Hearing Impaired Disability Benefits

In the present times, being disabled is not a rarity. In fact, a research done by insurance.com has shown that one out of every eight people become disabled in one or the other every year. For men in their thirties, this is a ratio of one in every five and for women in their thirties, this becomes one in every three.

Although most people suffer from disabilities as a result of heart conditions or back pain, but as the years set on or due to some sort of accident or disease, many people develop a hearing impairment. A hearing impairment is the full or partial decrease in an individual's ability to detect and understand sounds. For individuals who suffer from hearing impairments, there are certain benefits available from Social Security that are provided and granted by the Social Security Law.

A hearing impairment is a qualified disability and confers on the individual the right to receive certain benefits. These benefits are your legal right and you should make the necessary research to file for them. There are many law firms that deal specifically with the Social Security Laws and know all the requirements. There are some common reasons why most applications for hearing impairment befits filed with Social Security are rejected, these are;

1. Inaccurate application of the Social Security laws.

2. Incomplete application for Social Security disability benefits

3. Unsupported claims of incapacity to work or find a job

4. Incorrect and/or insufficient medical records.

But in case you have filed for benefits under Social Security for your hearing impairment and have had your application turned down, it's not the end of the line. The application is not turned down for good and you can re-file. Of course this time you should make sure your own research and paper work is complete. Also you should discuss with a lawyer or social worker who specializes in the area of disability benefits and hearing impairment.

Filing for benefits for you hearing impairment is your legal right, it also establishes your impairment as a legal fact, and helps in insurance claims as well as any employment opportunities that you may be seeking. Such benefits can also help you cover any cost of treatment that you may subsequently incur.

There are some diseases and illnesses that may cause your impairment to your hearing, if you've gone through any of these you should opt for a behavioral audiogram. Some of the more common conditions or illnesses that can lead to hearing impairment are;

1. Measles may result in auditory nerve damage

2. Meningitis may damage the auditory nerve or the cochlea

3. Autoimmune disease has only recently been recognized as a potential cause for cochlear damage. Although probably rare, it is possible for autoimmune processes to target the cochlea specifically, without symptoms affecting other organs. Wegener's granulomatosis is one of the autoimmune conditions that may precipitate hearing loss.

4. Mumps (Epidemic parotitis) may result in profound sensorineural hearing loss (90 Decibel|dB or more), unilateral (one ear) or bilateral (both ears).

5. Presbycusis is a progressive hearing impairment accompanying age, typically affecting sensitivity to higher frequencies (above about 2 kHz).

6. Adenoids that do not disappear by adolescence may continue to grow and may obstruct the Eustachian tube, causing conductive hearing impairment and nasal infections that can spread to the middle ear.

7. AIDS and AIDS-related complex|ARC patients frequently experience auditory system anomalies.

8. HIV (and subsequent opportunistic infections) may directly affect the cochlea and central auditory system.

9. Chlamydia may cause hearing loss in newborns to whom the disease has been passed at birth.

10. Fetal alcohol syndrome is reported to cause hearing loss in up to 64% of infants born to alcoholic mothers, from the ototoxic effect on the developing fetus plus malnutrition during pregnancy from the excess alcohol intake.

11. Premature birth results in sensorineural hearing loss approximately 5% of the time.

12. Syphilis is commonly transmitted from pregnant women to their fetuses, and about a third of the infected children will eventually become deaf.

13. Otosclerosis is a hardening of the stapes (or stirrup) in the middle ear and causes conductive hearing loss.

14. Superior canal dehiscence, a gap in the bone cover above the inner ear, can lead to low-frequency conductive hearing loss, autophony and vertigo

• John Palsson
• 21/12/2008, 12:59 AM
• 0 Comments