Despite all the best medical efforts to treat chronic congestive heart failure, significant problems may continue resulting in individuals unable to perform work duties.
Simply put, heart failure occurs when the heart does not pump well enough for the body’s needs. There are many possible causes including coronary artery disease resulting in narrowing of the arteries. Other causes are valvular heart problems, congenital heart defects, excessive alcohol use, virus infections and high blood pressure. Other reasons may increase the risk o heart disease such as diabetes and obesity.
Symptoms of heart failure may include shortness of breath, weakness, swelling of your legs and feet, a persistent cough and inability to lie flat in bed.
If one experiences such symptoms application for social security disability should be stongly considered. Due to the complex process of applying, an attorney dealing with disability cases should be strongly considered. He will assist you in gathering all medical evidence from your treating doctors. In general what social security is looking for is evidence of several indicators of chronic heart failure showing an enlarged heart by x-ray with lung congestion, evidence of inability of poor heart function such as what physican’s call a marked decrease in ejection fraction, Associated with these laboratory findings would be signs of ongoing heart failure such as shortness of breath with only mild exertion, swelling of legs or abdomen and general weakness.