Vasculitis is a term used to describe a collection of diseases that cause inflammation in your blood vessels. It is sometimes referred to as angiitis or arteritis. It might make your blood vessels weak, stretched, bigger, or smaller. They could fully close.

Vasculitis may affect anyone at any age. Some cancers cause damage to blood arteries that transport or nourish organs such as your skin, eyes, or brain. Other kinds may have an influence on many organ systems at the same time. Some of these general types may be mild and might not need therapy. Others may be critical.

Causes and Symptoms of Systemic Vasculitis

Vasculitis is an inflammation of the blood vessels. The arteries or veins (which carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body) may be affected (which carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart, which pumps it toward the lungs where it gets more oxygen). Scarring, weakening, narrowing, or thickening of blood vessel walls might result from this inflammation. Vasculitis can become so severe that blood flow to tissues and organs is disrupted, causing structural damage and affecting organ function.

Vasculitis may be divided into two categories. When a condition strikes for no obvious reason, it is referred to as primary vasculitis. Another disease causes secondary vasculitis. Some of them include autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, infections, allergic responses (such as those found with some drug allergies), and some forms of blood malignancy, such as leukemia or lymphoma.

Vasculitis comes in a variety of forms. They can be categorized in a variety of ways. For the sake of this study, we will examine them in relation to the organ systems they affect. Here are a few examples of Vasculitis:

  • - Kawasaki disease affects the skin, eyes, tongue, and heart
  • - Cutaneous small-vessel vasculitis affects both the kidneys and the skin
  • - Buerger's disease is an illness that affects the legs' veins and arteries
  • - Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is an inflammatory disease of the nose, kidneys, and lungs
  • - lungs, kidneys, heart, and skin are all affected by polyangiitis with eosinophilic granulomatosis

Systemic Vasculitis is a disorder that has advanced to the point of causing organ or organ system damage. Because Vasculitis has so many different types, the symptoms can be as diverse as the tissue, organ, or system involved. In general, some of the symptoms may include:

  • - Fever, tiredness, loss of weight, or malaise (a general sense of discomfort or weakness). These are known as constitutional symptoms
  • - Nerve problems such as numbness or weakness
  • - Appetite suppression
  • - Discomfort in the muscles and joints
  • - Rashes that are out of the ordinary, especially on the extremities

Please bear in mind that this is a very general perspective, and that there are a plethora of different symptoms that may be related with each of the Vasculitis types.

Vasculitis therapy will also vary depending on the kind and hence the organs or organ systems involved. Corticosteroids are widely used to treat the illness's inflammation, but they can have significant adverse effects. To prevent the immune system from attacking blood vessels, several immunosuppressive medications may be employed.

Filing for Social Security Disability with a Systemic Vasculitis Diagnosis

The Social Security Administration's disability listing guide lists Systemic Vasculitis as one of the disorders that may qualify a person for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income (informally known as the "Blue Book"). The Blue Book lays forth the criteria for determining the severity of a disease and its influence on a person's life. A person must meet the following conditions to be eligible for disability compensation:

Involvement of at least two organs or organ systems

  • i.At least one of the organs/systems is substantially impacted, and
  • ii.There are at least two constitutional symptoms, or
  • iii.There are ongoing signs of Systemic Vasculitis with at least two constitutional symptoms and
  • iv.At least one of the following at a pre-determined degree of severity
  • - Impact on social functioning.
  • - Impact on activities of daily living.
  • - Impact on the ability to complete tasks in a timely matter due to inability to concentrate or focus.

Systemic Vasculitis can be identified by blood tests, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound, angiography (X-ray of the blood vessels), urinalysis, or a biopsy of the affected blood vessel, depending on the kind.

Your Systemic Vasculitis Disability Case

If you have Systemic Vasculitis and are unable to work as a result of the disease, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Because qualifying for and receiving disability payments may become challenging very rapidly, now is the best time to consult a Social Security Disability attorney.

There are various elements to examine in your disability case. First and foremost, an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hears cases. As a result, the application and accompanying paperwork must be legally sound. Second, the essential evidence must demonstrate that the claimant meets the medical criteria for being disabled by their illness. Any application that falls short in any of the above categories is likely to be rejected. Your qualified Social Security Disability attorney or advocate has the credentials to guarantee that both parts of your application papers are correct, allowing you to begin receiving benefits as soon as possible.