Applying for Disability Benefits After Fighting Lyme Disease

Applying for Disability Benefits After Fighting Lyme Disease

You probably already know that Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by a deer tick bite. You may also know that Lyme Disease may remiss and then exacerbate later on and that someone infected with Lyme Disease may be facing symptoms that leave them unable to maintain employment. If you cannot work due to your symptoms and are deciding if you should apply for disability, read the general information below to gauge your situation.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease Can Disable
The severity of Lyme Disease SYmptoms can vary between the afflicted, but there are some general symptoms that present themselves in three stages. They tend to get worse as they go untreated, so be sure to visit a physician right away.

STAGE ONE: DAYS TO WEEKS AFTER BITE

1. 1. Symptoms begin to appear.

 

1. 1. Headache, body ache, and flu-like symptoms begin to present themselves.

 

1. There is a telltale bulls eye rash that typically develops where the bite occurred at this stage.

STAGE TWO:  WEEKS TO MONTHS AFTER BITE

1. 1. More severe muscle pain begins accompanied by joint and tendon pain.

 

1. 1. Muscle control of the face decreases.

 

1. 1. Dizziness, shooting pain, heart problems, sleeplessness, and changing mental state are all developing at this stage.

 

1. Encephalitis, or swelling of the brain, can begin to cause memory loss, mood shifts and changes in sleeping patterns.

STAGE THREE: MONTHS TO YEARS AFTER BITE

1. 1. The neurological system is beginning to experience serious chronic symptoms.

 

1. Two illnesses may develop at this stage:

Lyme Encephalopathy: causes issues with concentration and short term memory loss.

Chronic Encephalomyelitis: causes cognitive issues, impacted ability to walk and move facial muscles, vertigo, overall pain and bladder incontinence.

How Symptoms Influence Ability to Work

An experienced attorney can inform you that these symptoms and others not listed here can significantly change your ability to perform daily tasks. Besides physical symptoms, the mental toll is expressed through changes in your emotional state, a detachment from reality, increased anxiety, delusions and more. You may even have difficulty doing things like making plans and scheduling, or remembering things in the short term.

Lyme Disease is not listed in the Social Security Blue Book of impairments. This means it will be difficult to convince Social Security that you deserve benefits and you will probably not get an automatic approval like someone would if they met a listed condition.

What Our Legal Team Can Do For You

Lyme Disease Symptoms cause many limitations that are obvious to sufferers. However, it may be difficult to convince Social Security by yourself. Our team has gone through the process before and can direct you when filling out paperwork and assure you have completed it thoroughly and properly. If you have never done this before, it is best to have someone on your side to guide you through the process.

If you have suffered disabling symptoms of Lyme Disease and are unable to work, contact an experienced lawyer such as the social security lawyer Memphis TN locals turn to. Do not be intimidated by Social Security.

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Thanks to authors at Darrel Castle & Associates PLLC for insight into Disability Law.