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Can I get disability benefits for epileptic seizures?

On Behalf of | Jun 7, 2019 | Social Security Disability Benefits For Illnesses

Neurological conditions can be difficult to deal with and Georgia residents who are suffering from them will find that it impacts their ability to work. When there are seizures due to epilepsy, the severity can be so significant that they need Social Security disability benefits. Understanding epilepsy, how it is evaluated and when disability benefits will be approved is important before applying. A law firm that helps people with their disability claims should be called for guidance before moving forward with a claim.

If a person has abnormal electrical activity in his or her brain, there might be epileptic seizures. There are two types of epileptic seizures that are thought to be disabling. They are generalized tonic-clonic and dyscognitive. With generalized tonic-clonic, the person will lose consciousness and have muscles tense to the degree that they lose control of their posture. After that, there will be a contraction and relaxation of muscles – also referred to as convulsions. The person could bite his or her tongue and suffer from incontinence as this is taking place. They can fall and suffer injuries.

Dyscognitive seizures result in the person having altered consciousness, but they will not have convulsions and will not lose muscular control. They might stare blankly, have a changed facial expression and experience repetitive actions like swallowing or chewing. This can eventually worsen into a generalized tonic-clonic seizure.

To get benefits, the Social Security Administration will need a description of the seizures, including when and how frequently they occur. For example, if there are several seizures in a 24-hour period, it will be considered a single seizure. A continuous number of seizures where the person loses consciousness will be a single seizure. If the person is not following the medically prescribed treatment and has no good reason for doing so, other factors like education, mental capacity and language issues will be considered when deciding on a claim.

Those suffering from epilepsy might have a problem doing a normal job if they can work at all. Given the difficulty many epileptics have with seizure and dealing with it on a regular basis, Social Security disability benefits for illness might be an alternative. A law firm that helps clients with their disability cases and understands federal regulations for epilepsy can guide a person through the process when seeking SSD benefits.

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