Post Polio Disability Basic Information

By Ericka Marsh


Many people do not know that they are eligible for benefits for being disabled, especially for issues that they have had in the past. Quite a few people that are in their 60's only think about their retirement benefits and they forget about illnesses they suffered from as kids. This is why post polio disability or PPS the syndrome claims are so low, and so few people are awarded anything.

Getting awarded medical benefits or monthly money because of becoming disabled from this didn't just stop because the virus isn't in your system anymore, or went away in the 50's or later. Effects from the original viral infection can hit even forty years later. Some symptoms are breaking down of many joints, deformities to your bones, muscle atrophy issues and fatigue.

The Social Security Administration is seeing a marked increase in new claims due to PPS or the syndrome associated with the after effects of this illness. If your initial infection was severe, it is expected that the condition of PPS will be severe as well especially if you had long times of great physical activity just prior to PPS being diagnosed. It is characterized by lengths of time of declining health followed by lengths of no physical issues.

It can be totally disabling for many people, and symptoms can interfere with daily life and normal functioning. Weakened muscles in the chest, throat and diaphragm can cause problems eating, swallowing, breathing and talking as well as walking. So it is very important that help be sought from SSA to get benefits if your physical issues are due to PPS.

The application requires certain medical things be included for proof of a problem. No original medical records from childhood are needed, but all current ones showing issues are. This means any problems with eating, breathing, talking, using arms or walking should be included with your application to show proof of PPS.

All reports from doctors and speech pathologists showing troubles swallowing, talking and eating should be included. Also anything from a doctor showing that your daily life is majorly impacted by the lack of things you can do are very important. Without it, your assistance may be denied.

There are other options regarding your capability of working as far as the Social Security Administration is concerned. Your capacity to work would be determined by a residual function capacity test as well as looking at your education level, to decide if you can do any kind of work. Some people can only work sitting, while others are very limited physically and cannot speak coherently to others making employment impossible.

If positions you've held have always been in a certain field or of one nature and they can't be stood anymore, you could be retrained for other work for free if you're under 50 years of age and physically capable of some type of work. If you are seen to be completely disabled by PPS though, you will be given benefits. In order to get more legal advice on what to do, it's best to speak directly with a lawyer.




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