Bullous disease is a name given to a number of related skin conditions. All varieties of bullous diseases cause blisters, which are fluid-filled protrusions on the skin. These blisters occur on the skin, but in other forms of bullous diseases, they form underneath the skin. Additionally, in some cases, blisters form on mucus membranes. The severity of symptoms associated with bullous disease range from mild to quite severe; at which time the disease can become disabling.
Because of the blisters formed on the skin or mucus membranes, those who suffer from bullous diseases suffer a wide range of side effects. Depending on where the blisters are located, you could suffer anything from severe skin abrasions and erosion to difficulty eating and drinking.
Many people with bullous diseases are required to remain in a sterile environment, as the sores and skin erosion can become infected very easily. In such cases, it is generally impossible to continue working.
Others who suffer from bullous diseases find it impossible to work because the blisters themselves make it impossible to use the affected body parts. Depending on where the blisters manifest, they can hinder you from performing any number of work related activities.
Fortunately, bullous diseases are listed as conditions that can cause disability in the SSA’s Blue Book. This means that there are objective standards for SSA adjudicators to use to determine whether you are eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits due to your bullous disease.
In general terms, you must have suffered at least three months with bullous diseases to qualify for SSD benefits. During that time, you must be under a doctor’s care, and you must follow his prescribed treatment. Your Social Security claim will need to include information regarding all of the treatments that have been tried and what effect they had on you. Since many of the medications used to treat bullous diseases have significant potential side effects, you should include any adverse effects the medication or other treatment has on you as well.
Bullous Diseases and Your Ability to Perform Physical Work
Bullous diseases can destroy your ability to perform physical work. If you have severe blistering on the legs, groin, or feet, you may find walking to be extremely uncomfortable and difficult. If your blisters are on your hands, you may find it impossible to grasp, push, pull, or lift. Blisters on your mucus membranes pose entirely different physical challenges, especially if they severely affect your ability to eat and drink.
Bullous Diseases and Your Ability to Perform Sedentary Work
To perform sedentary work, you must be able to sit in one place for several hours at a time. Blisters in the groin, buttocks, or legs can make this impossible. Additionally, blisters on your hands may prevent you from performing many of the jobs required of people in sedentary forms of work.
Because most forms of sedentary work require a good deal of concentration on complex tasks, you might also be deemed unsuitable for sedentary work if your blisters adversely affect your ability to focus on a task. Ultimately, those with bullous diseases are judged primarily based on the severity of symptoms they are dealing with.
Many Social Security Disability claims are denied. If your claim is denied, it does not mean that all hope is lost of collecting SSDI or SSI benefits. While 70% of all initial Social Security Disability claims are declined, about half of these denials are overturned and approved at a hearing with an administrative law judge.
Hiring a quality Social Security Disability lawyer can save you a lot of the headache associated with the SSD claims and appeals process. Additionally, having qualified representation has been shown to improve your chances of having your Social Security Disability claim accepted.
