Respiratory System Disorders
What are Respiratory System Disorders and how does the Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluate them?
The SSA evaluates respiratory system disorders based on the following:
- Physical signs
- Symptoms
- Abnormal laboratory tests; and
- Response to a regimen of treatment prescribed by the treating physician.
The SSA requires respiratory disorders to be supported by medical evidence.
Respiratory system disorders can result in disability. Sometimes, disability is predicated solely on the severity of the disorder, as documented by pulmonary function test results or other clinical findings that meet relevant standards established by the SSA.
What are some categories of Respiratory System Disorders?
The following categories of respiratory system disorders are described more in depth on the SSA’s website:
- Chronic pulmonary insufficiency
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Chronic restrictive ventilatory disease
- Chronic impairment of gas exchange due to clinically documented pulmonary disease
- Asthma
- Chronic asthmatic bronchitis
- Asthma attacks
- Cystic fibrosis
- Episodes of bronchitis or pneumonia, hemoptysis, or respiratory failure
- Persistent pulmonary infection
- Pneumoconiosis
- Bronchiectasis
- Mycobacterial, mycotic, and other chronic persistent infections of the lung
- Cor pulmonale secondary to chronic pulmonary vascular hypertension
- Arterial hypoxemia
- Pulmonary artery pressure greater than 40 mm Hg
- Sleep-related breathing disorders
- Lung transplant
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