If you have problems with your heart that are preventing you from doing your job effectively, you may very well be eligible for disability benefits. Among others, common cardiac ailments include:
- Congestive heart failure
- Valve problems
- Coronary artery disease
- Decrease in your heart’s capacity after a heart attack, and congenital heart disease.
In many cases, these types of cardiac problems often leave sufferers with a variety of significant symptoms, including the following:
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Restrictions on how much you can stand, lift and walk
- Inability to concentrate
- Depression and side effects from medications.
As you well know, having symptoms such as these can have a devastating effect on your ability to do your job, as well as on the quality of the work you do. This decrease in your productivity is not due to laziness or malice; it stems from a very real and often life-altering set of medical conditions that are well-documented by the Social Security Administration (SSA). A close working relationship with your doctors and a Chicago Illinois disability attorney can enable you to gather the evidence you need to plead your case to obtain the financial support you need during this difficult time.
How does the SSA determine eligibility for benefits based on heart problems? The SSA has developed a series of “listings” that specify what criteria must be met for various medical conditions. Listing 4.00 deals with heart-related issues. If you and your lawyer obtain supporting documentation from your physician showing that you meet Listing 4.00, you will often be approved for benefits, frequently without your even needing to prove that you have a reduced ability to perform substantial work.
What conditions are detailed in Listing 4.00?
They include:
- Chronic heart failure
- Ischemic heart disease
- Recurrent arrhythmias
- Symptomatic congenital heart disease
- Heart transplant
- Aneurysm of the aorta or other branches
- Chronic venous insufficiency, and peripheral arterial disease.
For each condition, the SSA clearly notes what symptoms must be documented by your medical professional. If your heart or vascular condition is severe enough to meet Listing level criteria, chances are very good that the administrative law judge hearing your case will find that you are unable to do even simple, unskilled work given the symptoms you are experiencing.
