Facts about Vertigo 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. Vertigo is the medical term for feeling dizzy, as though the room around you is moving but you are staying still. The condition is related to the sensory system responsible for balance and orientation. This is called the vestibular system, and it is located in the inner ear. When the vestibular system is not functioning properly, it can cause a false sense of movement, or dizziness. 2. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, vertigo that occurs with head movement, is the most common cause of vertigo. 3. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo causes episodes of dizziness that may be mild or intense. It typically happens if you turn your head a certain way such as looking up or down, lie down or sit and stand quickly, or turn over while lying down. 4. The symptoms of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo cause discomfort, but are not dangerous. The only serious health concerns for those with the condition are injuries from falling due to instability and dizziness, and dehydration if excess vomiting occurs. 5. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is treated with a variety of head movements, performed in a doctor's office and also at home. This should resolve condition over a matter of days. 6. Vestibular migraine is another common cause of vertigo. Vestibular migraines are migraines that include vertigo as a symptom, or the only symptom. 7. Meniere's disease is an uncommon condition affecting the inner ear and the sensory perceptions associated with it. The condition causes vertigo, ringing and pressure in the ears, nausea and vomiting, and progressive hearing loss. 8. It is estimated that about 600,000 people in the United States have the disease, and symptoms vary by individual. Vertigo may be the most severe and primary symptom, or ringing in the ears may be the most significant symptom. Most people will eventually lose at least some of their hearing. 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: Blepharospasm and Filing for Disability Glaucoma and Filing for Disability Macular Degeneration and Filing for Disability Meniere's Disease and Filing for Disability Optic Neuritis and Filing for Disability Tinnitus and Filing for Disability Vertigo and Filing for Disability Glaucoma, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits How long does it take to get a decision on disability in California? How to apply for SSI Disability in California How much does it cost to hire a Social Security Disability attorney in California? |
