Facts about Hydrocephalus 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. Hydrocephalus is a condition of excess fluid in the brain, called cerebrospinal fluid. It is somewhat common, but is not a commonly known condition. This condition is also known as Water on the Brain, due to the primary characteristic of extra fluid being blocked in the brain's ventricles (cavities). 2. Hippocrates, a Greek physician often discussed in ancient history class, first described this condition. 3. There are around 700,000 people ' adults and children ' with the condition. However, perhaps due to lack of social awareness and therefore advocacy, there is not much work being done in the scientific research community to treat or cure hydrocephalus. 4. 1960 was the first time a cerebral shunt was implanted in the brain to redirect the excess fluid. This became the primary method of treatment and is mostly the same some 50 years later. Shunts are not particularly reliable treatment, and often fail and must be replaced. 5. There are almost 200 known causes of hydrocephalus. It is usually due to a blockage keeping the fluid from moving out of the brain. In babies, this can come from brain hemorrhage during premature birth. 6. The extra fluid increases the pressure in the brain, causing complications such as convulsions and brain damage. The severity of symptoms varies throughout individuals. Intellectual disability from brain damage is rare if the condition is caught and treated early. 7. Symptoms can include headaches, nausea and vomiting, sleepiness or even coma. In babies and toddlers the head may be enlarged. Learning disabilities are common as are problems with movement and vision. Some children may develop seizures. 8. Death rates have greatly decreased due to shunt treatment, from 54 percent to only 5 percent. Overall, the rate of intellectual disability has increased by about 30 percent, due to those with more severe hydrocephalus surviving but being more likely to have complications. the 7 a p rmine if symptoms are caused by Huntington's. If one of the individual's parents has had Huntington's, the individual has a 50-50 chance of having the gene. Therefore, genetic testing can be done at any age to determine if the genetic mutation is present. 8. Genetic testing is emotionally tricky, since some people may feel tormented wondering if they will contract the condition, whereas others may feel burdened by the knowledge that they will sometime develop it. Genetic counseling is offered before and after the testing to help with this difficult decision and knowledge. 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: Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI with Multiple Sclerosis MS Why Is It Hard to be Found Disabled for Social Security Disability or SSI for Seizures? Do You Automatically Get Approved For Disability If You Had A Stroke? Facts about Mini Strokes and Filing for Disability Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Seizure Disorder, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Why is Charcot-marie-tooth not on the Social Security Disability list of impairments? Charcot-marie-tooth disease and Filing for Disability Social Security Disability SSI and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Dystonia and Filing for Disability Dysautonomia and Filing for Disability Grand Mal Seizures and Filing for Disability Narcolepsy, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Epilepsy and Filing for Disability Hydrocephalus and Filing for Disability Memory Loss and Filing for Disability Facts about Stroke and Filing for Disability Getting a Disability Lawyer in Minnesota Will I need a Social Security Disability Lawyer in Michigan? |
