A combination of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss can make you eligible for Social Security disability benefits.
Written and Edited by Lawyers
All articles on DisabilitySecrets.com have been written or edited and fact-checked by our in-house attorney editors, who together have over 35 years of experience practicing and covering disability law. Learn more about our team and our editorial standards.
Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear—specifically, the vestibular labyrinth—which controls balance and positional awareness. Symptoms such as vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, pressure in the ear canal, and nausea can interrupt your daily routine and make it difficult to perform many, if not all, job tasks. (Meniere's is sometimes confused with acoustic neuroma because the symptoms are often the same.)
When Meniere’s disease prevents you from working full-time for at least one year, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits (SSDI or SSI). Because symptoms often come on suddenly and then disappear quickly, your medical records should contain frequent doctor or audiologist visits. Otherwise, it can be hard to show that your Meniere’s disease is a disabling condition. Before you apply, it’s useful to learn some basics about the disability determination process so you know what evidence to submit to help your claim.
When Is Meniere’s Disease a Disability?
With consistent documentation, the Social Security Administration (SSA) can award disability benefits for Meniere's disease if the disorder causes your earnings to fall below the level of substantial gainful activity for at least twelve months. In Social Security lingo, this is called having a “severe medically determinable impairment.”
It’s not enough simply to have a severe impairment, however. You’ll also need to show that your Meniere’s disease causes limitations that either meet the requirements of a listed impairment or result in a residual functional capacity that rules out all work. Getting disability by meeting a listing is challenging, and you’ll need very specific test results to qualify that way. Even if you don’t meet a listing, you can still be eligible for benefits if you can’t do your past jobs or any other work in that national economy.
Meniere’s Disease Listing Requirements
The SSA evaluates Meniere’s disease under listing 2.07, Disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function. In order to meet the requirements of the listing, your medical record must show that you have frequent episodes (“attacks”) of balance disturbance, tinnitus, and progressive hearing loss. You’ll also need to have specific tests conducted in order to show that your inner ear isn’t functioning properly, and you’ll need an audiometry exam to establish your hearing loss.
Make sure that your hearing tests are performed by an audiologist (a doctor who specializes in treating and diagnosing hearing loss). The test results must include your audiologist’s description of your external ear appearance, evaluation of your eardrums, and assessment of any middle ear abnormalities.
What If I Don’t Meet the Listing for Meniere’s Disease?
If Social Security doesn’t find that your audiometry tests meet the requirements of listing 2.07, the agency will need to assess your residual functional capacity (RFC) to determine what work-related activities you can still perform despite symptoms from Meniere’s.
What’s in Your RFC?
Your RFC is a brief statement about what you can and can’t do at work. To create your RFC, Social Security will consider all the medical evidence you have provided and may ask you to attend a consultative examination with a doctor or audiologist who works with the agency. Any functional limitations that your doctors treat you for in your medical records will be reflected as work restrictions in your RFC.
For example, because vertigo is a common symptom of Meniere’s disease, your doctor might say that, as a fall risk, you should avoid heights. This limitation would rule out jobs like painting or construction. Or, because people with Meniere’s generally experience clustered “episodes” of symptoms that can last from 20 minutes to several hours, your RFC may contain a need for you to take extra breaks during the day.
Additionally, many medications used to treat the symptoms of Meniere’s have side effects (such as sleepiness and fatigue) that would make it dangerous for you to work around heavy equipment or keep pace on an assembly line. If you experience these side effects, let your doctor know so that Social Security can incorporate any limitations from these medications into your RFC.
How Does Social Security Use Your RFC?
The SSA will look at your work history and compare the physical and mental demands of your past jobs to the restrictions in your current RFC. If you’re unable to do any of your past work now—for example, if your RFC contains a restriction against driving and you used to deliver pizza—Social Security will need to determine whether any other jobs exist that you can do despite your limitations.
For most people younger than 50, Social Security needs to see that you can’t do even the easiest sit-down jobs. Because limitations from Meniere’s don’t usually rule out desk jobs that have a low risk of injury, getting disability based only on Meniere’s as a younger individual can be hard. You’ll increase your chances of a successful disability claim if you can show that you have multiple medical conditions which, when combined, keep you from doing sit-down work.
People who are 50 years of age or older may be able to get disability benefits even if they’re able to do sit-down work under a special set of circumstances called the medical-vocational grid rules (“the grid”). The grid takes into account factors such as your education, work experience, and whether or not you have any transferable skills to determine whether you can learn to do a new job before you hit full retirement age.
How to Apply for Disability Benefits
Applying for SSDI or SSI is a fairly straightforward process. Social Security has several options for you to begin your disability claim.
- File online at ssa.gov.
- Call 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0078) to apply over the phone, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- Make an appointment with a representative at your local Social Security field office.
Don’t delay filing because you don’t have all the documents or information you need, as waiting to apply could reduce the amount of disability back pay you can get. The SSA will help you gather whatever you’re missing, including your medical records.
What If My Application for Meniere’s Is Denied?
Few disability applicants are awarded benefits on their first try. If you're denied, you’ll need to submit an appeal. Most people who are awarded disability don’t get approved until after a hearing with a judge, a process that can take about a year (or more, in some cases.)
If you need help with your disability application, consider hiring an experienced disability lawyer. An attorney can handle communications with the SSA, represent you at a hearing, and increase your chances of getting benefits. Disability attorneys work on contingency (meaning they get paid only if you win) and many offer free consultations, so it doesn’t hurt to ask around to find a lawyer you like.
Do You Qualify for Disability in Your State?
Find out in minutes by taking our short quiz.