Sunday, March 4, 2012

Is heart valve disease a consideration for disability

Is heart valve disease a consideration for disability?
I have tricuspid hear valve issues. Will this eventually take me out of the work force just to survive?
Heart Diseases - 5 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
It depends. It may never get any worse. You'll probably never be able to be an athlete, but otherwise don't worry about it. Some people live with heart problems for decades.
2 :
Good luck with that. If you get a lawyer you might get it. My stepgrandfather was an amputee - had only one leg, and he had to apply 3 times and got denied three times before he got a lawyer. He got disability then. They'll look for any excuse they can find to deny you. Maybe one day we'll start electing people who actually care about the individual American citizens.
3 :
It would depend on the degree of chf you experience.
4 :
Probably not. I work as a cardiac sonographer and see tricuspid regurgitation also called tricuspid insufficiency on about 90% of my young(infant) and elderly patients. If you smoke it will make the regurg worse. It depends on how severe your problem is and what your right ventricular pressures are. If they are high enough and you have severe pulmonary hypertension or primary pulmonary hypertension then yes it will significantly alter your life. You can have a small degree of regurgitation and it may never get worse or it may slowly get worse. It is difficult to answer your question without knowing more about your condition.
5 :
Probably not. There are many things that can be done to correct the problem if need be. Sometimes the valve will not worsen, sometimes it will. It can be treated with medications if it worsens or it can be repaired or replaced with surgery. I had a mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve in 2003. I continue to work full time without problems and I do have other health problems such as high blood pressure and diabetes. But I don't know what other health problems you may have also so it is hard to say, but just for heart valve issues, it will probably not take you out of the work force. Also you did not say what type of work you do either, that may play a role also. Best wishes

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