Heart diseases are a leading cause of death and disability in our country. Cardiovascular impairments include any disorder that affects the proper functioning of the heart or the circulatory system (that is, arteries, veins, capillaries, and the lymphatic drainage). The heart can be damaged in many ways such as clogging of arteries or valve malfunction that cause heart attacks and other serious health-related issues. Cardio-vascular conditions can be congenital, hereditary or acquired.
Social Security divides cardiovascular disorders into four categories: chronic heart failure or ventricular dysfunction; discomfort or pain due to myocardial ischemia; syncope or near syncope due to inadequate cerebral perfusion from any cardiac cause; or central cyanosis due to right-to-left shunt, reduced arterial blood oxygen or pulmonary vascular disease. Disorders of the veins or arteries due, for example, to obstruction, rupture or aneurism may cause peripheral vascular disease, disorders of the central nervous system, the eyes, kidneys or other organs. Cardiovascular disease may be documented by many types of tests available today, including but not limited to blood tests, EKG, cardiac catheterization, coronary angiography, arteriograms, echocardiograms, MUGA scans, and stress tests.
Cardiovascular system impairments may cause disability if the condition or the secondary symptoms interfere with day-to-day functioning including by causing chest pain, shortness of breath, chest tightness, fatigue, weakness and difficulty performing exertional activities. Also, some of the medications used for cardiac conditions may have side effects which would interfere with the ability to work.
The Social Security criteria for determining disability due to cardiovascular system impairment is very complicated and may require the assistance of the treating internist and cardiologist.
In order to prove your disability to Social Security, you need to either document that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria found in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or, if you are an adult, that your condition and symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work. If you are a child under 18, you must similarly show that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or that your condition or conditions functionally equals the Commissioner's regulations. The law firm of Sheryl Gandel Mazur has experienced disability attorneys and has been representing individuals in their Social Security disability appeals for over twenty five years. Let us help you receive your Social Security disability benefits.
Our disability law firm represents individuals:
- In filing their initial disability applications
- In handling cases at the initial level including appealing initial denials
- In handling cases at the reconsideration level including appealing reconsideration denials
- In handling cases at the hearings level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Appeals Council level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Federal Court level
This firm also handles SSI child's disability cases at all levels.
Organizations: American Heart Association (http://www.americanheart.org/).
