A heart attack usually happens when a blood clot blocks the blood flow to the heart. Without proper blood flow, the tissue will lose oxygen and then die. Symptoms include pain or tightness in the chest, arms, back, or neck and lightheadedness, anxiety, abnormal heartbeat, and fatigue.
A heart attack can be disabling depending on the severity of the heart attack and the damage done to the heart muscle. In some cases, surgery is necessary. The heart attack victim may require medication and will need ongoing medical care.
How A Heart Attack Affects Your Physical Capacity For Work
A heart attack can cause ongoing problems, and even if surgery is performed, your ability to perform daily tasks or work could be limited. You may suffer chest pains or an arrythmia when you exert yourself, and you may be limited on your ability to perform physical activities, such as lifting, squatting, or reaching.
These physical limitations can keep you from doing manual labor, such as working in a factory or a warehouse, or from lifting things like someone would putting up stock in a retail establishment, working with a utility company or in telecommunications, or even driving a commercial vehicle, such as a semi, bus, or a delivery van.
How A Heart Attack Affects Your Mental Capacity For Work
A heart attack can affect you mentally as well. It can cause anxiety and depression, and you may suffer from mental anguish because you can no longer do the things that you had done before you experienced the heart problems. You can be significantly limited from performing a variety of jobs.
A Heart Attack and Applying For Disability
The SSA uses a medical guide, which is called the Blue Book, to determine if an individual qualifies for disability benefits. The most common cause for a heart attack is coronary artery disease. This occurs when there is a blocked or clogged artery, and the muscles don’t get enough oxygen or adequate blood flow and a heart attack results, leading to irreversible damage to the heart muscle.
You may be able to meet the medical criteria for disability benefits by using the Blue Book listing for ischemic heart disease. To do this, your medical records must show that you have narrowing of or a blockage of the arteries, that you suffer from fatigue from exertion or have exercise intolerance or you have at least three episodes within a 12-month period in which narrowing of the arteries or a blockage required surgical intervention.
If your heart attack caused severe heart muscle damage, you may qualify using the listing for chronic heart failure. This listing requires that you provide medical records showing a dysfunction in one or more heart chambers. When you apply for disability benefits, you will want to provide detailed medical records to support your claim and to show the severity of your condition. Documentation is essential for your claim’s success.
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