Cushing’s Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability

Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disorder. Cushing’s syndrome is a condition that occurs when your body is exposed to high levels of the hormone cortisol for a prolonged period of time.

It is a disease that happens when your body produces too much of the hormone cortisol. This happens when your adrenal glands, located above your kidneys, make too much cortisol. It may also occur if you take too much cortisol or other steroid hormones.

Cushing’s syndrome is a relatively rare disorder. It usually happens to adults between the ages of 20 and 50. An estimated 10 to 15 out of every million people in the United States are affected by it each year.

Cushing’s syndrome gets its name from American doctor Harvey Cushing who described and reported the disorder in 1932. It is also known as hypercortisolism.

The effects caused by Cushing’s syndrome are varied. Usually, however, you may have an increased amount of fat around your neck, upper body obesity, thinning arms and legs, and a rounded face.

There are other signs and symptoms that show up in your skin. Your skin heals poorly and bruises easily. It becomes thin and fragile. You may see purplish pink stretch marks appear on your thighs, buttocks, abdomen, breasts and arms.

Your bones get weaker. Normal, routine activities like rising or lifting from a chair or bending can result in rib and spinal column fractures and backaches.

Other effects that you may experience are:

• Weak muscles
• High blood pressure
• Severe fatigue
• High blood sugar
• Anxiety and depression
• Irritability
• Women may have menstrual periods stop or become irregular
• Women may also experience excessive hair growth on their thighs, abdomen, chest, neck and face.
• Men may experience decreased fertility and an absent or diminished desire for sex.

The effects of Cushing’s syndrome and/or conditions resulting from or in connection with it can become incapacitating. It may be the cause of you or a loved one’s disability.

Do you or your loved one need help because of your disability? Do you need financial help?

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by Cushing’s syndrome and/or conditions resulting from or along with it? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

You or your loved one may need a  disability lawyer like the one you will find at here to counsel you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this being true is because people who are aided and represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

 

Tags: Adrenal gland, Cortisol, Cushing's syndrome, Disease, Endocrine system, Harvey Cushing, social security administration, United States

From http://www.socialsecurityhome.com/disabilityblog/2010/06/30/cushing%E2%80%99s-syndrome-and-receiving-social-security-disability/