Are you thinking of applying for disability benefits for vestibular disorders, but you don’t know how? Are you unable to work because of vertigo or other balance disorders? You do not have to suffer any longer. This article will discuss how you can win disability benefits for vestibular disorders in Canada.
If you have other questions about disability benefits and eligibility, feel free to read our article on medical conditions and disability benefits or explore the articles below:
Disability from Vestibular Disorders: You Are Not Alone
The vestibular system consists of parts of the brain and the inner ear. This system provides humans with spatial orientation and a sense of balance. A dysfunction in this system, which can be caused by disease, injury or environmental factors, can pose a variety of difficulties for the affected individual.
Vestibular disorders are a set of misunderstood diseases affecting over a million Canadians. The condition is most prevalent among people over the age of 40 and above. But it can affect anyone, even very young children
One of the main challenges people with vestibular disorders face is getting a diagnosis. It is not uncommon for someone to see multiple doctors before securing an accurate diagnosis. Even the most experienced medical professionals can have trouble diagnosing this complicated disorder.
Common types of Vestibular Disorders
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). This kind of vertigo is caused by a mechanical issue in the inner ear that is caused by sudden head movements.
Labyrinthitis and Vestibular Neuronitis. These disorders are linked to an inflammation of the inner ear or the nerves from the inner ear. This results in the incorrect relay of sensory information.
Perilymph Fistula (PLF). This is a defect in the thin membranes separating the middle and inner ear that allows fluid (perilymph) to flow into the inner ear, affecting ear pressure.
Ménière’s disease. This is an incurable, chronic condition with no known triggers in which large amounts of fluid are collected in the inner ear leading to progressively worsening episodes of dizziness or vertigo.
Secondary Endolymphatic Hydrops. This has symptoms similar to Ménière’s disease. But it is triggered by an underlying medical condition or trauma to the ear or head.
Mal de Débarquement (MdD). This translates to “sickness of disembarkment.” It is closely associated with the illusion of movement experienced by individuals long after travelling on a ship, airplane, train, etc.
Vestibular-ocular Reflex (VOR). This is a dysfunction in the stimulation of the vestibular system and its corresponding reflex eye movement that stabilizes images on the retinas as the head moves.
Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SSCD). This is an opening in the bone covering the superior semicircular canal of the inner ear, which causes the fluid in the inner ear to be displaced by stimuli such as loud noises, coughing and sneezing.
Acoustic Neuroma. This benign tumour grows from the Schwann cells wrapped around the nerves that supply the inner ear and interferes with the transmission of information through the balance and hearing nerves.
Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome. This is the malformation of the bony canal that connects the inner ear to the brain resulting in hearing loss and imbalance.
Ototoxicity. This is “ear poisoning” caused by chemicals (e.g. mercury, carbon monoxide, etc.) or drugs (e.g. aspirin, aminoglycoside antibiotics, etc.) that damage the vestibular system.
Other medical conditions related to vestibular disorders include autoimmune disorders, allergies, and vestibular migraines.
Common Symptoms and Impairments
You might be suffering from a vestibular disorder if you exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:
- Vertigo and dizziness. You experience the unusual sensation of spinning. Or a difference in the movement of the rest of the world relative to yourself.
- Visual impairment. You have trouble focusing your eyes on objects, become sensitive to visual stimuli and lights, and experience trouble seeing in the dark.
- Hearing impairment. You hear a ringing or buzzing noise in your ears. You also have trouble focusing on sounds and experience sensitivity to loud noises.
- Spatial disorientation or imbalance. You become clumsy, develop poor posture and coordination, and have difficulty walking properly.
- Psychological changes. You experience anxiety, depression and loss of self-confidence.
- Cognitive changes. You have difficulty concentrating on tasks and remembering information.
Other symptoms include vomiting, nausea, motion sickness, headaches, slurred speech, and chronic pain.
Types of Disability Benefits Available in Canada for Vestibular Disorders
When it comes to claiming disability benefits for vestibular disorders, you might be eligible for one of two types of disability benefits. These include the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits and long-term disability insurance benefits.
CPP disability benefits for vestibular disorders
The CPP is the government pension plan to support you after retirement. It will also cover disability benefits from the time you became disabled until your retirement, when your regular pension will commence. To qualify for CPP disability benefits, you need to have worked for four of the past six years and paid payroll taxes. CPP contributions are automatically deducted from your salary. The agency in charge of the CPP is Service Canada, which also requires you to prove that your disability is both “severe and prolonged,” leaving you unable to work and earn income to support yourself and your dependent children.
Long-term Disability Insurance Benefits for Vestibular Disorders
Group disability insurance policies are Canada’s most common type of disability insurance. Your employer insured you as part of a group, and you will receive your disability benefits under your employee benefits package. This type of policy provides both long-term and short-term disability benefits. You should check your insurance policy brochure to see the specific benefits you can get, including paid sick leave and monthly payments. If you successfully apply for disability benefits, you can take long absences from work to focus on your health without worrying about the financial pressures involved.
How To Win Disability Benefits for Vestibular Disorders
1. Proper diagnosis and testing are crucial.
To win disability benefits, it is critical that you get the correct medical tests for your condition and a definitive diagnosis from your doctor. This is because these are evidence that you must include in your application. Vestibular disorders are often misdiagnosed since their symptoms, like dizziness and headaches, are very common and are linked to other medical conditions.
Testing for vestibular disorders involves the stimulation of the inner ear, eyes, and head to look for abnormalities in the vestibular system’s functioning.
These tests include the following:
- Electronystagmography (ENG) or Videonystagmography (VNG) evaluates the eyes’ movement relative to the head’s placement using electrodes placed around the eyes.
- Video Head Impulse Testing (VHIT) uses a set of glasses with a camera to evaluate whether the inner ears and eyes work well together.
- Rotation tests also evaluate if the inner ears and eyes work together using video goggles.
- Computerized Dynamic Posturography (CDP) tests the ability to remain in an upright posture amidst different external conditions, usually by standing on a shifting platform.
- Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potential (VEMP) evaluates the vestibular organs using electrodes attached to the skin and earphones that play sounds to activate responses.
- Electrocochleography (ECOG) is a type of hearing test. It measures the response to sounds played in the ear through electrodes attached to the skin.
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) give information about the hair cells of the ear’s cochlea through responses to clicking sounds made by a small speaker placed in the ear canal.
- The auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR) is similar to ECOG but administered to patients who cannot perform other hearing tests.
- Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT scan) can see abnormalities in the inner ear’s structure.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) produces images of the brain’s and inner ear’s interior to detect any existing vestibular problems.
2. Your Credibility is Critical
When preparing your claim, make sure that all your statements are truthful and can be backed by solid proof. Any suspicions that your benefits provider has about your credibility will lead to a denial. Aside from the medical evidence discussed above, your family, friends and employer should also be able to corroborate your statements. Inconsistencies in your reports will shed doubt on the legitimacy of your condition. It is also important to show that you have been seeking treatment and following your doctor’s orders. However, despite that, your disability negatively affects your work and life.
Furthermore, people often don’t understand the nature of vestibular disorders. It is possible that your employer might report that you came to work drunk when, in fact, you were suffering from a balance disorder that made you stagger and slur your speech. You should make sure that your boss and co-workers understand your condition and its symptoms so that they can give accurate statements. You don’t want the insurance company to think that you are simply an alcoholic seeking easy money.
3. Give a proper description of job demands.
You must be able to establish what your work entails to prove that you cannot perform your job demands. This might seem obvious to you, but it is not always clear to your benefits provider. For instance, vestibular disorders are a professional hazard for people working in environments that involve loud noises or the constant threat of physical injuries, like sound engineers, soldiers, and athletes. Therefore, a sound guy who can’t hear music properly will not be able to do what his job primarily demands. Similarly, an insurer could argue a graphic designer who sits at a computer all day wouldn’t be bothered by sudden bouts of vertigo. In that case, the reviewing officer should be made to understand that vestibular disorders affect vision and spatial reasoning. And they may have trouble creating visual projects.
Cognitive dysfunction related to vestibular disorders can also affect how you do your job. Memory loss, difficulty concentrating and a short attention span can be dangerous in any job. It doesn’t matter if you’re working at a desk or operating heavy machinery.
Denied Disability Benefits for Vestibular Disorders: What You Can Do
So, you’ve filled out all the forms and submitted as much evidence as you can find. Then, a few weeks later, you receive a rejection letter denying you the right to disability benefits. This means that you must go back to work despite greatly suffering from your condition.
This is devastating news and only adds to the pain that your disorder is already causing you. Fortunately, you don’t have to simply accept the rejection and bear your burdens for the rest of your life. You can still appeal the decision of either Service Canada or your insurance company.
Download our books if you want to learn about your options after a denial. You can also schedule a free consultation with us by filling out the form at the bottom of the page or by calling us toll-free at (888) 480-9050.
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