Social Security Disability Law: News and Facts

 Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear resulting in recurrent vertigo, loss of balance, ringing in the ears, and deafness.  Vertigo is a common symptom of Meniere’s Disease, and people who suffer from this disorder often feel a sense of spinning due to this symptom. The spinning sensation can lead to chronic nausea and vomiting. While vertigo is not always present, each episode will last between 20 minutes and several hours. Hearing loss is another symptom that occurs regularly with Meniere’s Disease, and any degree of hearing loss experienced with the disorder is permanent. People who suffer from Meniere’s Disease may experience tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears that can affect concentration. Most symptoms of Meniere’s Disease can be successfully managed with medication, but people who have severe cases of this disorder may need to pursue surgical intervention. Injections in the inner ear can also be used for treatment purposes. Symptoms that are not success...

Hearing Loss is the third most common health problem that Americans experience in the United States. Hearing loss is the total or significant loss of the ability to hear sound. There are several causes of hearing loss such as age, genetics, noise exposure and illness. When an individual beginnings to lose his or her hearing, their quality of life may become affected. He or she will no longer be able to engage in conversations the same and may start to seclude themselves from typical social engagements. The individual will also lose their ability to listen to music and hear basic everyday noises such as doorbells and alarms. The symptoms of hearing loss vary depending on what caused the hearing loss. Symptoms include: -Muffled sounds and noises -Vertigo or dizziness -Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) -Pain within the ears -Ear pressure -Sensitivity to sound -Speech delay (in children) For many people, hearing loss occurs slowly over time and can be difficult to notice. The person’s family a...

Tinnitus can be a severe medical condition, therefore it should be listed if a person is filing for SSD or SSI disability benefits. This condition is most often classified as a hearing impairment. If it were listed in the SSA Blue Book impairment listings, it would be covered in the adult listings section 2.00, Special Senses and Speech - Adult.  It is most often evaluated under listing 2.07, Disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function. The listing requires a history of frequent attacks of balance disturbance, tinnitus, and progressive loss of hearing verified by an audiometry test. If a person cannot meet this listing they may be evaluated under listing 2.10, Hearing loss not treated with cochlear implantation. There are more than 37 million American adults experiencing some kind of hearing loss. Approximately one-fourth of the adults older than 65 experience disabling hearing loss. The numbers are lower with younger groups, and some 60,000 U.S. adults have undergone cochlear ...