The Social Security Administration provides financial assistance for disabled people who can’t retain employment. There are a whole host of disabilities that are covered under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program. But how much disability can one receive for a condition like tinnitus?
The exact amount of benefits you can receive for a condition like tinnitus depends on your employment history and how much you’ve contributed to Social Security taxes. However, as far as VA disability benefits are concerned, claimants usually get a 10% rating for a condition like tinnitus.
Read below for more information on how much disability you can receive for a condition like tinnitus.
Tinnitus Overview
When a person has tinnitus, they hear a ringing or buzzing in their ear, even when there is no external sound. Most people think of tinnitus as ringing in the ear, but it can also present as a hissing, buzzing, or whistling sound.
The volume of a sound can vary widely. Tinnitus can be a standalone health problem or an indication of something more serious.
Tinnitus can be one of two kinds: subjective or objective. When someone has subjective tinnitus, they perceive a ringing or buzzing in their ears that has no external source.
Objective tinnitus occurs when both the patient and doctor can hear the same sound. These noises indicate a problem with either the circulatory or musculoskeletal systems. Only 1% of patients experience objective tinnitus.
Other health problems may develop as tinnitus progresses.
Depression and anxiety are widespread among people who suffer from tinnitus due to the distressing nature of the condition’s symptoms. Some research suggests that tinnitus can also increase a person’s risk of developing sleep disorders, including sleep apnea.
Tinnitus is a prevalent illness that affects over 50 million people in the United States alone. It’s also been found to be the leading cause of disability among military veterans, according to the Veterans Administration.
Is Tinnitus Curable?
There is no treatment available for tinnitus at present; however, researchers affiliated with the American Tinnitus Association are working hard to find a solution.
Patients can choose from a variety of management plans designed to help them cope with the disease. Some people only experience tinnitus temporarily, and it will eventually go away on its own.
Those who suffer from chronic tinnitus have to deal with it permanently. Chronic tinnitus sufferers often use a variety of treatments in an effort to lessen the impact of their condition and improve their quality of life.
While there is currently no treatment for tinnitus, it can be managed in many ways. Treatments exist that either significantly lessen the ringing or completely eliminate it. Many people have to try several different treatments before they find the one that helps them the most.
Common methods of treatment that are designed to alleviate discomfort from tinnitus include:
- White noise machines (white noise generators, often known as masking devices, generate quiet white noise; they can be placed in the ear canal and work similarly to hearing aids)
- Hearing aids (these can alleviate ringing in the ears and can improve hearing)
- Antidepressants (some antidepressant medications may be useful in alleviating tinnitus)
- Acupuncture (acupuncture is a treatment that is known to ease symptoms by applying pressure to certain places on the body)
- Diet modification (modifying your diet to include more zinc and vitamin B and less alcohol and caffeine may help)
- Anxiety treatment (if anxiety is a factor, learning to control your stress levels will help with your tinnitus)
People with tinnitus benefit from having a variety of options for alleviating their condition. Tinnitus is typically a symptom of another health problem, so seeing a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment is crucial. Treating the underlying condition can sometimes alleviate tinnitus symptoms.
What are Disability Benefits from Social Security?
The Social Security Administration is a government agency that helps people who are in need, especially those with disabilities that make it hard for them to go about their daily lives.
The Social Security Administration offers two kinds of disability benefits.
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program will provide benefits to you and your family if your qualified work contributes a sufficient amount of taxes to the Social Security system from your earnings.
The Supplemental Security Income program, on the other hand, provides benefits based on demonstrated financial need rather than on prior job status. While each program is unique, all of them use the same medical criteria and define disability in the same way.
The requirements set forth by the Social Security Administration for qualifying disabilities are quite strict. The Blue Book is the Social Security Administration’s compiled list of qualifying disabilities.
The Social Security Administration does not automatically grant disability benefits to those with certain medical conditions; rather, they must be long-term and severe enough to prevent you from working.
Individuals who meet the criteria for disability benefits outlined in the Blue Book are usually eligible to receive those benefits.
Can Tinnitus Make Me Eligible for Social Security Disability?
The Social Security Administration recognizes severe hearing loss as a qualifying disability due to the significant impact it can have on one’s everyday life. Sections 2.10 and 2.11 of The Blue Book cover the topic of hearing loss.
Tinnitus alone, without any other qualifying symptoms or associated conditions, is not included in The Blue Book. In the Social Security Administration’s classifications, tinnitus is not considered a separate disorder.
Disruption of labyrinthine-vestibular function, however, may qualify a person for disability benefits as per Section 2.07 of The Blue Book. This medical condition is characterized by a range of symptoms, including issues affecting the inner ear as well as hearing loss.
Meniere’s disease ranks high on the list of prevalent medical issues caused by the disruption of labyrinthine-vestibular function. People with these conditions frequently experience tinnitus.
In addition, the Blue Book includes mental diseases on its list of conditions that may qualify for disability under Section 12.00. Comorbid illnesses, such as anxiety or depression, are common among those who experience tinnitus.
Tinnitus alone may not qualify as a disability, but if you also suffer from a mental problem, you may be able to get benefits as a result of your mental illness.
Tinnitus may be tied to other Blue Book diseases; therefore, it’s worth checking whether disabilities qualify for compensation. For instance, cardiovascular problems and cancer are two disorders that are included on the list and are frequently related to tinnitus.
How Much Disability Can You Receive for Tinnitus?
When figuring out SSDI benefits for a disability like tinnitus, several things are taken into account.
The amount of benefits you are entitled to receive from Social Security is determined by adding up all of the money you earned during your peak earning years and then doing some basic math.
Create an account with the Social Security Administration and look through your records to determine the years in which you had the highest earnings.
Once you have successfully logged in to your Social Security account, browse to the earnings history section of your account. You will now be provided with an estimate of your benefits, but if you want to manually calculate them, you will first need to determine the years in which you earned the most money.
You should add up your 35 highest-earning years and divide the total by 420. This latter number represents the total number of your highest-earning months (35 months multiplied by 12 months equals 420). The result is your average indexed monthly earnings (AIME).
Here’s what to do when you’ve gotten your AIME:
- The first $1,115 of your AIME should be multiplied by 90%.
- If your AIME is between $1,115 and $6,721, multiply that sum by 32%.
- If your AIME is more than $6,721, multiply that sum by 15%.
- Obtaining your primary insurance amount is as simple as adding up the results of stages one, two, and three.
The primary insurance amount is the amount of Social Security benefits you can expect to receive once you reach your full retirement age, which is 66 or 67 years old, depending on the year you were born. This will be the exact amount that you can receive if you apply for disability benefits for tinnitus.
Can I Get VA Disability for Tinnitus?
The majority of disabled veterans in the United States now suffer from some form of hearing loss or condition.
As per the Annual Benefits Report for the Department of Veterans Affairs for the fiscal year 2021, well over four million veterans received disability payments for auditory disorders, the most common of which were hearing loss and tinnitus.
The good news is that veterans with hearing loss can qualify for VA disability benefits. Already, millions of veterans take advantage of this benefit. There are two main things you’ll need to prove to the VA in order to earn disability benefits for hearing loss: an up-to-date diagnosis of a qualifying disability and a service connection relating the impairment to your service.
Hearing test findings are the only factor that is considered for establishing initial disability scores for hearing loss.
Both the controlled speech discrimination test and the pure tone test contribute to your overall hearing impairment score, which ranges from I (normal hearing) to XI (severe hearing loss). After that, the VA will compare the data from each ear with the help of a table in order to arrive at a disability rating.
Even though a VA rating of 100% hearing loss is attainable, it is exceedingly uncommon and involves profound hearing loss in both ears. This level of hearing loss is so severe that even with hearing devices, a person’s hearing will continue to be severely limited, and they will be required to read lips and/or utilize sign language in order to communicate.
Hearing loss of mild to moderate severity typically results in a disability rating of either 10% or 0% for veterans. A disability rating between 30% and 50% is typical for those with severe hearing loss (so severe that they were unable to hear a vacuum cleaner on the opposite end of the room in the absence of aids).
However, if your good ear has adequate hearing or relatively little damage, you will earn a 10% rating even if you are functionally deaf in your other ear.
Tips for a Stronger Tinnitus Disability Benefits Application
Evidence of your medical condition as well as your treatment history, is necessary for all disability claims. Here are some other things you may do to improve your disability insurance claim.
Don’t Downplay Your Symptoms
The SSA has to take into account all of your medical issues and the symptoms they cause. However, challenges may arise if your medical records do not accurately and regularly capture your tinnitus-related concerns.
If you have been reluctant to discuss the extent of your tinnitus or associated psychological or cognitive issues with your doctors, the SSA may argue that your complaints are not as serious as you say or that your medical condition has gotten better.
Get the Right Care
Although there is no treatment for tinnitus, you should not have to deal with it alone. Tinnitus sufferers can still find medical help for their problems. Treatment for your hearing loss, physical injury, or neurological disorder will provide important evidence for your disability claim.
Treatment for objective tinnitus will involve looking for and treating the underlying cause or conditions. Conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, TMJ, eustachian tube dysfunction, Lyme disease, and others may be targeted during treatment.
Treatment for subjective tinnitus may focus on alleviating symptoms if doctors are unable to identify a physical cause.
Schedule Regular Medical Checkups
Staying compliant necessitates that you continue to follow your doctor’s orders, no matter what they may be. Your disability insurance claim will be rejected if you cannot provide evidence of your continued inability to work for the Social Security Administration.
Conclusion
Tinnitus is a prevalent condition affecting many Americans. If you suffer from a condition like tinnitus, you may be qualified to receive disability benefits either from the Social Security Aministration or the VA. Contact a disability attorney to learn more.
