A hole in the heart is one of the most common congenital heart deformities. Most of the congenital heart diseases (CHD) may be harmless and may not cause any long-term problem; but some of them are problematic and may require intensive care and treatment. A hole in the heart is one such congenital heart disease (CHD) and comes under the category of disability.
What is Congenital Heart Defect and It Qualifies for Disability?
A congenital heart disease refers to the deformities in the structure of the heart. Unfortunate are those children who are born with these defects as they require medical attention as soon as possible. Other popular congenital deformities include:
- Obstructed blood flow
- Deformed blood vessels
- Abnormalities of heart valve.
The symptoms of the congenital heart defects depend on the type and intensity of the deformity but few of the common symptoms include abnormal heart rate, arrhythmias, rapid breathing, fatigue, bluish skin, sometimes fainting, shortness of breath etc. The problems increases when the person exercise; he may get tired very soon and very easily. The treatment for CHD include medication (if the condition is mild) heart catheterization, open heart surgery, valve replacement and if the heart is too damaged, a heart transplant is also done. The forecast for a child who is suffering from CHD depends on the severity of the problem.
A hole in the heart is a layman’s term for describing a congenital defect of human heart. It is a condition in which there is actual hole present in between the walls separating the heart chambers. If the hole is present on the atrium wall i.e. between the top parts of the heart it is known as the Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) and if it is present on the lower walls or the ventricular wall it is known as Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD).
Is Hole In The Heart A Disability?
Because the hole in the heart is listed as a disability under the CHD listing, the Supplementary Security Income (SSI) provides disability benefits to the children suffering from the congenital heart defects. However before the children are considered as disabled by the SSI and take benefit, they need to be considered as ‘disabled’ according to the definition of Social security Administration (SSA). The benefits from SSI also depend on the financial status of the child’s parents. If the parents have a strong financial status and possess too many assets like property, stocks, pensions etc, the child may not get any SSI benefits even if he or she is considered as disabled according to the SSA definition.
Is Your Child Eligible for SSI Benefit?
If your child is suffering from CHD or has a hole in the heart which has resulted in severe limitations in his activities and the condition has lasted or is about to last for a year or may result in the child’s death, then your child is eligible for SSI benefits for disability. For checking out the functional limitations of your child, take help of the Social Security. However there are some medical situations which are extremely severe and they get easily approved by the social security team. These conditions are listed under the “Impairment Listing”. Many of the congenital heart defects are also included in this listing. Each listing has its own particular set of criteria which must be fulfilled in order to get the approval for disability benefits.
Conclusion
A hole in the heart is a layman’s term for describing a congenital defect of human heart. It is a condition in which there is actual hole present in between the walls separating the heart chambers. This condition comes under the congenital heart defects which makes the child eligible for the SSI benefits. Sometimes the procedure for getting the disability benefits becomes very lengthy and tedious. If the application for the benefits is not approved in the first trial, you can take the help of a disability attorney.
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