Articles Tagged with asthma

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Roughly 9% of all senior citizens in the United States suffer from asthma. As the numbers of people above the age of 65 with this condition increase, doctors are warning of a spike in the number of seniors who will find it difficult to function as a result of asthmatic symptoms.

Asthma can cause breathing difficulties in all patients, but in patients above the age of 65, the symptoms may be even more pronounced. That is due to a number of reasons.

  • Seniors often suffer from a number of age-related conditions that cause symptoms to exacerbate. Those conditions can include weaker lungs and rigid chest walls that make breathing even more difficult during an attack.
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Asthma can result in breathlessness and extreme sensitivity to fumes, odor, smoke, dust particles, and a variety of other contaminants that may be present in a work environment. Therefore, it would seem that this condition should qualify for Social Security disability benefits.  It is, however, more complicated.

If you suffer from chronic asthmatic bronchitis, which means that you frequently suffer from asthma attacks that last for a minimum of one day, or suffer from asthma attacks at least six times a year, you may qualify for benefits. If you meet the above criteria, you must provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) medical documentation of your condition and symptoms, including a doctor’s summary, results of lab and diagnostic tests, evidence of hospitalization, and your results on asthma tests.

Some cases of asthma may be severe, but may not meet the above-mentioned criteria. What happens then? In such a case, SSA will usually consider your claim for disability benefits under the medical vocational allowance doctrine. This means that the agency will consider a number of factors including your age and work history, and will also determine your residual functional capacity.  This refers to your ability to perform any job to a reasonable extent.

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