You might be entitled to social security benefits for sleep related breathing problems. A sleep related breathing disorder is caused when you periodically stop breathing while sleeping. An awesome article about Breathing Related Sleep Disorders was written by Dr. Mary E. Catletto at eMedicine.com.

This article explains what causes sleep related breathing disorders, what a doctor looks for on physical examination, common complaints and symptoms, the studies that are done to diagnosis this condition, and how it is treated.

For Social Security disability purposes, a disturbed sleep pattern and associated chronic nocturnal hypoxemia can cause daytime sleepiness, chronic pulmonary hypertension, and disturbances in your cognitive functioning.

Daytime sleepiness can affect your memory, orientation, and personality. The Social Security administration will want to see your longitudinal medical treatment records to evaluate your mental functioning. If you’re having difficulty with gainful work, the Social Security administration will want to see the physiological basis for your impairment which may be chronic cor pulomole which I have discussed in an earlier posting.

Chronic hypoxemia due to episodic apnea can also cause pulmonary hypertension.

The Social Security administration will evaluate a sleep related breathing disorders under Listing 3.09 Chronic Cor Pulmonale.

If you fall asleep during the day you might have a disturbance in your cognitive abilities and functioning. The Social Security administration will evaluate any impairment of your cognitive functioning under Organic Mental Disorder Listings 12.02.

Before you file a claim for Social Security disability benefits for a sleep-related breathing disorder, I suggest you keep a diary or log of the problems you are having sleeping, how long you sleep, whether you fall asleep during the day and what problems you have with concentration and memory and your personality as a result of your sleeping problems. I am sure that a family member can help you with that log and I suggest that they keep their own diary. Be sure to submit that with your claim materials and keep a copy for your records.

Another thing you can do to tip the odds in your favor is to consult an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer such as Nancy Cavey or Sharon Barrett.

Posted May 23rd 2008 to Listing of Impairments,Social Security Benefits for Respiratory Problems | Comments (0)| Permalink | Trackback |  Print This Post |  Email This Post

If you have pneumoconiosis, you can get Social Security benefits.

Pneumoconiosis is a term that describes lung diseases that include, but is not limited to, coal-worker’s pneumoconiosis or BLACK LUNG disease. Pneumoconiosis is caused by breathing in dust from COAL, graphite, man-made carbon, IRON, SILICA, BAUXITE, ALUMINUM, cotton, diacetyl, ASBESTOS, and other particulant matter. The symptoms include shortness of breath or chronic cough. It complications can include failure of the right side of your heart or pulmonary tuberculosis. An excellent article on this disease is found at MEDLINEplus here.

Pneumoconiosis is evaluated under the criteria found in listing 3.02 Chronic Pulmonary Insufficiency.

The Social Security administration will evaluate the severity of the obstruction by using a chart based on your height and forced expiratory volume (FEV1) results from spirometric testing. For example, if you are 72 inches tall without shoes, your FEV1 must be equal to or less than 1.65.

The appropriate testing must establish that you have meet Table I of Listing Of Impairments 3.02 to be granted Social Security disability benefits.

If you have Pneumoconiosis and think you should file for social security benefits, please contact Nancy Cavey by clicking here or calling 727.894.3188.

Posted May 22nd 2008 to Listing of Impairments,Social Security Benefits for Respiratory Problems | Comments (0)| Permalink | Trackback |  Print This Post |  Email This Post

Can you get Social Security disability benefits for bronchiectasis?

Bronchiectasis is a destruction and widening of the large airways caused by a recurrent inflammation or infection. You can be born with it or it can develop as a complication from infection.

Cystic fibrosis causes 50% of all bronchiectasis. Recurrent lung infections such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, or fungal infections can predispose you to bronchiectasis.

Symptoms can include chronic cough, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, weight loss, fatigue, coming of fingers, wheezing, illness, or breath odor.

It is diagnosed based on a chest x-ray, chest CT, sputum culture, CBC, sweat test, or other cystic fibrosis testing, serum immunoglobulin analysis and testing for antibodies to fungus aspergillus.

For more information about bronchiectasis, go to Medline plus.

The Social Security administration requires that bronchiectasis be demonstrated by appropriate imaging techniques.

For this condition to be severe enough to meet the Social Security Administration’s Listing 3.07, the claimant must have:

1. Impairment of pulmonary function due to extensive disease. This is evaluated under the criteria found in listing 3.02 Chronic Pulmonary Insufficiency; OR
2. Episodes of bronchitis, pneumonia, blood streaked sputum or respiratory failure, as appropriately documented, requiring physician intervention, occurring at loose once every two months or at lease six times a year. Each inpatient hospitalization for longer than 24 months for treatment counts as two episodes. An evaluation of at least 12 consecutive months must be used to determine the frequency of episodes.

If you meet these requirements, you can claim Social Security disability for bronchiectasis. You should consult Florida Social Security lawyer Nancy Cavey for assistance.

You can also check out the listing here.

Posted May 22nd 2008 to Listing of Impairments,Social Security Benefits for Respiratory Problems | Comments (1)| Permalink | Trackback |  Print This Post |  Email This Post

Cor pulmonale is a failure of the right side of the heart cause by prolonged high blood pressure. Chronic lung diseases cause prolonged low blood oxygen that cause this condition as does cystic fibrosis.

The Social Security administration requires that cor pulmonale secondary to chronic pulmonary vascular hypertension. The symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, swelling of the feet or ankles, and chest discomfort.

This condition is diagnosed by echo-cardiogram, chest x-ray, CAT scan of the chest, pulmonary function tests, Swan-Ganz catheterization, V/Q scan, measurement of blood oxygen by arterial blood gas (ABG), or blood antibody tests.

It is difficult to meet a listing as you must have clinical evidence of signs and laboratory findings of right ventricular overload or failure. The Social Security Administration will not help you develop this evidence by purchasing any diagnostic studies.

For this condition to be severe enough to meet the Social Security administration’s Listing 3.09, the claimant must have a clinical evidence, as outlined above with:

1. Mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 40 mm Hg; OR
2. Arterial hypoxemia evaluated under criteria 3.02 C2; OR
3. meeting the criteria and listing 4.02 Chronic Heart Failure

If you don’t meet a listing, you must develop medical and vocational evidence that establishes you cannot return to your past relevant work and are unemployable in the national labor market.

Treatment of this condition includes the use of calcium channel blockers which have significant side effects. Other treatment includes supplemental oxygen which limits your mobility. Severe fluid retention and a medication used to treat the retention may require you to go to the bathroom a lot. Shortness of breath, side effects of medication, and needing to use the bathroom frequently, all impact your employability and are significant factors that you need to present in support of your Social Security disability claim.

You can click here for more information.

Consider consulting with Social Security lawyer Nancy Cavey or Sharon Barrett if you have any questions. They can be contacted by clicking here or by calling 727.894.3188.

Posted May 20th 2008 to Listing of Impairments,Social Security Benefits for Respiratory Problems | Comments (0)| Permalink | Trackback |  Print This Post |  Email This Post

Obesity is a medically determinable impairment that also causes respiratory impairment. The combined effects of obesity and the respiratory impairment can be greater than the effects of each of the individual impairments considered alone.

Therefore, the Social Security administration is directed under the Listing of Impairments – Section 3.00 I. Effects of Obesity to consider the obesity and respiratory impairment individually and in any combination.

Even if you don’t meet a listing, the Social Security administration must consider the effects of obesity and respiratory problems together to determine if you are able to return to your past relevant work or are unemployable in the national labor market given your age, education, and transferable skills.

Social Security disability claims for the effects of obesity can be won at the listing stage or by developing the medical and vocational evidence and establishes the cumulative effects of your obesity and respiratory problems.

To find Section 3.00 I. Effects of Obesity, click here.

For assistance contact St. Petersburg Florida Social Security lawyers Sharon Barrett and Nancy Cavey by clicking here or by calling 727.894.3188.

Posted May 20th 2008 to Listing of Impairments,Social Security Benefits for Respiratory Problems | Comments (0)| Permalink | Trackback |  Print This Post |  Email This Post