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Posts Tagged ‘Dyspnea’

Polycythemia Vera and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Polycythemia vera is one of a group of diseases that are referred to as myeloproliferative disorders. Polycythemia vera is a blood disease that is marked by your bone marrow producing an excessive amount of red blood cells.

Polycythemia vera may also cause an overproduction of other kinds of blood cells, such as platelets and white blood cells. However, with polycythemia vera, it is the excessive amount of red blood cells that results in the thickening of your blood and that are responsible for most of the issues that are related to this disease.

Polycythemia vera is referred to in other ways. It is also known as cryptogenic polycythemia, erythrocytosis megalosplenica, myelopathic polycythemia, polycythemia with chronic cyanosis, Osler’s disease, Vaquez’s disease, splenomegalic polycythemia, erythremia, polycythemia rubra vera and primary polycythemia.

Polycythemia vera is brought about by a defect (mutation) that takes place in one of your bone marrow cells that leads to difficulty with blood cell production. Researchers believe that this defect affects a protein switch that makes your blood cells grow. Scientists believe that it is a defect that is referred to as the JAK2 V617F mutation.

More than 95% of the people who are afflicted with polycythemia vera also have this defect. However, researchers have not yet discovered what causes this mutation to take place. They do think that the defect is something that you acquire rather than inherit from your parents.

There are some risk factors that may increase your likelihood of developing polycythemia vera. Some of these are:

  • Being exposed to intense radiation
  • Being older than age 60, although this disease may occur at any age of life
  • Being a man, because men are twice as likely to get this disease as women are
  • Having a family history of polycythemia vera.

If you have polycythemia vera, you may meet the medical requirements for social security disability like SSDI or SSI. The way to check on this is by looking at disabilitycasereview.com and getting the advice of one of the social security attorneys. The social security attorneys at disabilitycasereview.com are always ready to assist you in obtaining the disability benefits that you deserve.

In most cases, polycythemia vera does not produce any signs or symptoms at all in its early stages. However, as the disease advances, there are several different signs and symptoms that you may experience. Some of these include:

  • A feeling of bloating or fullness in your upper left abdomen that is the result of an enlarged spleen
  • Having problems with your breathing when you lie down
  • Itching that is especially prominent after you have taken a warm shower or bath
  • Headache and difficulty with your vision
  • Fatigue
  • Redness of your skin
  • Weakness, burning, numbness or tingling in your arms, hands, legs or feet
  • Dizziness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Purple patches or spots that show up on your skin
  • Blockage of your blood vessels that may lead to gangrene of your legs and arms, stroke or heart disease
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
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Heart Muscle Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, September 29th, 2011
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Your heart is obviously one of the most important, if not the most important, organs in your body. In order for your cells to live and work like they ought to, they have to have the oxygen that is in your blood. Your heart is the organ that pumps your blood to all of your cells.

Heart muscle disease is the layman’s term for cardiomyopathy. Heart muscle disease has to do with the deterioration of the working of your myocardium (your actual heart muscle). This medical disease hinders your heart’s capacity to pump blood.

There are three major forms of heart muscle disease. They are:

Ÿ  Restrictive heart muscle disease – This type of heart muscle disease is characterized by your heart muscle becoming less elastic and rigid. This interferes with the expansion and filling of your heart’s ventricles with blood between heartbeats or contractions.

Ÿ  Hypertrophic heart muscle disease – This form of heart muscle disease is evidenced by abnormal thickening or growth of your heart muscle. This is especially true in regard to the muscle of your left ventricle. This leads to your heart becoming stiff, and the size of your pumping chamber may shrink. This interferes with your heart’s capacity to pump blood.

Ÿ  Dilated heart muscle disease – This kind of heart muscle disease is marked by your heart’s main pumping chamber becoming enlarged (dilated), and its pumping ability becoming hindered. Dilated heart muscle disease is the first and most common form of heart muscle disease.

The cause of your heart muscle disease has to do with the kind of heart muscle disease that you have. If you have hypertrophic or dilated heart muscle disease, it may result from your family history or heredity. The cause of restrictive heart muscle disease may not be determined, or it can be caused by other diseases in your body that involve your heart. In most cases of heart muscle disease, the cause is unknown.

However, there are some conditions that may contribute to or result in the development of heart muscle disease. Some of these include:

Ÿ  The use of chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer

Ÿ  Sustained hypertension (high blood pressure)

Ÿ  A chronic rapid heart rate

Ÿ  Metabolic disorders, such as thyroid disease or diabetes

Ÿ  Heart valve difficulties

Ÿ  Pregnancy

Ÿ  Certain viral infections that may hurt your heart

Ÿ  The excessive use of alcohol over many years.

Some people do not have any signs or symptoms in the early stages of heart muscle disease.  Signs and symptoms usually develop as heart muscle disease advances. When heart muscle disease does produce signs and symptoms, they are similar to those of congestive heart failure. Some of these are:

Ÿ  Fatigue

Ÿ  Irregular heart rhythm

Ÿ  Swelling of your lower extremities

Ÿ  Distention of your abdomen with fluid

Ÿ  Fainting, lightheadedness and dizziness

Ÿ  Breathlessness that takes place with exertion or even during rest.

The signs and symptoms of heart muscle disease usually get worse as time passes. For some people this deterioration increases quickly. Others get to a plateau and remain stable for a long time. In some cases, heart muscle disease may actually improve.

Are you incapacitated and cannot work as a result of heart muscle disease and/or complications that have been brought about by it or other underlying conditions that you have along with this disease? As a result of your disability, are you looking for financial aid?

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

If you consider reapplying or appealing your denial, you really need the lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com to be in your corner. The lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com is capable of enabling you to receive the disability benefits that you deserve.

Do not hesitate. Contact disabilitycasereview.com, today.

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Myeloid Metaplasia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

Myeloid metaplasia is a serious disorder of your bone marrow that upsets the normal production of blood cells by your body. Your bone marrow goes through fibrosis. What this means is that fibrous scar tissue takes the place of the blood-producing cells in your bone marrow. This leads to abnormally shaped red blood cells, an enlarged spleen and anemia.

Cells that are known as fibroblasts make fibrous (connective) tissue that assists your blood-producing cells when your bone marrow is normal. With myeloid metaplasia, these fibroblasts make too much fibrous tissue. Your blood-producing cells are crowded out when this takes place. This leads to fewer red blood cells being released into your bloodstream, anemia developing that becomes progressively more severe and red blood cell production decreases.

In addition to these problems, many of these red blood cells are immature or misshapen. Variable numbers of white blood cells and immature platelets may also be present in your blood. The number of your white blood cells may decrease or increase, and the number of your platelets usually decreases as myeloid metaplasia gets worse.

Myeloid metaplasia was first described in 1879. It is now classified as a myeloproliferative disease.

Thankfully, myeloid metaplasia is a rare disorder. It affects about 2 out of every 100,000 people in the United States. Myeloid metaplasia can develop at any age, but it occurs most often in people over the age of 50.

Myeloid metaplasia can develop independently, or it can be a consequence of other blood disorders. Myeloid metaplasia is caused by the proliferation and growth of a defective (abnormal) bone marrow stem cell. When this happens your bone marrow is replaced with fibrous connective tissue. However, no one knows what causes the abnormal bone marrow stem cell to occur.

Myeloid metaplasia usually develops slowly. Many people do not have any signs and symptoms in the early stages of the disorder. However, as myeloid metaplasia progresses, here are some signs and symptoms that you may experience:

  • Frequent infections
  • An enlarged liver
  • Fever
  • Pale skin
  • Pain in your bones
  • Excessive sweating as you sleep (night sweats)
  • An enlarged spleen that causes fullness or pain below your ribs on your left side
  • Shortness of breath, feeling weak and tired as a result of anemia
  • Bruising easily
  • Bleeding easily.
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Pericardial Mesothelioma and Receiving Social Security Disability

Saturday, August 6th, 2011
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One of the naturally occurring mineral products is asbestos. Asbestos is resistant to both corrosion and heat. Because of this, asbestos has been a much valued product in manufacturing. In past years, asbestos was greatly used in products like fire-retardant materials, insulation, some vinyl floor tiles and cement.

Regulation of the use of asbestos and asbestos products was begun by the United States government in the 1970s. For many years now, the handling and use of asbestos has been under strict government regulations.

The reason for this government regulation of asbestos is because heavy, long-term exposure to asbestos in the past before this government regulation was initiated has been responsible for major lung and breathing problems. One of the diseases that results from exposure to asbestos is asbestosis.

Mesothelioma is another disorder that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that nearly always results from long-term exposure to asbestos in the past. Malignant cells begin to grow in your mesothelium. Many of your body’s internal organs are shielded by mesothelium as a protective lining.

Fortunately, mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, from 2,000 to 3,000 people are affected by this disease every year in the United States.

Your pericardium is the thin sac-like membrane that surrounds your heart. It is a fluid filled sac that protects your heart.

Pericardial mesothelioma is mesothelioma that develops in your pericardium. Pericardial mesothelioma is thought to be one of the rarest kinds of mesothelioma. It accounts for about 10% of all the cases of mesothelioma that occur each year in the United States.

The only thing that is known to cause pericardial mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. The way in which microscopic asbestos fibers reach your pericardial lining is unknown. Doctors think that when you inhale asbestos fibers, they are absorbed into your bloodstream and become entangled in your pericardium as your blood processes through your heart.

There are several signs and symptoms that may be an indication of pericardial mesothelioma. Some of these are:

  • Cough
  • Fatigue
  • Chest pain
  • Night sweats or fever
  • Dyspnea (problems with breathing, even when you are at rest)
  • Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) or heart palpitations
  • Heart murmurs
  • Orthopnea (dyspnea that takes place when you are lying down).
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Angina Ludovici and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Friday, July 22nd, 2011
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Angina ludovici is a serious, potentially life-threatening infection of the tissues of the floor of your mouth. It usually develops in adults who have bordering dental infections.

Angina ludovici is not the same thing as angina pectoris that is commonly known as “angina”. “Angina” is a word that is taken from the Greek word ankhon, meaning, “strangling”.

Angina ludovici is used in reference to the feeling of strangling, not the feeling of chest pain. However, it is possible for you to experience chest pain with angina ludovici if the infection spreads into your retrosternal space.

Angina ludovici is a type of cellulitis that involves inflammation of the tissues of the floor of your mouth, which is under your tongue. Many times, it develops after a mouth injury or an infection of the roots of your teeth.

Angina ludovici usually results from a bacterial infection, like streptococci or staphylococci. There are also other bacteria that can cause this infection.

Angina ludovici seems to develop most often in people with a condition of lowered immunity, but it can occur in healthy individuals also. With the coming of antibiotics, angina ludovici has become a rare disease.

There are several different signs and symptoms that you may experience which may be an indication that you have angina ludovici. Some of these include:

 

  • Swelling of your neck
  • Neck pain
  • Redness of your neck
  • Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
  • Swelling, pain and raising of your tongue
  • General feeling of weakness or sickness (malaise)
  • Swelling of the tissues of your  sublingual and submandibular spaces
  • Fever
  • Drooling
  • Earache
  • Confusion or other mental changes
  • In severe cases, difficulty in breathing.

 

There are important signs and symptoms to watch for with angina ludovici. These include when you are not able to swallow your own saliva and when you have audible difficulty in breathing. As mentioned at the beginning, angina ludovici can be life-threatening because the swelling of tissues develops quickly and may block your airway.

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Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease (COAD) and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
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Chronic obstructive airway disease (COAD) is not a single disease, but rather it is a group of diseases that are marked by the pathological limitation of airflow in your airway that is not fully reversible. COAD is a large umbrella term that is used to refer to emphysema, chronic bronchitis and several other lung disorders.

Chronic obstructive airway disease is a lung disease in which your lungs are damaged. This makes it difficult for you to breathe. With COAD, your airways, which are the tubes that transport air in and out of your lungs, become partly obstructed. The result is that it becomes difficult for air to get in and out of your lungs.

You may wonder how large and common a problem chronic obstructive airway disease is in the United States. COAD is something that millions of Americans have to deal with. In fact, about 14 million people in the United States have chronic obstructive airway disease. COAD is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States.

Smoking is by far the leading cause of chronic obstructive airway disease. This means that smokers are the ones who are at the greatest risk of developing COAD.

However, there are other things that may contribute to the development of chronic obstructive airway disease. Occupational pollutants like cadmium, silica and asbestos have also been shown to be contributing factors in the occurrence of COAD.  Air pollution and genetics also play a role in causing chronic obstructive airway disease. Other possible factors that may lead to COAD include:

  • Increasing age
  • Allergy
  • General impaired lung function
  • Being a man
  • Repeated airway infection.

Chronic obstructive airway disease is something that usually develops slowly. In fact, it may be many years before you begin to notice the signs and symptoms of COAD. Possible signs and symptoms that you may experience with chronic obstructive airway disease are:

  • Dyspnea (feeling short of breath)
  • Wheezing
  • A persistent cough with sputum or blood
  • A decrease in exercise toleration
  • Cyanosis (bluish or purplish discoloration of your skin around your lips and nails).

You or a loved one may have chronic obstructive airway disease. COAD and/or complications that have resulted from it or other ailments that you have besides this disease may have led to the disability of you or your loved one and be the reason why you are not able to work.

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

You or your loved one may have decided to apply 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 that has been caused by chronic obstructive airway disease and/or complications that have been brought about by it or other ailments that you have besides this disease. You may have already tried this option, and your claim was turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one is intending to reapply or appeal the denial, you really ought to keep this important fact in mind that you may not know about. It is an established fact that people who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer standing with them.

Please do not hesitate or wait until tomorrow. This is far too important to you or your loved one. Contact the disability attorney at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

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Heart Failure and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Monday, June 6th, 2011
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Heart failure is a medical condition that involves the pumping function of your heart. Your heart does not pump enough oxygen rich blood to your body to take care of your body’s needs. Your heart becomes too stiff or weak to fill and pump efficiently.

With heart failure, your heart keeps on working, but it does not function as efficiently as it ought to. When blood flow out of your heart slows down, the blood that comes back to your heart through your veins backs up. The result is that there is congestion in your tissues.

Heart failure is a condition that usually develops slowly over a long period of time. It is a chronic (on-going), long-term condition. Heart failure is a condition that you will have to deal with for the rest of your life.

Heart failure is often the result of other disorders that have damaged or weakened your heart. Some of the conditions that can cause or lead to heart failure are:

  • Heart arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms that may be irregular, too fast or too slow)
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Congenital heart defects (heart defects you had at birth)
  • Heart attack
  • Faulty heart valves
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Cardiomyopathy (damage to your heart muscle)
  • Other diseases, such as lupus, severe anemia and diabetes
  • Myocarditis (inflammation of your heart muscle).

As mentioned earlier, heart failure is a condition that usually develops slowly over many years. However, it is possible to have a sudden onset of signs and symptoms that is referred to as acute heart failure. Some of the signs and symptoms of heart failure are:

  • Abdominal swelling
  • Difficulty with alertness or concentration
  • Unintentional weight gain from retention of water
  • Lack of appetite
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • Nausea
  • Persistent wheezing or cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Swelling in your legs, ankles and feet
  • Reduced ability to exercise.

You or a loved one may have been diagnosed with heart failure. Heart failure and/or complications that have developed from it or other illnesses that you have along with this condition may have caused the disability of you or your loved one and be what is preventing you from being able to work.

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

You or your loved one may have been considering 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 that has been brought about by heart failure and/or complications that have resulted from it or other illnesses that you have along with this condition. You may have already taken this step, and your application was denied by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one has decided to reapply or appeal the denial, you really need to carefully consider this important fact that you may not have heard of. The simple truth is that people who have a disability lawyer in their corner like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than people who are not represented by a disability attorney.

Please do not delay or put this off. This is something that may affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. Contact the disability lawyer at disabilitycasereview.com, today.

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Sick Sinus Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
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Cardiac arrhythmia is a medical term that is used in reference to any of a group of ailments in which the electrical activity of your heart is not regular. This electrical activity may be either slower or faster than normal.

Some arrhythmias cause little concern. They may occur in a normal, healthy heart. They may be thought of as normal. However, other cardiac arrhythmias are serious, life- threatening medical emergencies that may lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death.

Bradycardia is a type of cardiac arrhythmia. Bradycardia is a medical term that is used to indicate a slow resting heart rate. Usually, bradycardia is when your resting heart rate is below 50 to 60 beats a minute.

Your sinus node works like a natural pacemaker for your heart. It is an area of specialized cells that are located in the upper right chamber of your heart. Your sinus node produces a steady pace of regular electrical impulses that control the rhythm of your heart.

Sick sinus syndrome is a form of bradycardia that begins in the sinus node of your heart. It is a condition in which your sinus node does not function like it should.

There are several things that may cause sick sinus syndrome. Some of these are:

  • Scar tissue from a previous heart surgery
  • Age-related wear and tear to your heart muscle
  • Medications like beta blockers or channel blockers that are used to treat heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and other conditions
  • Conditions and diseases that cause damage or scarring to your heart’s electrical system.

Sick sinus syndrome may not cause any signs or symptoms in its initial stages. Sometimes, sick sinus syndrome may cause signs and symptoms that come and go. Possible signs and symptoms that you may experience include:

  • Chest pains
  • Confusion or problems with remembering things
  • Slower than normal pulse rate
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Shortness of breath
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness
  • Fainting or near-fainting
  • Fatigue.

Many of these signs and symptoms are due to a reduction in blood flow to your brain that is caused by your heart beating too slowly.

You or a loved one may have sick sinus syndrome. Sick sinus syndrome and/or complications that have been caused by it or other ailments that you have in addition to this condition may have brought about you or your loved one’s disability and be what is preventing you from being able to work.

You may need assistance because of this. 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 that has resulted from sick sinus syndrome and/or complications that have developed from it or other ailments that you have in addition to this condition. You may have already done this and been turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one has decided to reapply or appeal the denial, here is an important fact that you really should think carefully about that you may not have heard of. It is an established fact that people who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at disabilitycasereview.com are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer in their corner.

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Interstitial Pulmonary Fibrosis and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, May 27th, 2011
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The word “pulmonary” is used to refer to things that involve your lungs. The word “fibrosis” means scarring.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that develops when the tissue of your lungs is scarred and damaged. Pulmonary fibrosis causes your lung tissue to become thickened and stiff. As a result, your lungs have a harder time working like they should. As time goes by, you become more and more short of breath.

There are several forms of pulmonary fibrosis. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis is a type of this illness in which the meshwork of your lung tissue (alveolar septa) are involved rather than your air spaces (alveoli).

The damage that interstitial pulmonary fibrosis does to your lungs is irreversible. There are some cases, however, where medications and therapies may give you some relief from your signs and symptoms and improve the quality of your life. A lung transplant may be an option to consider in some instances.

There are several things that can cause the damage to your lungs that results in interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Airborne toxins in your workplace, certain kinds of medical treatments and certain lung diseases are some of the possible causes of this ailment.

Long-term exposure to several toxins and pollutants can result in interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Some of these include:

  • Grain dust
  • Asbestos fibers
  • Silica dust
  • Animal and bird droppings.

There are risk factors that may increase your likelihood of developing interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Some of these are:

  • Working in construction, mining or farming where you are exposed to pollutants
  • Using certain chemotherapy medications or having cancer radiation treatments to your chest
  • Being middle-aged or older
  • Genetic factors because some forms of pulmonary fibrosis seem to run in families
  • Being a smoker.

The severity of the signs and symptoms that you experience with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and how the illness progresses varies greatly from person to person. You may have moderate signs and symptoms that slowly worsen over a period of months and years, or you may become ill quickly with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Signs and symptoms include:

  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Aching muscles and joints
  • A dry cough
  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
  • Malaise (general sick feeling).

You or a loved one may have interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis and/or complications that have been caused by it or other ailments that you have in addition to this illness may have brought about you or your loved one’s disability and not being able to work.

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Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, May 26th, 2011
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The word “pulmonary” is used in reference to anything that has to do with your lungs. The word “fibrosis” has to do with scarring.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that occurs when your lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. When this happens, your lung tissue becomes thickened and stiff with pulmonary fibrosis. This makes it more difficult for your lungs to work like they ought to. You become more and more short of breath as pulmonary fibrosis becomes worse.

There are several types of pulmonary fibrosis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is when no cause can be found for the disease.

The damage done to your lungs by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis cannot be repaired. However, in some instances, medications and therapies may bring some relief to your signs and symptoms and improve your quality of life. A lung transplant may be helpful in some cases.

There are several things that can cause the damage to your lungs that results in pulmonary fibrosis. However, as mentioned above, no cause can be determined for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

This is what is meant by the term “idiopathic”. It is primarily used in medicine to refer to something that arises spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.

There are risk factors that may increase your likelihood of getting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. These include:

  • Being a smoker
  • Being middle-aged or older
  • Using certain chemotherapy medications or having cancer radiation treatments to your chest
  • Genetic factors because some forms of pulmonary fibrosis seem to run in families
  • Working in farming, construction, or mining where you are exposed to pollutants.

The course of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and how severe the signs and symptoms are vary substantially from person to person. There is also much variety in the signs and symptoms of this disease. You may become ill rapidly with severe signs and symptoms. Or, you may experience moderate signs and symptoms that progress over a period of months or years. Signs and symptoms are:

  • A dry cough
  • Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
  • Fatigue
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Aching joints and muscles.

You or a loved one may have been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and/or complications that have been brought about by it or other illnesses that you have in conjunction with this disease may have resulted in you or your loved one’s disability and inability to work.

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