Social Security Disability Benefits Could Be an Important Source of Support

Having high blood pressure can redefine your life, putting your focus on managing it, treating it, and avoiding dangerous effects. You may be changing your diet, exercise routines and more.

If your health problems are severe enough that you can’t work, you could get Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits to provide financial support and a greater sense of stability while you deal with your health.

But is high blood pressure a disability as far as Social Security is concerned?

Technically, no.

Social Security says that because high blood pressure, also called hypertension, “generally causes disability through its effects on other body systems, we will evaluate it by reference to the specific body systems affected.”

So high blood pressure can be a part of your claim for disability benefits, but not the entire basis for your claim. About half of adults in the United States have it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you get an experienced Social Security Disability advocate working on your SSD case, they can help you factor your hypertension into your argument for benefits, and get you the best possible chance of approval.

The Indianapolis disability advocates at Hanley Disability have helped thousands of people in Indiana over 45 years.

It’s low-risk to work with us because we only collect a fee after you’ve won benefits.

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Once you’re denied benefits, the clock starts ticking. Don’t wait too long. You might miss the deadline to appeal.

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To Social Security Disability, High Blood Pressure Is a Symptom of Another Disabling Disorder

While the Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn’t consider high blood pressure to be a disability that qualifies for benefits on its own, it is a symptom of many diseases that Social Security does officially recognize.

So having hypertension is an important piece of information to add to your disability benefits application, even though it’s not likely to be one of the main impairments that you name.

High blood pressure could go into a Social Security Disability claim for these conditions, among others:

Each of these conditions has symptoms you can document and types of medical evidence you can submit to make a strong claim for benefits.

Describing specific symptoms to Social Security is an important part of qualifying for disability benefits.

According to the Mayo Clinic, high blood pressure symptoms include headaches, shortness of breath and nosebleeds—although hypertension often comes without any symptoms that you outwardly notice until the condition is severe.

In your disability claim, you should note all the ways that your health problems limit your daily life.

Aren’t sure if you should seek disability benefits because of high blood pressure?

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Getting Social Security Disability with Hypertension: Document Your Daily Limitations

Something you should know about Social Security Disability: You don’t actually need to have any particular disease from Social Security’s list to get benefits.

What matters most is how your health problems—whatever they are—limit your ability to function every day and prevent you from working.

To determine this, Social Security looks at what it calls your “residual functional capacity”—or RFC.

In measuring your RFC, doctors who examine you will consider your abilities in these areas:

  • Sitting
  • Crouching & stooping
  • Standing
  • Walking
  • Lifting & carrying
  • Pushing & pulling
  • Reaching & handling objects
  • Understanding information
  • Memory
  • Carrying out instructions
  • Relating well to co-workers and supervisors

High blood pressure, along with all your other symptoms and medical diagnoses, can affect your ability to function physically and mentally.

An experienced disability advocate, who works with this system every day, will know how to present your hypertension to Social Security.

With a disability advocate working on your behalf, you can worry less about all the rules and details and focus more on taking care of yourself and living your life.

If you’re in Indianapolis, Danville, Franklin, Lebanon, Noblesville or anywhere in Indiana, tell us about your needs.

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