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Hemolytic Disorders
Home Full Impairment Discussion Hemolytic and/or lymphatic disorders refer to diseases of the
blood. This category would include such disorders as lymphoma,
leukemia (cancer of the blood) and an array of assorted anemias.
Significant blood disorders can cause symptoms of muscular
weakness, pain, vertigo, headaches, ringing of the ears,
fatigue, irritability and death. General Evaluation Most blood disorders in and of themselves will not cause symptoms that are serious enough to totally disable a person. With the exception of severe anemia, leukemia and lymphoma, blood disorders should be used as an additional or secondary impairment for the claimant who is suffering from some other significant disease. Most blood diseases are diagnosed by a combination of physical examination and a common blood test. The most comprehensive and widely used blood test is the complete blood count (CBC). With the CBC alone, a trained medical professional can identify several types of anemia and other more common blood cell abnormalities. Disorders of the blood can involve abnormalities in blood cell size, shape, concentration, type and cellular content. Each of these abnormalities may cause anything from mild irritability to extreme muscular pain and death. Since blood disorders are not necessarily specific in how they may affect a person, we'll focus our attention on a few of the more serious hemolytic disorders. The following is a list of blood disorders commonly seen by SSA. We will discuss each disorder briefly, pointing out some of their more unique characteristics. Severe Anemia
Anemia is a common term that implies an abnormality of the blood. Anemia is not really a diagnosis. It is a symptom of some underlying disorder of the blood. Normally, anemias are not significant and are a reaction to other medical conditions such as loss of blood or infection. However, there are anemias that are very dangerous and can cause severe symptoms and even death if not properly treated. Examples of some of the more dangerous anemias are myeloma, thalassemia, aplastic anemia, sickle cell anemia, severe B12 or folic acid deficiency and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. It is not necessary for you to understand the physiochemical processes that are behind anemic disorders. However, when you encounter a case with a primary diagnosis of anemia, it's a good idea to read up on the condition. Learning more about the underlying anemia will provide you with valuable information about possible symptoms of the disorder. You can then interview the client to see if he suffers from other symptoms that he may not have shared in an earlier contact. Look for symptoms of long standing weakness or low energy levels. These symptoms can have an adverse effect on the claimant's ability to work and may help you to win the case.
Leukemia is a cancerous disorder of the tissues that form white blood cells. White blood cells are used by the body to fight infections. A significant increase in the number of these cells can have a serious impact on the human body. Most individuals suffering from this disorder can be treated successfully with radiation and chemotherapy. Both the condition and the treatment can cause a significant decrease in a claimant's ability to perform physical activity.
This disorder is seen most often in people of African and Mediterranean ancestry. It is a disorder that affects the actual shape of the red blood cell, causing it to be less efficient at carrying oxygen to the muscle and organ systems. Sickle cell anemia can cause extreme muscle pain that is associated with the decreased blood flow or oxygen exchange to the affected muscle group. This condition often manifests itself in a series of crisis episodes that may completely incapacitate the patient. If a claimant suffering from sickle cell anemia has experienced two or three acute episodes in one year, you may have a good case. These crisis episodes can require prolonged hospitalization and intense treatment. If several crisis episodes occurs within a twelve-month period, argue for a significantly reduced residual functional capacity. RFC reduction in sickle cell anemia should include most areas of physical strength. This includes standing, walking for extended periods of time and any other activity that requires sustained physical activity. Sickle cell very often affects children. If this is the case, you must formulate an argument showing how the disorder interferes with normal age-related activities. Generally, these children will have a reduced exercise tolerance and may be in severe chronic pain.
Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that causes a deficiency or abnormality in the coagulation factors of the blood. In this disorder, the patient is unable to control bleeding. If the individual suffering from this disease is injured, he could easily bleed to death without proper treatment. You can imagine that this disorder might prevent the claimant from performing a large number of jobs. Restrict a claimant with hemophilia from any job, inside or outside, that might result in an injury. Since just about any job can result in an injury, hemophilia effectively eliminates all physical labor. If the claimant with does not meet or equal the listing, he may still be capable of sedentary work. Depending upon the claimant's age, you may still need to argue for a less than sedentary residual functional capacity to win the case.
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