You can file a claim for Social Security disability benefits if you have been diagnosed with epilepsy and are unable to work and expect to be unable to work for at least 12 months. Disability benefits from Social Security might help you pay for things like housing, bills, food, and other necessities.

A seizure can be termed as the happening of signs and symptoms due to abnormal, excessive neuronal activity in the brain. Epilepsy is the happening of unprovoked seizures. The incidence is highest at the extremes of age. Epilepsy has several causes that are usually related to age of the patient. About 70 to 90% of epileptic patients have their first seizures before the age of 20. It can be idiopathic which is related to genetics or it maybe secondary in which seizures result from a known structural or metabolic disease of the brain.

Little can be done for a patient with having major seizure, some of the things that are important in management are as follows.

Immediate first aid care by relatives or the witnesses. Move the person away from any danger like fire or water. After convulsion stops, turn into the semi prone position. Do not insert anything in the mouth. Immediate medical care is required in such cases.

Anti convulsant drug therapy can be initiated depending on the condition of the patient. Also, selection of drugs depends upon the type of seizures, close monitoring for side affects and ensuring plasma drug levels. After a period of complete control of seizures withdrawal of education maybe considered usually 2 to 3 years of seizures free period is required.

How Does Social Security Administration Evaluate Symptoms for Epilepsy for SSDI Benefits?

The non-profit organization CURE reports that more than 3 million Americans live with epilepsy and one in 26 Americans will be diagnosed with the condition during their lifetime. For some, it is controlled by medications while for others uncontrolled seizures wreak havoc on all aspects of their life, which includes the ability to work and earn a living. If you suffer from uncontrolled seizures, you can qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.

Primary Epilepsy: This type of epilepsy seizures begins around 5 to 20 years of age but may start later in life. No specific cause can be identified and there are no other neurological abnormalities.

Secondary Epilepsy: If a patient develops epilepsy after age of 20 it must be considered as Secondary. The cause is associated with following things.

Metabolic Disorders

Head injury, birth injury, vascular diseases, Infections like TB, Inflammatory diseases, Drugs abuse including penicillin, isoniazid, metronidazole, cocaine, antipsychotic and several others as well.

No matter what triggered your symptoms, your disability examiner (DE) would look out for symptoms that impact your ability to take up work under substantial gainful activity (SGA).

For Convulsive Seizures the SSA needs to see that you experience Daytime seizures that cause you to convulse or lose your consciousness or Night time seizures that cause severe complications for you during the day, like problems staying awake, thinking clearly, or coordinating your physical movements.

In addition to experience seizures that eat the criteria, you must also continue to have seizures at least once a month after you have been on anti-seizures drugs for at least 3 months period.

For non-convulsive drug epilepsy, the SSA must see you experience seizures that continue during the day or night and cause you to experience unusual things like troublethinking, difficulty staying awake, lack of energy, and other post seizure symptoms.

With Epilepsy the affording your treatment and medical bills can be very difficult and challenging. Social security benefits can help you greatly in this situation and decrease the amount of stress that also aggravates the disease.

If you are unsure if you can qualify through your epilepsy symptoms or whether or not they meet the social security's criteria, there may be other ways to prove your disability benefits, even if your symptoms are not listed in the Blue Book. We suggest you consult our expert disability attorneys for legal guidance for qualifying for disability for Epilepsy, mid-day and night time seizures.