primary places where breakbone fever is likely to occur include:

  • Ÿ  Southeast Asia
  • Ÿ  Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Ÿ  Central and South America
  • Ÿ  Indonesian archipelago into northeastern Australia.

Breakbone fever is brought about by any one of four dengue viruses that are spread by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. For this reason, due to the fact that breakbone fever is the result of four different dengue viruses, you may contract the disease more than once. However, once you have an episode of breakbone fever, you become immune to that particular virus that caused it for the rest of your life.

Breakbone fever usually starts with a fever that comes on suddenly. This fever may reach as high as 104 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Somewhere around 2 to 5 days after your fever begins, a flat, red rash starts to show up over nearly all of your body. Then, later on in breakbone fever, a second rash may appear that resembles the measles. You may also experience an increase in the sensitivity of your skin, and you may become extremely uncomfortable.

There are several other signs and symptoms that you may have with breakbone fever. Some of these signs and symptoms are:

  1. Ÿ  The development of small red or purple blisters underneath your skin
  2. Ÿ  The soles of your feet and the palms of your hands becoming red
  3. Ÿ  Your gums bleeding
  4. Ÿ  A tendency to bruise easily
  5. Ÿ  Joint aches and pains
  6. Ÿ  Muscle aches and pains
  7. Ÿ  Having stools that are black
  8. Ÿ  Headache that you feel, especially behind your eyes
  9. Ÿ  Bleeding that occurs in your nose
  10. Ÿ  Swollen lymph glands
  11. Ÿ  Vomiting
  12. Ÿ  Fatigue
  13. Ÿ  Exhaustion
  14. Ÿ  Severe pain behind your eyes.

The diagnosis of breakbone fever is based on your signs and symptoms, the fact that you may have recently traveled to areas where the disease is prevalent and some diagnostic tests.

 

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Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and Getting Benefits

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

Your thoracic outlet is an area that is located at the top of your rib cage. It lies between your chest and your neck. Bodily structures that include your trachea, esophagus and blood vessels and nerves that go to your neck and arm region run through your thoracic outlet. Your thoracic outlet contains a network of nerves that goes to your arms (brachial plexus), clavicle (collar bone), the arteries that are under your collar bone (subclavian artery) that provide blood to your arms and your first rib.

Thoracic outlet syndrome refers to a group of conditions that occur when your nerves or blood vessels in your thoracic outlet become compressed (pressed together or squeezed). Thoracic outlet syndrome is characterized by abnormal nerve sensations and pain in your shoulder, neck, hand and/or arm.

Thoracic outlet syndrome may develop in anyone at any time. However, it occurs most often in women who are between the ages of 35 and 55.

As mentioned above, thoracic outlet syndrome develops as a result of your nerves and blood vessels in your thoracic outlet being squeezed or pressed together (compressed). There are several things that can cause this compression. Some of these are:

  • Ÿ  A traumatic event, such as a car accident
  • Ÿ  Pregnancy, because it can cause your joints to loosen
  • Ÿ  Structural defects that you inherit, which are congenital (present at birth), such as an abnormally tight fibrous band that connects your rib to your spine or a cervical rib (an extra rib that is located above your first rib)
  • Ÿ  Pressure that is placed on your joints from things like carrying a backpack or an oversized bag
  • Ÿ  Pressure that is place on your joints from being obese
  • Ÿ  Poor posture, such as holding your head in a forward position or drooping your shoulders
  • Ÿ  Any repetitive activity where you have to do the same thing over and over.

There are three basic kinds of thoracic outlet syndrome. They are neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome, vascular thoracic outlet syndrome and nonspecific-type thoracic syndrome. If you have been diagnosed with some form of thoracic outlet syndrome, you might like to find out whether you could get some kind of social security disability benefits like SSDI or SSI. A good thing to do is to turn to one of the social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com. The social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com will let you know if you are eligible for disability benefits.

The signs and symptoms that you experience with thoracic outlet syndrome will be determined by the type that you have and which of the structures in your thoracic outlet are being compressed. In general, possible signs and symptoms include:

  • Ÿ  Weakness in the muscles of your hands
  • Ÿ  Numbness, tingling and pain in your little finger, ring finger and inner forearm
  • Ÿ  Poor circulation in your forearm or hand as evidenced by having cold hands, a swollen arm or a bluish color
  • Ÿ  Tingling and pain in your shoulders and neck that may get worse if you carry something that is heavy.

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Occupational Overuse Syndrome

Thursday, March 8th, 2012

Occupational overuse syndrome is a term that refers to any of a loose cluster of medical conditions that are a result of the overuse of some type of tool or instrument. An example of this could be a knife, computer or guitar. The truth is that occupational overuse syndrome may come from anything that will cause you to have to make repeated movements.

Occupational overuse syndrome is a disorder that affects the nerves, muscles and tendons that are located in your upper back, arms and hands.  This is a medically accepted disorder that is characterized by muscles in these parts of your body being kept tense for extremely long periods of time, which is the product of repetitive motions and/or poor posture.

Occupational overuse syndrome is referred to in several other ways. This disorder is also known as cumulative trauma disorder, repetitive stress injury (RSI), repetitive strain injury or work related upper limb disorder (WRULD).

The people who are most at risk for acquiring this syndrome are those whose job requires them to make the same repeated movements over a long period of time. It develops most of the time in assembly line workers, guitarists or computer workers.

You may believe that occupational overuse syndrome is not really a serious disorder. Your may think that it is no more than a minor nuisance. However, it is no small, laughing matter.

Consider this, occupational overuse syndrome is the disorder that is the reason for 34% of all lost-workday illness and injury. The annual cost caused by occupational overuse syndrome is $20 billion a year. It has also been estimated that $50 billion is lost by businesses every year because of medical costs, decreased productivity and sick leave that have all been linked to it.

As has already been stated, occupational overuse syndrome is the result of making repeated motions over a long, extended period of time. Psychological and social factors may also play a role in contributing to the occurrence of this syndrome. In fact, instead of just having a part in leading to this disorder, some researchers believe that stress is the principle cause of a large number of pain signs and symptoms that have usually been attributed to the disorder.

There are some risk factors that may increase your likelihood of developing occupational overuse syndrome. Some of these are:

  • Awkward work movements and postures
  • Repetitive movement
  • Workstations or equipment that are poorly designed

There are several different signs and symptoms that you may have, which may be an indication of occupational overuse syndrome. Some of these may include:

  • Pain or soreness that recurs in your neck, upper back, shoulders, hands or wrist
  • Weakness, a loss of gripping strength and a lack of endurance
  • Pain or numbness when you are lying in bed
  • The muscles in your shoulders and arms feeling wiry and hard to the touch
  • A loss of sensation, tingling, coldness or numbness in your affected area
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Myelodysplastic Syndromes and Getting Social Security

Thursday, February 9th, 2012
BONE MARROW: THERAPY-RELATED MYELODYSPLASTIC S...

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Myelodysplastic syndromes, as the name implies, are not one disease. Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders that are evidenced by your bone marrow not producing enough healthy blood cells.

Myelodysplastic syndromes are diseases that affect your bone marrow and blood. When your bone marrow is functioning like it should, it produces cells that are immature (blood stem cells) that go on to become mature blood cells with the passage of time. You may have been diagnosed with one of the myelodysplastic syndromes. As a result, you may meet the requirements for social security disability benefits like SSDI or SSI. The thing to do is to turn to one of the social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com to check this out. The social security lawyers at disabilitycasereview.com know about what it takes to get disability benefits.

Your blood stem cells may become either a lymphoid stem cell or a myeloid stem cell. If your blood stem cell develops into a lymphoid stem cell, it will eventually become a white blood cell.

Myeloid stem cells may go on to become any one of three kinds of mature blood cells. They may develop into:

Ÿ  White blood cells, which fight against disease and infection

Ÿ  Platelets, which work to stop bleeding by leading to the formation of blood clots

Ÿ  Red blood cells, which transport oxygen and other nutrients to all of the tissues of your body.

Myelodysplastic syndromes are marked by your blood stem cells failing to become mature, healthy platelets, white blood cells or red blood cells. The blood stem cells that do not mature are known as blasts.

These blasts do not work in the way normal, healthy blood cells do. They either die soon after they get into your blood or while they are still in your bone marrow. What this results in is less space for red blood cells, platelets and white blood cells that are mature and healthy to form in your bone marrow. This, in turn, may lead to things like anemia, easy bleeding or infection.

There are several kinds of myelodysplastic syndromes. Each one of these types of the disease is characterized by not having enough kinds of healthy blood cells in your blood or bone marrow.

Myelodysplastic syndromes are caused when something occurs that disrupts the proper making of blood cells in your body. In some cases there is no known cause for myelodysplastic syndromes. In other instances, these diseases result from chemical exposure or treatments for cancer like radiation and chemotherapy.

There are some risk factors that may increase your likelihood of being afflicted with myelodysplastic syndromes. Some of these include:

Ÿ  Being male

Ÿ  Exposure to heavy metals

Ÿ  Being over the age of 60

Ÿ  Exposure to certain chemicals

Ÿ  Treatment with radiation or chemotherapy.

There are several signs and symptoms that myelodysplastic syndromes may cause. Some of these are:

Ÿ  Getting infections frequently

Ÿ  Fatigue

Ÿ  Petechiae (pinpoint-sized red spots right beneath your skin that result from bleeding)

Ÿ  Shortness of breath

Ÿ  Bruising or bleeding easily

Ÿ  A pale appearance due to anemia

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Fanconi Renal Tubular Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability

Saturday, November 5th, 2011

Fanconi renal tubular syndrome refers to a group of kidney problems that are due to a variety of seemingly unrelated disorders. These kidney difficulties lead to thirst and excessive urine production. This brings about deficits of potassium, calcium, magnesium, water and other substances in your body. This, in turn, may cause stunted growth and bone disease.

When your kidneys function in the way that they ought to, they maintain your blood’s acidity, water and salt in balance, and they cleanse your blood. The acidity, water and salt that your body does not require is placed into urine. This is so that it may get out of your body. The water, salt and acidity that your body has to have is left behind in your blood.

This essential work of your kidneys is performed in two steps. First, your blood is filtered through a kidney structure that contains small holes that enable the large molecules and cells to stay in your blood. Second, some of the small molecules in the filtrate that your body has to have are reabsorbed and placed back into your bloodstream.

Fanconi renal tubular syndrome is marked by a defect in this second step of reabsorption. As a result, substances that are supposed to be reabsorbed, such as phosphate, calcium, bicarbonate, glucose, potassium, magnesium, small proteins and water are lost. What this results in is your body becoming overly acidic.

Fanconi renal tubular syndrome can be the result of genetic defects. This syndrome may  also be brought about by different environmental elements.

Fanconi renal tubular syndrome may also be caused by several genetic disorders. Some of these are:

  • Tyrosinemia
  • Wilson disease
  • Lowe syndrome
  • Galactosemia
  • glycogen storage disease
  • Medullary cystic disease
  • Hereditary fructose intolerance.

There are also several environmental factors that may lead to Fanconi renal tubular syndrome. Some of these include:

Ÿ  Exposure to heavy metals like uranium, mercury, lead, cadmium and platinum

Ÿ  Exposure to substances, such as toluene, the amino acid lysine when taken as a nutritional supplement, paraquat and Lysol

Ÿ  Kidney transplantation

Ÿ  Certain drugs like outdated tetracycline and gentamicin.

There are several signs and symptoms that you may have, which may be an indication of Fanconi renal tubular syndrome. Some of these are:

  • A decrease in the levels of calcium and phosphate in your blood, along with excessive blood acidity and increased levels of chloride in your blood
  • Anorexia nervosa (eating disorder)
  • Vomiting
  • An increase in the levels of phosphate, calcium, glucose, uric acid, amino acids and protein in your urine
  • An excessive amount of urination and urine being produced
  • Dehydration
  • An excessive amount of thirst

You may have been diagnosed with Fanconi renal tubular syndrome. If this is your situation, you may qualify to receive social security disability benefits like SSI or SSDI. A smart move on your part would be to consult one of the social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com about this. The social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com are standing ready to help you receive the disability benefits that are rightfully yours.

 

 

 

 

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Developmental Reading Disorder and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

One of the most important skills that anyone can come to possess is the ability to read. In many different areas of life and learning, reading is a skill that is necessary and basic.

Developmental reading disorder is an impairment in your brain’s capacity to translate written images that are taken in by your eyes into meaningful language. Developmental reading disorder is a learning disability that may hinder your ability to read, spell, write and sometimes speak. If you have been diagnosed with developmental reading disorder, you may meet the requirements for obtaining social security disability benefits like SSDI or SSI. The SSI and SSDI attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com are the ones who can help determine this. Do not delay or put this off. Contact disabilitycasereview.com, today.

Developmental reading disorder is referred to in other ways. It is also known as specific reading disability and dyslexia.

There are different types of developmental reading disorder. Some of these are:

  • Primary developmental reading disorder – This form of the disorder is marked by a dysfunction of the left side of your brain (your cerebral cortex).
  • Secondary developmental reading disorder – This type of the disorder is believed  to be brought about by hormonal development in the early stages of fetal development.
  • Trauma developmental reading disorder – This kind of the disorder is usually the result of some type of trauma or brain injury to the part of your brain that controls reading and writing.

Developmental reading disorder is a common condition in the United States. It is estimated to affect somewhere around 2 to 30% of the general population of the United States. The most accepted estimate for this disorder is about 10%.

As just mentioned above, trauma developmental reading disorder is brought about by some kind of trauma or brain injury to that part of your brain that controls reading and writing. The other types of developmental reading disorder look as if they are caused by a malfunction in certain parts of your brain that have control of language. It is also possible that genetics (heredity) may have a part in leading to developmental reading disorder due to the fact that the disorder frequently runs in families.

There are several different signs and symptoms that may indicate that you have developmental reading disorder. Some of these include:

  • Reading at a level that is well below your expected level
  • Seeing letters or words in reverse when you read
  • Having problems processing and understanding what you are hearing
  • Having difficulty with spelling
  • Having problems with rhyming
  • Having problems with remembering the sequence of things
  • Not having the ability to sound out the pronunciation of an unfamiliar word
  • Having difficulty following more than one command at a time
  • Having trouble hearing and seeing similarities and differences in the letters and words that you look at
  • Having problems with learning a foreign language
  • Having difficulty with comprehending and understanding instructions that are given fast
  • Having problems determining the meaning (content, idea) of a simple sentence.

 

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Degenerative Spine Disease and Receiving SSDI or SSI Disability

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
receiving social security because of degenerative spine disease

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When it comes to degenerative spine disease, there is a good deal of misunderstanding and confusion about what it is. Some of the confusion centers around the fact that degenerative spine disease sounds like a disease that gets progressively worse. However, the term, “degenerative spine disease,” is really a misnomer.

The word degenerative carries with it the idea that something is going to get worse as time goes by. This would mean that degenerative spine disease would get progressively worse with the passage of time. However, the pain that comes as a result of degenerative spine disease often times gets better instead of worse as time goes by.

Also, degenerative spine disease is not really a disease, but rather a condition that at times can produce pain from damage to your spine. Finally, there is misunderstanding and confusion concerning degenerative spine disease due to the fact that medical professionals do not agree on what does or does not constitute a diagnosis of degenerative spine disease.  Because of these few factors, it is a smart choice to enlist the help of a SSI or SSDI disability lawyer when choosing to file for disability.  An attorney can work with you to strengthen your case and give your disability the validity it deserves.

Your spinal discs are soft, compressible discs that function to separate the interlocking bones that compose your spine. These discs work in a way that is similar to shock absorbers for your spine. These discs enable your spine to flex, bend or twist.

As you grow older, these discs experience wear and tear, or they deteriorate. This is something that takes place in all of us as we age, but not everyone experiences pain along their spine with the deterioration of these spinal discs.

Degenerative spine disease may occur at any point along your spine. However, usually, this condition takes place in your neck (cervical region) or lower back (lumbar region).

As mentioned above, degenerative spine disease is a part of the aging process as you grow older. In fact, it has been said that degenerative spine disease is as sure as death and taxes, but, again, not everyone has pain with these degenerative changes in the spine.

The signs and symptoms that result from degenerative spine disease usually consist of neck pain or lower back pain, but it is not the same in everyone. Some people experience no pain, while other people with the same degree of spine damage have to endure severe pain that greatly affects and hinders their daily activities.

The location of the pain that you have with degenerative spine disease depends on where your affected disc is. For example, If you have a disc that is deteriorating in your neck, you may have pain in your arm or neck. If the disc that is affected is in your lower back, you may experience pain in your buttocks, leg or back.

The pain that you experience with degenerative spine disease, many times, becomes much more intense when you twist, bend over or reach up.  It is also possible that you may have numbness or tingling in your leg or arm with degenerative spine disease. The effects of degenerative spine disease and/or complications that develop from it can be disabling and debilitating.

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Barbeau’s Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

Muscular dystrophy is a term that is used to designate a group of hereditary, genetic muscle diseases. These diseases lead to progressive muscle weakness in the muscles that enable you to move.

Muscular dystrophy means that you have missing or incorrect information in your genes. There are certain proteins that you need in order to have healthy muscles. Muscular dystrophy keeps these proteins from being produced. Muscular dystrophy is something that you inherit from your parents. It is not contagious. You cannot “catch it” from someone who has it.

Muscular dystrophy causes your muscles to get weak over time. People who are afflicted with muscular dystrophy may gradually lose the ability to do things that most of us take for granted like walking or sitting up. These problems that are caused by muscular dystrophy can begin at birth or shortly after. However, they can also take place later on in childhood, adolescence or adulthood.

There are several different forms of muscular dystrophy that affect different muscle groups in different ways. Barbeau’s disease is one of the kinds of muscular dystrophy.

Barbeau’s disease is usually an adult form of the disease. The onset of Barbeau’s disease is usually when you are in your 40s or 50s. It can even occur up to around the age of 70.

Little was known about what causes any kind of muscular dystrophy until the 1980s. Then, researchers found out that it is caused by a mutated (defective) gene. There is an insufficient amount of dystrophin because of the defective gene. Dystrophin is a protein that aids in keeping your muscle cells intact. In the case of Barbeau’s disease, there is a faulty gene that is believed to make extra chemical material that causes the development of clumps in your muscle cells.

Barbeau’s disease progresses slowly. The first sign or symptom of Barbeau’s disease is usually muscle weakness of your throat and eyelids. You may have difficulty swallowing. Your may have trouble keeping your eyes open or with drooping eyelids.

As Barbeau’s disease advances, you may have other signs and symptoms. Some of these include:

  • Characteristic face
  • Progressive muscle weakness in your limbs
  • Progressive weakness in your facial muscles
  • Progressive ptosis (drooping of your eyelids)
  • Weakness and wasting (loss of muscle tissue) of your tongue.

 

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