Autoimmune Disorders

Autotimmune disorders are conditions that involve a dysfunction of the body’s immune system. Autoimmune disorders tend to affect multiple body systems. There are many autoimmune disorders and many of them have overlapping symptoms. For this reason, it is common for people to spend years going from doctor to doctor before they are diagnosed with the correct autoimmune disorder. Autoimmune disorders include rheumatoid arthritis, sarcoidosis, myasthenia gravis and lupus. Each of these conditions can cause relatively mild symptoms or symptoms that are severe and completely debilitating. For this reason, it is critical for your disability case that you obtain treatment from the appropriate specialist, usually a rheumatologist, and tell your doctor about all of your symptoms every time you see her. Be sure that your doctor understands the severity of your symptoms and how your condition limits you in your daily life. It is vital to your case that you are compliant with all recommended treatment. However, the preferred treatments for most autoimmune disorders are usually highly expensive. You are only expected to do the best you can do financially if you do not have medical insurance.

It is common for autoimmune disorders to result in chronic fatigue and malaise. If your fatigue is severe enough that it would prevent you from working at even a simple sedentary job on an 8 hour a day, 40 hour a week basis, you could be considered disabled. The rules for people over 50 make it easier to be considered disabled. If you are over 50 and have a history of unskilled work then if you might be considered disabled if you are limited to no more than sedentary work. Again, your rheumatologist would need to support that your condition is sufficiently severe to cause these limitations of function.

We serve clients throughout the Carolinas from our offices in Spartanburg, Greenville, and Columbia.