People in New Jersey who are suffering from an illness that makes it difficult if not impossible for them to function normally will often want to apply for Social Security disability benefits for illness. A key factor in whether they will be approved for disability or not is how the Social Security Administration evaluates their medical issues. When seeking these benefits, the evaluation is critical to a finding of disabled and the approval for benefits. Therefore, it is important to understand what the criteria is for the specific illness.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a common illness. It can be debilitating with major medical expenses and frequent flare ups making it hard to work. When the SSA evaluates IBD, the applicant should remember that it can include ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, but it is not limited to these. When these illnesses are assessed, the medical findings can be similar as can be the treatment. IBD can go into remission and exacerbate. It is rare that a person is “cured” from Crohn’s disease and can last throughout the person’s life. Ulcerative colitis, however, is limited to the colon and can be cured if there is a full colectomy.

When a person has IBD, they might have bleeding from the rectum, diarrhea, have fecal incontinence, feel fatigued, experience nausea, have vomiting, show an abdominal mass, experience tenderness in the abdomen and more. The medical evidence can show the person is suffering from malnutrition, has extreme weight loss, is anemic, and has other issues. IBD can also impact the eyes, lead to gallstones, cause kidney stones, and non-destructive inflammatory arthritis. For those whose medical evidence does not meet the standard for SSD benefits for IBD, the SSA can consider the person’s residual functional capacity and how IBD manifestations affect it.

Since IBD can be so problematic for a person who is suffering from it in any of its variations, it is an illness that commonly results in an approval for Social Security disability benefits for illness. Even with that, a person who has IBD should make certain that they have legal assistance with the application from the beginning. A law firm that is experienced in Social Security disability cases for IBD can help.