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Disability Benefits for Thyroid Disease [1/2]

Disability Benefits for Thyroid Disease [1/2]

Most Americans pay for Social Security almost all their lives, without noticing that the money is gone. This is because the money is cut out from their paychecks in Social Security taxes before the paychecks arrive their mails or bank accounts. Hence, many people contribute to the Social Security automatically.

People pay these taxes for upto 35 years or more of their work years – this helps them get eligibility to apply for Social Security benefits in case at some point in their lives, they are unable to work due to severe disability or impairments. Hence, all those social security taxes cut out from your monthly paychecks are not for nothing.

In order to be eligible to apply for Social Security taxes, you must first have paid Social Security taxes for 35 years of your work years. Another condition for Social Security eligibility is that you must be able to demonstrate that your disability is legitimate. As a result, only three of every ten applications are approved on the first attempt of filing a submission for disability benefits. However, you do not have to lose hope yet. If you are denied disability you can file for an appeal to the decision which takes your case to an administrative law judge, ALJ. The ALJs are experts on this and give you enough time to advocate for your case properly with evidence and documentation.

Overview of Thyroid Diseases

Thyroid is a gland located right behind the nasal cavity in your neck. The thyroid diseases are often caused as a result of an inability of the thyroid gland to make the hormones it is responsible for in the right amount.

The thyroid hormones are necessary to control the metabolism in the body. As a result, when the thyroid gland produces too much or too little hormones, it upsets the entire mechanism of metabolism and causes some other side effects such as diabetes.

  • -Hypothyroidism

If the gland produces too little hormones, then it leads to hypothyroidism. On the other hand, too much hormones produced by the thyroid glands cause hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism may result in weight gain, slow metabolism, dry skin, fatigue, depression, dry skin, hair loss, slow heart rate, and increased sensitivity to cold, migraines, osteoporosis, and a variety of other symptoms. Treatment for individuals with hypothyroidism usually includes thyroid hormone replacement therapy.

  • -Hyperthyroidism

Whereas, hyperthyroidism leads to totally opposite symptoms such as increased heart palpitations, shaking/trembling of the hands, thin skin leading to extreme sensitiveness to sun exposure, frequent diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome etc. Treatment for hyperthyroidism is often done through medications and stress reducing therapy. However, another thyroid condition leading to extreme symptoms is the grave's disease.

  • -Grave's disease

Graves' disease is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism in the United States. The disease affects about 1 in 200 people. This is an autoimmune disorder cause by an overactive thyroid gland i.e., hyperthyroidism. The thyroid gland not only affects the production of hormones and your body metabolism, it also affects all parts of the body including the way how your heart beats.

  • -Thyroid Cancer

While many of the thyroid conditions are treatable by medications and therapy, the thyroid cancers have totally different type of symptoms than other thyroid diseases. The treatment really depends on the types of thyroid cancers and thus, it is easier to get social security disability for a thyroid cancer than for instance, grave's disease.

However, social security disability does not have a specific listing for thyroid cancer or any other specific thyroid disease in its Blue Book of impairments. Instead, it is considered among endocrine diseases – so, your disability benefits for thyroid diseases are subject to the severity and longevity of your symptoms and how they affect your daily lives. Hence, the SSA will evaluate each case according to the medical documentation, your physician's statements, employer's testimonies and any other family members (caretakers)'s statements if the disability examiner needs to. For instance, for a case of hyperthyroidism leading to extreme anxiety and/or angina pains, the disease would be considered under the cardiovascular disability listings. [*More details on this in next blog 2/2 of Disability benefits for thyroid disease]

Although you can file for a disability benefits' application and/or disability appeal for thyroid disease online including filing for all the required documentation, we recommend you seek counsel of a disability attorney to guide you carefully through the process. A disability attorney sees hundreds of similar cases and knows what the disability examiner will expect from a thyroid application like yours – hence, this will increase your chances of winning your disability benefits.

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Friday, 29 March 2024