Can You Receive Eczema Disability Benefits?
There’s no doubt that eczema has an effect on one’s everyday life, but is eczema a disability? That’s the question we’ll be exploring in this blog post. If you have eczema or have a family member who does, you are likely well aware of the financial, emotional, professional, and personal costs the skin condition incurs. Read on to discover more about declaring an eczema disability.
The Real Costs of Eczema
Living with a lifelong condition like eczema incurs significant financial costs. Purchasing eczema friendly clothing, buying natural skin care products that won’t exacerbate symptoms, and seeking alternative treatment methods can be expensive, especially in the long run. In addition to financial costs, eczema also has professional and emotional costs as well. Some of the mental side effects of eczema include anxiety, depression, and a rise in stress levels. This can lead to the need for therapy.
How Severe Are Your Eczema Symptoms?
Eczema symptoms vary from person to person and can come in varying degrees of severity. As you can imagine, this greatly affects whether or not the skin condition can be classified as a disability. In addition to the severity of symptoms, another factor that helps determine whether one can qualify for eczema disability benefits is whether symptoms effectively respond to treatment, especially if symptoms lead to recurring infections.
While eczema is undoubtedly annoying, painful, and uncomfortable, it isn’t necessarily physically debilitating for everybody. In severe cases, eczema cases can make it incredibly difficult for people to use certain parts of their body, walk, or move. In cases where itchiness causes the skin to crack or bleed, an infection may develop.
Common symptoms of eczema include:
- Itching
- Patches of red rashes that may burn or sting
- Inflamed skin
- Rough, leathery texture
- Dryness or flakiness
- Oozing skin
Eligibility for Eczema Disability Benefits
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has set forth certain conditions that must be met in its disability listing called “Dermatitis.” The different types of eczema that are eligible for disability include atopic dermatitis, dyshidrotic dermatitis and allergic dermatitis.
Here are the different factors that can help you determine whether you may qualify for eczema disability benefits:
- Severity of the condition
- Frequency of flare-ups
- Locations where flare-ups usually occur
- How the condition prevents you from working
To qualify for eczema disability benefits, you must have been under professional medical treatments for at least three months prior to your claim. This makes it essential to keep all documentation from visits with doctors and eczema treatments, including receipts and records of any purchases you made for skincare products and other treatments.
Soothing Your Eczema Naturally
Check out these natural remedies and protective clothing you can use to soothe eczema symptoms:
Emily Skin Soothers for Red Eczema Rashes–perfect for oozing, inflamed, or angry-looking eczema. It’s particularly helpful in cooling irritation in skin folds such as the armpits, groin area, and creases of elbows and knees.
Remedywear™ (TENCEL + Zinc) Pants – ADULT Unisex–made with eco-friendly, breathable TENCEL and embedded with anti-inflammatory zinc, these protective pants help combat the urge to scratch. Their breathable fabric makes them comfortable to wear all day or all night.
Remedywear™ (TENCEL + Zinc) Long Sleeve Shirt – ADULT Unisex–protects the arms, chest, and back. It’s perfect for wearing underneath regular clothes or alone as pajamas.
References:
https://www.adrescuewear.com/blog/can-severe-eczema-qualify-as-a-disability/
https://www.thenba.ca/disability-blog/eczema-can-controlled/
https://www.disabled-world.com/health/dermatology/skin/eczema/
FROM: Eczema