Posts tagged "Physical Disabilities"

Just like any other medical condition or accident, cancer can have a devastating effect on the body and on an Oak Hill resident's ability to earn a living. What may first start as difficulty with bowel movements may then turn into nausea and vomiting, anemia, and debilitating fatigue. All are signs of colorectal cancer and all could potentially make it so difficult to work that an individual may need to apply for disability benefits.

Those were the symptoms of one now-51-year-old, then-44-year-old woman. She had seen a bevy of doctors but none of them could give a satisfactory answer as to why she was so sick that she eventually had to stop working. It was only when she saw a specialist that she discovered she had colorectal cancer.

As more is learned about lupus, there are an increasing number of people in West Virginia who are being successfully diagnosed with the rheumatic disease. According to sources, lupus is a medical condition in which an individual's own body is attacked by its immune system, causing inflammation. Though some of the inflammation is relatively minor, for others, their lupus is so severe that they are unable to work and are in such pain that they must use federal disability payments as their income.

Disability benefits, such as the Social Security disability insurance benefits and Supplemental Security Income, require that an individual have a medical condition, like lupus, that makes it impossible to work. The medical condition must last for a minimum of 12 months, but, for many people in Charleston, their disabling conditions will last for the rest of their lives.

In cases of chronic medical conditions for which there is a lack of conventional, effective treatment, it is not uncommon for West Virginia patients to turn to alternative remedies such as marijuana. A recent study, for example, has shown that one in eight people with the painful, often debilitating condition, fibromyalgia, use cannabis to relieve pain and restore functionality.

Despite this relatively common practice, the study still seeks confirmation that cannabis can indeed cause an improvement in the day-to-day functioning of people with the condition. The plant's efficacy as a pain reliever has been documented in cases of pain related to HIV and cancer, but has yet to be associated with fibromyalgia. Furthermore, pain relief without a corresponding increase in functionality is little cause for celebration.

People in West Virginia who live with retinitis pigmentosa see the world through a pinhole and are considered legally blind. Their intense form of tunnel vision makes it virtually impossible for them to get around without the help of a service animal. For one woman with this condition, she must rely on her faithful guide dog. Wherever the woman goes, the dog goes.

Recently, the woman was made painfully and unnecessarily aware of her physical disability by an employee of the clothing retailer Ann Taylor. The woman and her guide dog were denied entry into the store on the basis of an unwritten no pet policy. The woman informed the employee that he was her seeing-eye dog, not a pet, but the employee still refused. Unfortunately, the manager also refused to let her in.

Imagine being tired all the time and constantly being in pain. Imagine having to give up the things you love because doing them leaves you needing days to recover from the fatigue that follows. Imagine being forced to give up any chance of working because you don't have the energy to do so. This is exactly what happens to many people living with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is also known as myalgic encephalitis and leaves individuals weak, tired and with flu-like symptoms. As time goes on, someone in West Virginia with chronic fatigue syndrome will develop muscle pain and there is a one in four chance that the person's symptoms will not respond with treatment. Oftentimes, people with the most severe symptoms have had other health problems throughout their lives.

West Virginians are now learning that statistics show that almost half of the 2 million new United States' veterans are asking for disability benefits for the injuries they sustained while serving overseas.

Although the number of fatalities is nationally disclosed, the large number of issues post-deployment has only started to be noticed. Medical professionals are seeing all kinds of veteran disabilities, including post-traumatic stress disorder, concussions, limb loss and more.

There may be good news for people in Parkersburg living with severe pain after researchers recently published a study on relieving neuropathic pain through stem cells. Though the study focused on mice with chronic pain syndrome, the treatment could soon find its way to humans with the same condition. First, researchers need to know if human embryonic stem cells will also be able to produce results in mice.

Chronic pain syndrome is another medical condition that can easily make it impossible for a West Virginian to work. Chronic pain is often caused by nerve loss or nerves that don't work properly. This nerve damage causes a "loss of inhibitory control at the level of the spinal cord." The result is serious pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a common problem for many people in West Virginia and across the United States, and a new study has found a link between the syndrome and bacteria overgrowth.

The syndrome, which can become serious enough to prevent an applicant from working, usually causes diarrhea, constipation and bloating. The disorder is believed to be more prominent in women than in men, and could affect between 10 and 20 percent of the population sometime in their lives.

While many people in West Virginia wish they could just remain in bed instead of going to work, there are a group of people in Charleston who just wish they were able to have a job. Many people in Charleston take for granted the fact that they can get up, go to work and do pretty much whatever they want, but people with fibromyalgia are often in too much pain to work, leaving them dependent on disability benefits.

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day just passed and it is important that everyone in West Virginia understand just what this medical condition is and how it affects the people of Charleston. For one woman who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 30 years ago, her condition means that she is unable to work, to play with her niece or to do many of the things she loves.

While most people in Dunbar know at least one person with back pain, many in West Virginia may not know that there are some people whose back pain is so severe that they are unable to work. There are some people who may think that chronic back pain is not that big of a threat to someone's health and that it is easily remedied, but one physical therapist says that those who live with severe back pain should seek out an expert.

Though there are many different medical experts out there, a West Virginia doctor should be able to direct anyone with chronic back pain to the appropriate medical specialist. There are also non-medical practitioners that can help someone with back pain recover some of their mobility and life, including masseuses, acupuncturists and physical therapists.

There are many different medical conditions that prevent someone from working. Disabling back pain is just one of those conditions, but it is also something that is very common in West Virginia and across the country. There are numerous people in Charleston who are unable to work because their backs hurt too much to perform even simple tasks. For these people, there are federal disability benefits.

While back pain is a particularly difficult condition, there are some things that everyone can do before getting out of bed that may help lessen pain or prevent back pain from becoming disabling. There are a series of stretches that will help any West Virginian get through the day.

Although many people in West Virginia may assume that anyone who has a developmental disability wouldn't be able to live without constant care and supervision, there are varying degrees of disabilities and each individual who lives with a disability has his or her own restrictions. Some people are unable to work due to a long-term disability and some are employed. It is when an individual can't work that he or she needs to contact a disability benefits attorney to apply for government benefits.

For the past five years, a program has been helping those with developmental and intellectual disabilities attend classes and receive a true university experience. The program allows those who might not otherwise go to college to audit up to two classes each semester and have a small graduation ceremony separate from the rest of the university, but other than that they are just like other students.

Imagine being so plagued by headaches or migraines that you need to shut yourself up in a dark room. Imagine only being able sleep because being awake and out of bed triggers nausea; light sensitivity; and pounding, searing pain. Sadly, this is a reality for many people in Charleston. And, for some people, their migraines are so severe that they are unable to work.

It is important that anyone that can no longer work because of migraines or headaches speak with experienced West Virginia Social Security disability benefits attorneys. They can help someone apply for disability benefits or appeal a less-than-favorable rejection of benefits. These benefits are especially important now that a new study shows there is a link to severe headaches and suicide.

There has been some speculation that fibromyalgia may not be a real medical condition, but the people who live their lives in constant pain have an important message to all their doubters: they "aren't crazy."

Those people in Charleston who are living with this condition may no longer be able to work after they develop the all-over pain and sensitivity. For many, the only option is to apply for West Virginia fibromyalgia benefits to pay for rent, food, medication and other living costs. While many of those diagnosed with fibromyalgia would love to be able to get up and go to work, the sheer pain and stress of working often causes flare-ups.

There are a number of people with irritable bowel syndrome in Charleston and some of them may be interested to know that April is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Awareness Month. While many West Virginians with this condition may only have infrequent or mild bouts of intestinal or colon issues, severe cases could easily be classified as a physical disability. The constant digestion issues and pain and suffering may make it impossible for a West Virginian with the condition to work, requiring him or her to apply for disability benefits.

As the awareness month for irritable bowel syndrome is fast approaching, it is important for West Virginians to know about some new research on this debilitating condition. There are many new theories that link the syndrome to mental health issues, perhaps complicating what physicians know about the condition.

Serious medical situations can happen as quickly as the blink of an eye. This is entirely true when an individual experiences a stroke. Strokes happen two different ways -- through the interruption of the blood flow to a portion of the brain or the rupture of a blood vessel in the brain. The first type is called an ischemic stroke, while the second type is referred to as a hemorrhagic stroke. Regardless of what kind of stroke a West Virginian experiences, it often leaves him or her unable to work. As someone recovers from a stroke, it is often important to contact a West Virginia physical disability lawyer to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance benefits.

Typically, people who are having a stroke will experience weakness or numbness on one side of their bodies. They may also experience problems with walking; their vision, speech and balance; act confused; or have difficulty understanding when others speak to them.

West Virginians who suffer from colon cancer may be in luck if the disease is found early enough. According to a new study, the number of deaths caused by the cancer has decreased by about 5 percent due to increased screening and early detection. Currently, about 50,000 individuals lose their battle with the disease each year, and 140,000 are diagnosed.

Sources say that the disease causes cells to divide uncontrollably and mass together, causing numerous problems. Like many others in Charleston with a serious medical condition, someone diagnosed with colon cancer may not be able to work. When the symptoms get so severe that someone is unable to hold a job, he or she can apply for disability benefits.

There are nearly 1.7 million people in West Virginia and across the country that suffer a brain injury each year, and 275,000 of these injuries are so severe that patients will continue to be affected long after the actual injury. Severe brain injuries can easily lead to an inability to work and disability benefits, but a new study shows that it may be possible to speed up recovery from brain injuries by using flu medicine.

While the flu drug Amantadine has been around since the 1960s, it was later discovered that the drug improved the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. When doctors discovered its effect on Parkinson's patients, some started prescribing it to patients sustaining traumatic brain injuries, too. It was only in a study published earlier this month, however, that researchers actually investigated the medicine with respect to severe brain injuries.

Imagine being 30-years-old and starting to feel joint pain. It is light at first and mildly irritating, but it soon becomes harder and harder to do the things you love or even to get up, go to work and do your job. Imagine being in your mid-30s with swollen hands, feet and other joints and constant pain. For those people in West Virginia with rheumatoid arthritis, this is a daily reality. For many, the pain is so severe that they are unable to return to their jobs and must apply for disability benefits to survive.

Rheumatoid arthritis, just like any other type of arthritis, is an inflammation of the joints. Unlike the other types of arthritis, however, rheumatoid arthritis is found in the lining of the joints. While this medical condition is not too widespread -- affecting approximately 3 percent of the people in the United States -- it will hit men and women in their prime. Most people with rheumatoid arthritis will start experiencing symptoms between the ages of 30 and 60.

A new drug has been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to treat the condition that causes cystic fibrosis, according to scientific reports, which is good news for West Virginians living with this serious medical condition. The drug repairs a protein anomaly that is thought to cause the disease, rather than many other drugs which only target the symptoms.

Cystic fibrosis is a severe ailment that can easily cause physical disability. Anyone in Charleston with the condition knows just how serious of a diagnosis it can be and understands that for many people it may be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to work. The condition causes the buildup of thick mucus in the lungs, which can lead to life-threatening infections and other severe complications. Cystic fibrosis patients often die before reaching middle age, despite recent medical strides to help relieve some of their symptoms.