There are almost 100 different types of autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune disorders cause the immune system to attack and destroy healthy body tissue. In a person with an autoimmune disorder, the body can't tell the difference between toxins and healthy cells. Certain people may be genetically predisposed to autoimmune disorders that may attack blood cells or vessels, glands (such as the thyroid or pancreas), skin, joints, muscles and/or connective tissues resulting in abnormal organ growth or function, or the destruction of body tissue.
Autoimmune disorders include a wide spectrum of illnesses such as: Type I diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid or inflammatory arthritis, ankylosing spondyloarthritis,Hashimoto's thyroiditis, pernicious anemia, Grave's Disease, Lupus, undifferentiated connective tissue disease, polymyositis,dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, scleroderma, systemic vasculitis, polyarteritis nodosa,aortic arch arch arteritis, giant cell arteritis, Wegener's gramulomatosis, Sjorgren's syndrome, cutaneous vasculitis, MS, HIV and AIDS. Children's autoimmune disorders include many of the same illnesses.
The autoimmune disorders may be documented upon testing including laboratory testing or bloodwork, skin, tissue or bone biopsies, x-rays, MRI's or clinical symptoms or physician observations. The autoimmune disorders are generally evaluated by how they affect the body systems and organs including the muscles, joints, skin, tissue, lungs, heart, eyes, digestive tract, renal system, blood, nervous system or mental functioning. Other medical conditions may overlap with these illnesses including fevers, weakness, pain or infections. There are many types of specialists who treat these conditions including rheumatologists, vascular specialists, infectious disease specialists, immunologists, cardiologists, endocrinologists and pediatric specialists.
Organizations: American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (http://www.aarda.org/)
In order to prove your disability to Social Security, you need to either document that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria found in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or, if you are an adult, that your condition and symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work. If you are a child under 18, you must similarly show that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or that your condition or conditions functionally equals the Commissioner's regulations. The law firm of Sheryl Gandel Mazur has experienced disability attorneys and has been representing individuals in their Social Security disability appeals for over twenty five years. Let us help you receive your Social Security disability benefits.
Our disability law firm represents individuals:
- In filing their initial disability applications
- In handling cases at the initial level including appealing initial denials
- In handling cases at the reconsideration level including appealing reconsideration denials
- In handling cases at the hearings level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Appeals Council level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Federal Court level
This firm also handles SSI child's disability cases at all levels.
