Anyone suffering from disorders related to the nervous system may wonder how they can make ends meet when working is difficult or even impossible. Understanding what a condition like postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is and how it is diagnosed can help a person determine whether they are eligible for disability payments while living with the condition.
What is POTS?
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic condition that can seriously affect the quality of life of a patient. Common symptoms of POTS include tachycardia, an inability to exercise, difficulty concentrating, chronic headaches, and extreme fatigue. Even standing for more than a short period of time can cause the heart rate of a person suffering from POTS to increase dramatically, so most people with the condition are unable to engage in any significant amount of physical activity. Blood pressure may also slightly rise when a person with POTS stands.
The response of the body to sustaining an upright position means that many people with POTS are unable to maintain employment. Job tasks are generally impossible for patients because they are unable to engage in any type of physical activity long enough to effectively complete a job. Even tasks associated with office positions could be physically challenging enough to pose risks to a person with POTS.
POTS is still a relative mystery to medical professionals, so treatment options are limited. Medications may be able to help ease symptoms in some patients, but others are unaffected by prescription medications.
Can You Get Disability Payments for POTS?
Qualifying for Social Security disability is a matter of proving that a verified disability has caused impairment significant enough to make it impossible for an individual to effectively maintain employment. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will examine the symptoms that a patient is experiencing as a result of POTS in order to determine if you are eligible for disability payments.
Patients with POTS should be sure to have all of their symptoms verified and recorded by a licensed medical professional in order to increase the possibility of being approved for disability payments. POTS often causes fainting and tachycardia when a person engages in basic physical activity, so an individual who is only suited for professional positions that involve light physical activity is more likely to be approved for disability payments.
The SSA will try to find a position appropriate for an individual with POTS before approving their request to begin receiving disability payments. A combination of the education level of the individual, past employment experience, and physical abilities will be examined to determine whether there is a job that the person can reasonably be expected to complete.
Dealing with the debilitating symptoms of POTS can be difficult enough without having to worry about how to pay bills when working is impossible. Fortunately, allowing the SSA to review a disability claim can frequently result in the approval of disability payments. Increasing the chances of approval is a matter of keeping an accurate medical record and allowing medical professionals to complete exams to pinpoint symptoms that can be attributed to POTS.
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