Chronic Heart Failure & Social Security Benefits
Table of Contents
What is Chronic Heart Failure?
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a medical condition characterized by decreased cardiac output due to inadequate ventricular contraction. Shortness of breath, tiredness and ankle edema are all common clinical symptoms of CHF.
Heart failure — often called congestive heart failure — occurs when the heart muscle does not function properly. When this occurs, blood frequently becomes backed up, and fluid can accumulate in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath.
Certain cardiac disorders, such as restricted coronary arteries (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, gradually weaken or stiffen the heart, making it incapable of effectively filling and pumping blood.
Appropriate treatment can alleviate the signs and symptoms of heart failure and may even extend the life of some patients. Changes in your lifestyle, such as losing weight, exercising, consuming less salt (sodium), and controlling stress, can enhance your quality of life. Heart failure, on the other hand, can be fatal. Heart failure patients may experience severe symptoms, and some may require a heart transplant or ventricular assist device (VAD).
One strategy is to prevent and control risk factors for heart failure, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
Chronic Heart Failure Symptoms
The following symptoms characterize CHF:
- On exertion, dyspnea
- Fatigue is a factor that contributes to a person’s inability to tolerate exercise
- Orthopnea: the patient may be utilizing multiple pillows to alleviate this condition.
- Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND): episodes of severe nighttime shortness of breath that are alleviated by sitting up (pathognomonic for CHF).
- Coughing at night, with or without the distinctive ‘pink frothy sputum.’
- Pre-syncope/syncope
- Appetite suppression
Chronic Heart Failure Social Security Disability Case
If you meet all of the standards outlined in the bluebook, available on the Social Security Administration’s website, you should have no difficulty qualifying for benefits due to chronic heart failure.
A lot goes into applying for social security disability benefits; fortunately, there are attorneys who specialize in this type of work. Rather than going through the effort of doing it on your own and risking making errors that could result in your application being denied, consider having your case reviewed by a qualified Social Security Disability Attorney.
Request a no-cost evaluation from a social security disability attorney expert.