What are the leading causes of disability?
Disabilities are as varied as the people who have them. Disabilities don’t discriminate on the basis of gender, race or religion and not even on the basis of age. There are, however, some leading culprits that disable more Americans than other conditions do.
The leading cause of disability? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the leader is arthritis.
More than 8.6 million Americans battle arthritis or rheumatism every day. For some, the disease has advanced to a stage that prevents them from working. For others, the fight against the pain, fatigue and stiffness goes on at home and at their jobs.
The second leading cause of disability in the U.S. is back or spine pain. More than 7.6 million must deal with these painful conditions, the CDC says.
Here are the rest of the top ten causes of disability, in order:
- Heart problems and cardiovascular disease: 3 million-plus sufferers
- Depression or other mental conditions: 2.2 million
- Lung and respiratory problems: 2.2 million
- Deafness or hearing difficulties: 1.9 million
- Deformity of limbs or extremities: 1.6 million
- Blindness or eyesight problems: 1.5 million
- Stroke: 1.1 million
Statistics show that the odds of becoming disabled before you hit retirement age are approximately one out of three.
There are, of course, other common causes of disabilities, including nervous system and immune system disorders that can include Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.
When one of these conditions, or any of the many other disabling conditions, prevents you from working, it is time to weigh your options, including Social Security disability insurance benefits. If you have an SSDI claim denied, speak with a Denver attorney experienced in SSDI appeals.
