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Common Conditions that Cause Disability

• Arthritis and other musculoskeletal problems. These are the most common causes of long-term disability. They make up as much as a third of all disability cases. Arthritis is probably the biggest single cause. About one in three people say that arthritis affects their ability to do their jobs in some way, according to the CDC. Other muscle and joint problems -- bad backs, bones that never mend, bad hips -- are common causes of disability too, says Matt Tassey, past chairman of the nonprofit Life and Health insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE).

• Heart disease and stroke.While we tend to think of cardiovascular disease in terms of sudden medical events -- like a heart attack or stroke -- it's often a chronic condition. People live with heart disease for years or decades. It can severely limit their ability to work. Studies estimate that heart disease is now the reason for 17% of all health costs in the U.S.

• Cancer. While cancer itself can be disabling, treatments such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can also make it difficult to work.
"Cancer is the fastest-growing cause for disability claims," Tassey says. Why? In part, this reflects a rising rate of cancer, he says. It could also result from more effective treatment. "We're doing medical miracles today," he says. "People are living much longer after a cancer diagnosis than they once did."

• Mental health problems. You might think of disability as physical, but mental health problems can make work difficult or impossible. Depression, bipolar disorder, and other conditions can be as disabling as any physical illness. Mental health problems are the most common reason that people file for Social Security disability, Tassey tells WebMD.

• Diabetes. As a cause of disability, diabetes is rising fast, Tassey says. Along with obesity, it's linked to a number of serious health problems, like heart disease.

Diabetes is a costly disease to manage too, in part because of the drugs and supplies.

Typically, treating it without health insurance costs between $350 and $900 a month.

• Nervous system disorders. This category includes a number of conditions --
multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, ALS, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and other conditions that affect the brain or nerves. MS is a leading cause of disability in young adults. It most often appears between ages 20 and 40.

• Pregnancy. You might not think about pregnancy as a disabling condition.

Since most women in the U.S. don't get paid maternity leave, it effectively is. The Family and Medical Leave Act offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. However, it isn't available to many women who are self-employed, work at small businesses, or who haven't worked long enough with an employer to be eligible. Some employers and a few states offer women short-term disability payments for pregnancy. The rest have to get by using sick days and vacation.

Long-term disability caused by pregnancy is relatively rare.Women who wind up needing bed rest while they're pregnant or who suffer from complications afterward -- like postpartum depression -- can face serious financial stress.

• Accidents. Although surveys show that people assume accidents are the most likely cause of disability, they are actually the cause of less than 10% of disability cases. This category includes not only accidents at home or on the road, but accidental poisoning too.

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/features/top-causes-disability