Coagulation Defects – Overview
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Coagulation Defects are a group of medical diseases that are characterized by excessive bleeding and a decreased ability of the blood to clot. Your blood clots as a result of the action of plasma proteins, also called coagulation factors, which combine with other chemicals in the blood to form fibrin, the substance in the blood that prevents bleeding. If your plasma proteins are deficient or absent entirely, the blood is unable to generate fibrin, resulting in severe bleeding.
Coagulation abnormalities can occur as a result of disease, vitamin K deficiency, or as a side effect of certain medications such as aspirin and other anticoagulants. Coagulation Defects are often referred to as coagulopathy or hemorrhagic diseases. Coagulation Defects can occur as a result of genetic disorders such as hemophilia, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, or Von Willebrand disease, or as a result of diseases such as acute or chronic leukemia or liver disease, or as a result of nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamin K deficiency. Hemophilia is the most prevalent form of Coagulation Disorder. Certain Coagulation Defects are minor, while others are fatal.
If a study of your symptoms, a physical examination, and an investigation of your medical and family history indicate that you have a Coagulation Defect, your doctor will almost certainly recommend you to go see a hematologist (a doctor specializing in blood disorders). Almost certainly, the hematologist will order laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis. Among other tests, these include a total blood cell count, a platelet count, and an examination of a blood sample. Diagnosing a Coagulation Fault is not nearly as challenging as determining the specific type of defect.
Excessive bleeding and a lack of clotting are always symptoms of a Coagulation Defect. These symptoms may manifest as excessive menstrual bleeding that may not resolve within a reasonable period of time, easily bruised skin, recurrent nose bleeds, bleeding gums and mouth, or excessive bleeding following dental procedure or childbirth. Additionally, red or purple blotches on the body or blood in the stool may emerge.
Complications of excessive bleeding caused by a Coagulation Defect include deep muscle bleeding, joint damage and destruction, rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, retinal bleeding, blindness, anemia, infections from blood transfusions, allergic reactions to clotting factor treatment, hemorrhaging, and death.
The type of Coagulation Defect determines the course of treatment. Plasma transfusion, platelet transfusion, and factor replacement are all frequently used treatments. Furthermore, any underlying reasons must be addressed (for example, supplementation for a Vitamin K deficiency, or treatment of leukemia for leukemia-related Coagulation Defects).
Applying for Social Security Disability after being diagnosed with a Coagulation Defect
Coagulation Defects are classified by the Social Security Administration under Section 7.08 of the section on Hematological Disorders (hemophilia or a similar disorder). SSA requires laboratory proof of inherited (genetic) Coagulation Defects. Disease prevention therapy used to treat the Coagulation Defect’s symptoms will not suffice to establish a disability case. To qualify for a favorable finding, the condition must be present in conjunction with spontaneous hemorrhaging needing transfusion at least three times within the five months before the time SSA considers your case. The SSA does not address coagulation problems caused by other diseases or situations. In some instances, it is probably prudent to describe both the diseases or circumstances that contributed to your Coagulation Defect and the defect itself in your Social Security exhibit file.
Your Case for Disability Due to Coagulation Defects
If you are handicapped as a result of a severe Coagulation Defect, you may qualify for Social Security benefits. Although proving that you are totally disabled due to Coagulation defects is more difficult to prove than other disabling conditions, collaborating with medical professionals and a qualified Social Security Disability attorney or advocate to collect and present the necessary documentation to support your disability claim before the Disability Determination Services (DDS) reviews your Coagulation Defect disability case has the best chance of success.