Social Security Disability Lawyers Help Patients With Diabetes in North Carolina.

Diabetes is one of the most common types of disability, it is a condition in which the sufferer has high blood sugar (glucose). This happens because their body does not properly process sugar so that it can be stored for energy. Diabetes affects 25.8 million people in the U.S., or 8.3 percent of the country’s population, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes and believe it is preventing you from working, call the North Carolina Social Security Disability lawyers at Hardison & Cochran. We can help you to collect evidence and prove your case before the Social Security Administration. Call us today at (800) 434-8399 or complete our online form to schedule a free case review. We serve clients throughout North Carolina, including in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, and Fayetteville.

What is Diabetes?

The National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), an arm of the federal government’s National Institutes of Health, says diabetes is a complex group of diseases with a variety of causes. People with diabetes have high blood glucose, also called high blood sugar or hyperglycemia.

A diabetic has trouble with how their body breaks down glucose, a form of sugar that enters the bloodstream. The pancreas produces the hormone insulin to help cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy.

There are three types of diabetes:

  • Type 1 diabetes – This occurs when the body does not manufacture enough insulin, which is the hormone that helps the body’s cells absorb sugar.
  • Type 2 diabetes – This occurs when the body does not use insulin correctly.
  • Gestational diabetes – This develops in women during pregnancy.

Some people show signs of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the NDIC says.

While the cause of diabetes is not precisely known, researchers say Type 1 may be the result of environmental factors, including toxins, viruses, and foods. Type 2 is primarily related to obesity, the result of a lifestyle with poor nutrition and little physical activity. Unfortunately, toxins and viruses are common in many workplaces. Also, certain occupations require a lifestyle that can lead to obesity, such as long hours of deskwork and/or travel.Sports life of a diabetes patient

The CDC says that 10.9 million, or 26.9 percent, of U.S. residents aged 65 years and older had diabetes in 2010. About 215,000 people younger than 20 years old had diabetes (Type 1 or Type 2) in the U.S. in 2010. About 1.9 million people 20 years old or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010.

Women who had gestational diabetes have a 35 to 60 percent chance of developing diabetes in the following 10 to 20 years, the CDC says. Five to 10 percent of women with gestational diabetes are found to have diabetes, usually Type 2, immediately after their pregnancy.

About 7 million Americans had undiagnosed diabetes in 2010, the CDC says.

Untreated diabetes damages nerves and blood vessels. It can lead to complications such as:

  • Heart disease
  • Stroke
  • Kidney disease
  • Blindness
  • Dental disease
  • Amputations
  • Susceptibility to other diseases
  • Loss of mobility with aging
  • Depression
  • Pregnancy problems.

The CDC calls diabetes “a major cause of heart disease and stroke,” and says diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in our country.

The Challenges of a North Carolina Diabetes Social Security Disability Claim

Proving your diabetes case to the Social Security Administration can be a challenge. However, the NDIC says clearly that environmental factors such as foods, viruses, and toxins (which may be present in your workplace) may play a role in the development of Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity, which is the result of a lack of exercise and a poor diet. That’s a lifestyle of many people who spend their work-life traveling or in a fast-paced office.

A North Carolina SSD benefits attorney experienced with presenting claims to administrative law judges will know how to document and demonstrate the diabetes you are suffering from and the extent in which it is preventing you from working.

Our Raleigh Diabetes Disability Lawyer Are Ready To Help

Hardison & Cochran handles personal injury and Social Security Disability cases in North Carolina in which the person suffers from diabetes. If you or a loved one needs a lawyer to assist with your claim for SSD benefits, make sure your attorney is experienced in pursuing North Carolina Social Security Disability claims and understands the important role that disability benefits play in your life. Contact Hardison & Cochran today online or call (800) 434-8399. We’ll respond within 24 hours and schedule a free review of your case.