Info Library

Is dysautonomia disabling?

Yes, dysautomia can be disabling. If you are dealing with dysautonomia and struggling with dizziness, fatigue, or difficulty remaining upright, the issue is usually not just the diagnosis — it is whether your symptoms prevent you from working consistently on a full-time basis.

Dysautonomia claims are often challenging because symptoms can fluctuate, are not always visible, and may not be fully captured through standard testing. Insurers frequently argue that a claimant can perform sedentary work, without accounting for the difficulty of maintaining posture, concentration, or reliability throughout the day.

This page explains when dysautonomia can qualify for long term disability benefits, what evidence matters most, and why these claims are often denied.

Even after the worst initial symptoms of COVID-19 have subsided, many COVID-19 patients experience lingering, often debilitating symptoms that could result in long term disability. The term “long haulers” has been used to describe those still coping with COVID-19 symptoms long after their first diagnosis. The number of COVID-19 long haulers could already be in the hundreds of thousands, as experts estimate as many as 10% of COVID-19 patients will classify as long haulers. Many may qualify for long term disability benefits.

Below we will examine the disabling symptoms commonly reported by long haulers, as well as how to determine whether you may be eligible for long term disability benefits if you are a COVID-19 long hauler.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (“CFS”), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (“ME”) or Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (“SEID”), is a debilitating, often misunderstood disease.  It is generally characterized by severe, overwhelming fatigue that does not improve with rest, and post-exertional malaise – or the inability to recover normally from even minimal physical or cognitive exertion. Individuals with CFS/ME also experience general weakness, cognitive problems, un-refreshing sleep, muscle or joint pain and flu-like symptoms. Unfortunately, there is no known treatment to cure this disease.