Can You Get Disability Benefits For Tinnitus?
Yes, you can get disability benefits for tinnitus if you can provide the necessary proof of your disability. You must provide medical records showing that even proper medical treatment is not improving your health. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will also need to see how your tinnitus is impacting your ability to work.
If you can show that your tinnitus is making it difficult or impossible for you to do your job, you may be able to qualify for disability benefits. The SSA will review your case and determine if you meet their definition of disability.
What is Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is a medical condition in which you will hear noises in either one or both ears. The noises can be buzzing, clicking, hissing, or ringing. The symptoms can be severe enough to adversely impact your health. The noise can either be low pitch or high pitch, a symptom that varies from person to person.
Some of the various other symptoms of tinnitus include loss of sleep or sleep apnea, and poor memory. These symptoms can further result in anxiety, depression, and extreme fatigue. In some cases, the condition can also cause hearing impairment and ear problems, and even problems in the nose and throat.
Is Tinnitus a Disability?
Yes, Tinnitus is regarded as a disability that has long-term consequences. It can even prove to be chronic after receiving continuous medical treatment. A disability attorney can help you get Social Security benefits for tinnitus.
Generally, people suffer from two types of tinnitus, namely objective and subjective. Objective tinnitus affects people’s ears. A healthcare professional will be able to detect a pulsating motion in the ear or a noise in the ears. In subjective tinnitus, the doctor is unable to hear any noise or sound. The subjective type of tinnitus is more common.
Some of the tests that can prove your condition include hearing or audiological testing, cognitive testing, or any confirmation given by a qualified doctor. In some cases, it might be difficult for those with the subjective type of this condition to receive long-term disability benefits.
Does Tinnitus Qualify for Disability?
It is possible to qualify for disability for tinnitus and receive SSDI or SSI benefits. The SSA’s Blue Book, which is the list of all qualifying disabilities, classifies it as a hearing ailment. This kind of hearing impairment is listed under section 2.00, Special Senses and Speech – Adults.
Tinnitus is a disabling condition that impacts 1 in 5 people. However, there is no particular listing for this ailment. The disorder is mostly evaluated under listing 2.07 as a Disturbance of Labyrinthine vestibular function. As per this listing, you must have a prior history of balance disturbance or loss of hearing, which can be proven by an audiometry test.
If you do not meet the requirements under this listing, you may qualify under listing 2.10, which describes hearing loss that is not curable with cochlear implantation. People who have a serious hearing loss disorder can qualify under this listing.
Apart from meeting the impairment listing, you can prove that your condition is preventing you from doing any work and earning an income. The SSA measures earning potential by determining an individual’s substantial gainful activity. To prove this, you must have proper medical records along with testing that proves your disability.
In addition to this, you must also have your vocational work history and any functional requirements of the jobs that you want to perform but are unable to do. You must also prove the limitations that are preventing you from engaging in any type of work.
Different factors are reviewed with your application such as age, job skills, education level, work history, and any training. All of these parameters will determine whether you are qualified or not based on your functional limitations.
What Happens When Your Initial Claim Gets Rejected?
The initial application will be rejected if there is not enough proper evidence to prove your disability. You will likely need to provide more evidence than just medical records or statements from your doctor. There is other necessary evidence that may be required by the Social Security Administration.
This can be your past work, physical and mental condition while you were working, and your job skills. All these and various other requirements need to be analyzed for your application to be approved.
Social Security grants the benefits based on your functional constraints and not only based on your condition. You can file an appeal if your initial application gets denied. A legal expert can provide guidance on how to proceed with the appeals process. A Social Security Disability Attorney will analyze your case from a completely different point of view and increase the chances of getting your benefits approved.