Heart valve disorder can lead to the inability to work. Your heart is supposed to filter blood and send it throughout the rest of the body. To do this, the heart pumps blood through the four valves inside of it. When the valves aren’t working properly, either because they are too narrow or allow leakage backwards, which restrict the body from receiving healthy blood flow. Every year there are about 8 million Americans diagnosed with the condition.
Heart Valve Disorder And Your Ability To Perform Physical Work
If the condition advances, it may become impossible to work. The condition is treated with surgery, lifestyles changes, and prescription medications. To qualify for Social Security Disability benefits with cardiac conditions, your claim will be reviewed under Section 4.00 of the Blue Book, which refers to cardiovascular disorders. Specific listings that apply to this condition include Section 4.02, which refers to chronic heart failure with at least three episodes of acute heart failure during a 12-month period with symptoms that seriously limit your ability to do your daily activities without help.
Section 4.04 refers to ischemic heart disease, which occurs despite prescribed treatment and leads to the inability to perform an exercise tolerance test of at least 5 METS because of low systolic pressure, depression, or documented ischemia because you suffer from fatigue, low systolic pressure, decreased blood flow to the brain, premature ventricular contractions, difficulty breathing, or decreased blood flow to the brain. Section 4.05 may also be applicable as it refers to non-reversible recurrent arrhythmias that are apparent in clinical tests at least 3 times during a 12-month period that results in multiple fainting spells or periods of altered consciousness.
Atrial Fibrillation And Your Ability To Perform Sedentary Work
The least strenuous kind of work that you can perform is sedentary work. Before you are awarded disability benefits, Disability Determination Services must determine that you are unable to perform sedentary work. If you suffer from loss of consciousness, fainting spells, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and decreased blood flow to the brain, it can be difficult to sit or stand for a long period. This may keep you from performing sedentary work.
Your medical records must include test results that indicate the severity of your condition and confirm your diagnosis. You will want to show what symptoms and side effects that you suffer from because of the condition. With the more medical evidence that you have that supports your claim, the more likely you are to be approved for disability benefits.
Consult With A Disability Attorney
If you are unable to work because of heart valve disorder, you should consult with a Social Security Disability lawyer. You can start the application process online at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213 and talking with a representative or by scheduling an appointment at your nearest SSA field office. The claims process can be challenging and is dependent on supporting documentation, so you should enlist a lawyer’s help to make sure you get your claim on the right track.
Additional Resources
