Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS) is caused by a severe allergic reaction to the skin and mucus membranes due to the use of various drugs, medications and illnesses. SJS causes symptoms include severe skin reactions like blistering, painful skin and a red or purple rash that spreads. This may sound bad enough, but SJS can lead to complications that are much worse if it goes undiagnosed and untreated.
Of the complications that you can get, some of them are even fatal. It is for this reason that a diagnosis should be sought and treatment begun as early as possible. You should know just how dangerous the potential complications are when dealing with Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Some of the more worrisome complications are:
- Secondary skin infection (cellulitis). This is an acute infection of your skin that can be fatal. For example, it can lead to meningitis, which is when your membranes get infected and liquid starts forming around your brain and spinal cord.
- Sepsis. Sepsis happens when bacteria gets into your bloodstream so that it can spread to other parts of your body. Sepsis progresses very fast and can be life-threatening if it causes shock and organ failure.
- Eye problems. Inflammation in your eyes can happen from the red or purple rash that develops in most SJS patients. In its mild form, it causes nothing beyond irritations or dry eyes. However, in its more severe forms, it can cause a significant amount of tissue damage and scarring that can eventually lead to blindness.
- Internal Organ Damage. You can get lesions on your internal organs if you have Steven Johnson Syndrome. Stevens Johnson syndrome can inflame your lungs, heart, kidneys and even your liver.
- Permanent skin damage. Once your skin grows back after successful treatment of SJS, you will likely have some scarring, odd bumps or miscoloring. These skin conditions can even make your hair fall out and prevent your fingernails and toenails from growing normally.
If you suffer from any of these severe complications during your treatment of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, you might find that your standard disability insurance doesn’t properly cover your expenses. However, there is good news. You may be eligible for compensation if your SJS was caused by RX medications like Tylenol, Motrin, Dilantin, Advil and Daypro among others. An experienced disability insurance lawyer can help you with that.