Myasthenia gravis, literally translated to mean “grave muscular weakness,” is an autoimmune disease that causes extreme weakness in the body’s voluntary muscles — muscles of the limbs, eyes, neck, and face.
If you have been diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, you may be eligible to receive regular benefit checks from the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD) program. In order to be approved for benefits, you must demonstrate how your myasthenia gravis disability limits your life and prevents you from working.
Disabling Effects of Myasthenia Gravis
This disease can be highly manageable with ongoing treatment, and patients may experience periods of remission, so tracking the effects of the condition over time is key in proving to the Social Security Administration how disabling your case may be.
Generally speaking, the symptoms tend to worsen with exertion and stress, and improve with ample rest — a primary argument for disability. Myasthenia gravis patients often experience several of the following symptoms:
- Speech difficulties/slurring
- Choking episodes
- Swallowing or chewing trouble
- Breathing difficulties
- Motor weakness
- Muscle fatigue
- Ocular weakness
- Double vision
- Ptosis (droopy eyelids)
- Eye paralysis
- Fatigue/weakness in the neck and jaw (bulbar weakness)
- Weakness in the arms, hands, legs and feet
Hiring an Attorney to Prove Myasthenia Gravis Disability
While you may be tempted to apply for SSD benefits as quickly as possible online without help, taking the time to hire a skilled disability attorney can be worth your while. In addition to ensuring your have all of the proper medical documentation to submit with your SSD application, your attorney can help you plan a unique and personalized strategy before moving forward with your claim.
The Social Security Administration will evaluate many varied factors before rendering a judgment, such as age, past work experience, disease prognosis, current income, and more. An SSD lawyer will work to pull all of the right pieces of information together to ensure you have the best chance of convincing the Administration of your disability.
If you’re considering hiring an experienced lawyer to handle your Social Security Disability claim, please search our legal directory to find a professional near you.