Everyday People Matter

How Asthma Can Affect Quality of Life and Increase Disability

On Behalf of | May 27, 2021 | Asthma

Most people who think of asthma think of this as a childhood condition that results in occasional wheezing.  However, for many patients, asthma continues well into adulthood, and can severely impact their ability to lead normal lives.

As many as one in 13 people in the country suffer from asthma. This is one of the more common respiratory conditions in the United States.  Males, for instance, are much more likely to suffer from asthma compared to females.  Minorities, especially African Americans, are more likely to be asthma patients than white Americans.

Common symptoms of asthma include shortness of breath, chronic cough and wheezing.  These symptoms can make it impossible for persons to participate in exerting activities. Playing sports, for instance, may be on the “to-avoid” list. This condition may also affect your ability to work. You may require frequent hospitalization, which makes it difficult to have continuous employment.

Additionally, a person who suffers from asthma may not be able to perform vigorous manual work.  A person suffering from allergic asthma may find symptoms much more profound during certain seasons. An attack can last for days, or even weeks, and patients may have to be hospitalized.  Some episodes of chronic asthma, for instance, can last for several days. Persons suffering from allergic asthma or chronic bronchitis can have these types of episodes.

There are varying degrees of asthma which means that being a patient by itself will not be sufficient to make you eligible for Social Security disability benefits.  The Social Security Administration requires your asthma to be chronic or long – lasting, which means that it should last for at least a day or 2 at a time, in order for you to be eligible for benefits.