Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a handicap?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can do tasks as dressing, type or grasp certain objects that are difficult to manage. When joint pain, stiffness and swelling bother your ability to do your job, it can be difficult to follow.

For some people, symptoms become so difficult to manage that continuing to work is simply not possible. In these cases, Rheumatoid arthritis can be considered a handicapThis can open the door to the advantages and support that can help make life easier.

Social Security Administration (SSA) uses certain criteria to determine whether rheumatoid arthritis can be considered a handicap. To be considered a handicap, a state of health must be serious enough to prevent you from working and earning your living. You must also expect to last at least 12 months or be fatal.

There are two types of disability services: Social Security Invalidity Insurance (SSDI) and additional security income (SSI). SSDI is intended for those who have worked and paid social security through their work. SSI is intended for people with little or no income or professional history. You could be eligible for one or both programs, and both use the same medical criteria to determine if you are eligible.

When would the PR be considered a handicap?

If you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, here are four possible ways to respond to the definition of the SSA of a handicap:

1. You need help to move or use your hands

This includes situations where:

• You need an assistance device like a walker, two rods, crutches or a wheelchair that requires both hands to work.
• You cannot use an arm for work tasks and need the other arm to operate a device, such as a rod or a wheelchair.
• You have difficulty using both arms enough to perform tasks such as entering, lifting or involvement.

2. RA affects several body systems

This generally applies when:

• You have inflammation or damage in a major joint, such as your knee or shoulder.
• PR has an impact on at least two other body systems, such as your lungs, your heart or your eyes.
• You feel two or more serious symptoms such as fatigue, fever, usually feeling mala or losing weight without trying.

3. Your spine is seriously affected

You might qualify if you have one of the following elements:

• You have a type of related arthritis, such as ankylosing spondylitis, which has merge or stiffened your spine in a way that limits the way you move your neck or back.
• Your spine is merged or fixed at 45 degrees or more to stand upwards
• Your spine is merged at 30 to 45 degrees, and the condition affects two or more body systems.

4. You have repeated thrusts that seriously affect your life

This includes cases where you have at least two symptoms, such as severe fatigue, fever, a feeling of discomfort or unexplained weight loss, as well as repeated PR thrusts that cause problems with one of the following areas:

• Make daily tasks like bath, kitchen or cleaning
• Follow social interactions
• Time finishing tasks due to difficulty concentrating

You can request an online handicap, calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or by visiting a local SSA office in person. You will have to show proof that you are eligible for disability and provide medical evidence to support the way you limit your ability to work. Here is what SSA generally looks for:

• Medical files of your doctors confirming your diagnosis of PR, the history of treatment and how your condition affects your ability to operate
• Laboratory results, X -rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other tests that document your condition and its severity
• Reports of your doctors explaining which tasks you can and cannot perform, including the session, standing position, walking, lifting or limitations with the use of your hands
• Documentation on how RA affects your daily life, including cooking problems, dressing or monitoring the requirements of your work
• Files showing how often your symptoms are worth, how serious they are, the drugs you take and all the side effects you feel
• A story of the way your condition has changed or aggravated over time

SSA generally requests your medical records directly from your doctor, but it helps submit all the files you already have. Having complete and detailed medical records can considerably improve your chances of approval.

Refusal: Being approved for disability services for PR can take months, and cope with documents while you manage the PR symptoms can be frustrating and crushing. Most people who ask for a handicap are refused during their first try. Refusals generally occur because the SSA needs more information or stronger evidence of the impact of the state of health on someone’s ability to work.

Call process: If your request is refused, you have the right to appeal. You might find it useful to work with a disability lawyer who includes the system and can help collect favorable medical evidence and speak on your behalf. The call process at several levels, and although it takes time and patience, many people who were initially refused are approved later. So it is worth maintaining detailed documentation, attracting if it is refused and obtaining help if necessary.

Everyone’s experience with RA is different. Some people can manage their symptoms and continue working with few changes. But for others, pain, stiffness and fatigue can make work difficult, especially if symptoms often escape or aggravate over time.

Here are some common ways that RA can make work difficult:

• Joint pain and stiffness: Jobs that involve the entry, writing or the use of tools can become painful when your fingers are swollen or steep. Holding a pen or using a mouse can be more than you can manage on any days.
• Fatigue: Fatigue is one of the biggest challenges with PRs are faced when they try to stay employed. More than 70% of people with PR suffer from fatigue, which can have a significant impact on their well-being and their ability to work.
• Unpredictable flares: PR symptoms can come and go, which makes it difficult to predict how you will feel every day. You could miss work due to thrusts, medical appointments or need additional recovery time.
• Physical limits: You can find it uncomfortable to sit or stand for long periods. Jobs that require physical activity, such as reaching, lifting or drawing objects, can become difficult.
• Side effects of drugs: PR drugs such as pain relievers, corticosteroids and anti -utural drugs modifying diseases (Dmard) can have side effects, which can still have an impact on your ability to work.
• Disturbances planning: Movering your body in the morning often takes longer when your joints are rigid and painful. This can create challenges to get to work in time consistently.
• Decrease in productivity: Some people have problems with memory, attention, decision -making and cerebral fog. Even when you are at work, PR symptoms may have a significant impact on your productivity.

The missing work, the reduction of hours or keep it away from your work can not only lead to financial stress, but it can also affect your mental health and your ability to stay connected with others.

Even if you are not eligible for disability services, you still have work rights that can help you remain employed and productive. The Americans with Disabilitities Act (ADA) obliges employers to 15 or more employees to provide reasonable housing to disabled workers, as long as these changes are not too difficult or expensive for the employer.

If you have limited mobility, significant pain or moderate to severe AR, you can be eligible for working accommodation, such as:

• Ergonomic workstations such as special keyboards, mice or chairs
• Parking spaces reserved near the entrance to the building
• Standing office options so that you can modify the positions if necessary
• Modified work hours, as the start earlier or later, or work from home options
• Flexible hours to accommodate your energy levels throughout the day
• Additional time for medical meetings
• Additional break
• Vocal recognition software, if the shot becomes too painful
• Reallowing to tasks which are less physically demanding
• Modified homework during thrusts

If you need accommodation in the workplace, inform your employer as soon as possible. Although it is not necessary, it may be useful to put your request in writing and mention the ADA.

PR symptoms such as pain, fatigue and stiffness of joints can affect your ability to work in many ways. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has specific criteria that you must meet to be eligible for disability services with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

If you are not eligible for disability or while you are waiting for a SSA response, you may be used with accommodation, such as flexible hours, ergonomic tools or adjusted tasks. Being approved for disability takes time and is not easy, but many people succeed after having made a call.