Facts about Asthma and Filing for DisabilityThese selected pages answer some of the most basic, but also some of the most important, questions for individuals who are considering filing a claim for disability benefits. Facts about the condition 1) Asthma is a worldwide issue, affecting nearly 300 million people ' which is 7 percent of the population. In the United States alone, asthma is the reason for nearly 4,000 deaths a year. 2) Asthma differs from chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in that the inflammation of asthma is able to be reversed (whether with medications or on its own) while the inflammation is not reversible in the other two. It also differs from emphysema due to emphysema affecting the alveoli, and asthma affecting the bronchi. 3) An asthma attack can be life threatening. A severe asthma attack is called status asthmaticus, and may lead to death. A severe asthma attack may be marked by numb limbs, loss of consciousness, chest pain, and turning blue due to lack of oxygen. 4) At least 25 genes have been identified as determining factors in asthma caused by genetics. 5) While asthma may be caused by genetic factors, it is also caused by environmental factors such as bad air quality and indoor air pollutants such as tobacco smoke, or allergens such as dander from household pets, grass pollen, mold, and dust mites. 6) Scientific studies have found that psychological stress may also trigger an asthma attack by adjusting the immune system and increasing the inflammatory response to irritants and allergens. 7) It has been found that children delivered by Caesarean section are 20 percent more likely to develop asthma than those delivered by vaginal birth. 8) Doctors use a device known as a 'peak flow meter' to measure a person's airflow and determine the amount of airway obstruction. 9) The most common medication used for asthma is inhaled glucocorticoids, and the most common (and only) preventative means for asthma is immunotherapy. Qualifying for disability benefits with this condition Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements and treatment notes that may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It also includes discharge summaries from hospital stays, reports of imaging studies (such as xrays, MRIs, and CT scans) and lab panels (i.e. bloodwork) as well as reports from physical therapy. In many disability claims, it may also include the results of a report issued by an independent physician who examines you at the request of the Social Security Administration.
Qualifying for SSD or SSI benefits will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. In the case of adults, your work history information will allow a disability examiner (examiners make decisions at the initial claim and reconsideration appeal levels, but not at the hearing level where a judges decides the outcome of the case) to A) classify your past work, B) determine the physical and mental demands of your past work, C) decide if you can go back to a past job, and D) whether or not you have the ability to switch to some type of other work. The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities).
Why are so many disability cases lost at the disability application and reconsideration appeal levels? There are several reasons but here are just two: 1) Social Security makes no attempt to obtain a statement from a claimant's treating physician. By contrast, at the hearing level, a claimant's disability attorney or disability representative will generally obtain and present this type of statement to a judge. Note: it is not enough for a doctor to simply state that their patient is disabled. To satisy Social Security's requirements, the physician must list in what ways and to what extent the individual is functionally limited. For this reason, many representatives and attorneys request that the physician fill out and sign a specialized medical source statement that captures the correct information. Solid Supporting statements from physicians easily make the difference between winning or losing a disability case at the hearing level. 2) Prior to the hearing level, a claimant will not have the opportunity to explain how their condition limits them, nor will their attorney or representative have the opportunity to make a presentation based on the evidence of the case. This is because at the initial levels of the disability system, a disability examiner decides the case without meeting the claimant. The examiner may contact the claimant to gather information on activities of daily living and with regard to medical treatment or past jobs, but usually nothing more. At the hearing level, however, presenting an argument for approval based on medical evidence that has been obtained and submitted is exactly what happens. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Related Body System Impairments: Asthma and Filing for Disability Asbestosis and Filing for Disability Bronchiectasis and Filing for Disability COPD and Filing for Disability Cystic Fibrosis and Filing for Disability Emphysema and Filing for Disability Lung Disease and Filing for Disability Pneumonia and Filing for Disability Sarcoidosis and Filing for Disability Sleep Apnea and Filing for Disability Tuberculosis and Filing for Disability COPD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Asthma, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits If you apply for disability in Tennessee Will I qualify for disability Benefits Tennessee Getting a Disability Lawyer in Tennessee |
