Pneumoconiosis is an interstitial lung disease caused by inhaling certain kinds of toxic dust over long periods of time. Because the dust that causes pneumoconiosis is typically only found in hazardous workplaces like coal mines, construction sites, or for veterans who worked for an extended period of time in the desert, it is generally considered an occupational disease.
Interstitial lung diseases are a group of lung conditions that cause scarring of the lung tissue. They are caused by inhaling hazardous materials such as asbestos, burn pit toxins, or Agent Orange. Pneumoconiosis is one type of interstitial lung disease and exhibits itself in veterans who inhaled Persian Gulf sand or inhaled dust thrown up by helicopters, caravans, or storms.
While there is a range of severity for pneumoconiosis, it is irreversible. Treatment usually focuses on slowing the progression and improving day-to-day life for those affected. Because of the clear and direct connection between the appearance of pneumoconiosis and occupational hazards that veterans faced, it is recognized by the VA and qualifies you for pneumoconiosis VA disability.
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In This Article About VA Ratings for Pneumoconiosis:
- Causes of Pneumoconiosis
- What are the Symptoms of Pneumoconiosis?
- Diagnosis of Pneumoconiosis
- How the Pulmonary Function Test Works
- Treatment for Pneumoconiosis
- Respiratory Disability Rating Scale
- How to Get Pneumoconiosis VA Disability
- What To Do if Your Test Results Come Back Normal
- How to Appeal a VA Disability Rating Decision
Causes of Pneumoconiosis
As discussed above, pneumoconiosis is caused by long-term exposure to harmful dust such as silica, coal dust, sand, or asbestos. The fine minerals or chemical dust that you breathe in when you work in these environments build up in your lungs. The immune system identifies these dust particles as harmful and attacks them, causing inflammation and eventually scarring from the long-term immune response. This scar tissue causes a whole host of symptoms that can affect your day-to-day life.
What are the Symptoms of Pneumoconiosis?
The most common symptoms of pneumoconiosis are:
- A persistent cough
- Coughing up a lot of mucus
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
It is important to note, however, that some people don’t exhibit any symptoms for years, so the disease can easily go unnoticed. You may also experience other symptoms not listed above.
Diagnosis of Pneumoconiosis
If you have persistent shortness of breath, your doctor will most likely order an X-ray or a CT scan of your lungs to see if there are any visible issues. This is the best way to get a definitive diagnosis of pneumoconiosis for VA disability. If you have pneumoconiosis, these scans will show the scar tissue or nodules, dense lumps of tissue in the lungs.
Following an X-ray, you may have to undergo a VA disability pulmonary function test, which will test how well air can enter and exit your lungs–essentially your breath capacity. Your doctor may also order an oxygen saturation test, which shows how much oxygen is being absorbed into your bloodstream. Finally, you can undergo a biopsy of the lungs to confirm the diagnosis.
How the Pulmonary Function Test Works
There are a few different kinds of pulmonary function tests, all of which are designed to measure how much air you can inhale and exhale and how much carbon monoxide is entering the bloodstream. They are non-invasive and used to aid in diagnosis. They are also recommended periodically after diagnosis to keep track of how the disease is progressing.
They can help doctors determine if you have an obstructive or restrictive lung disease, as well as measure how severe your condition is. The pulmonary function tests measure spirometry, lung capacity, and diffusion capacity of the lung. Before undergoing a PFT, your doctor will probably recommend avoiding alcohol, strenuous exercise, smoking, caffeine, and may recommend eating lighter to prepare for the test.
The spirometry test is the most common one because it is the most readily available and is very quick and easy. It is also the test that the VA relies on primarily to make its rating decisions for all respiratory illnesses. It is a simple test that involves inhaling and exhaling forcefully into a small handheld device that measures the strength of your exhale.
The device records your forced vital capacity (FVC), or the amount of air that you can blow out after a deep inhalation, as well as the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV-1), or the amount of air that you can force out in the first second of your exhale. The second measurement is the one that primarily determines the severity of your disease.
In this video, one of our VA Disability lawyers talks about service-connecting your Persian Gulf syndrome to the symptoms in your lungs.
Treatment for Pneumoconiosis
By the time you are exhibiting symptoms of pneumoconiosis, there is no way to reverse the scarring or remove the dust particles from your lungs. Treatment, therefore, is primarily focused on slowing the progression of the disease and improving lung function.
Generally, you will have to minimize further exposure to the dust particles that cause the illness in the first place, which for many means that they won’t be able to work. Then, your doctor may prescribe medications that help to open up your airways, called bronchodilators, or medications that reduce inflammation, called corticosteroids.
In more severe cases where the blood oxygen level is very low, you may need to be put on supplemental oxygen therapy, where you breathe oxygen through a mask. Some only need this treatment at night, while others will wear it throughout the day.
It is important to remember that pneumoconiosis is considered a chronic lung disease, meaning that you will have to deal with it for many years. This can mean years and years where you are unable to work, which is why pneumoconiosis VA disability is so important.
“If you were injured while serving this country and are reading this review, I encourage you to contact Woods and Woods right away. They are always standing ready to assist veterans in need.”
One of our VA disability lawyers talks about how veterans with lung conditions get permanent ratings in this video.
Respiratory Disability Rating Scale
The respiratory disability rating scale is essentially the same for all lung-related diseases. So if you’re interested in the VA disability rating for upper respiratory infections such as the VA disability for pneumonia, VA disability rating for pulmonary fibrosis, or VA disability rating for pulmonary embolism, the rating scale will be based on the same testing system.
The VA doctor will have you undergo a spirometry test that measures the airflow and the air volume out of the lungs. This is the same test whether you suffer from restrictive (difficulty inhaling) or obstructive (difficulty exhaling) lung diseases. All interstitial lung diseases, including pneumonia and pneumoconiosis, are considered restrictive lung disorders.
Depending on how you perform on the test, you will be given a rating based on your Forced Vital Capacity and Forced Expiratory Volume, or FEV-1/FVC score, which translates directly into a VA disability rating. The score essentially tells the doctor how restricted your lung capacity is and, therefore, how severe your condition is. If you are above a 70% on the FEV-1/FVC scale, you will receive a 10% VA rating. Anything below 40% will get you a 100% disability rating because you are considered to have very low lung capacity and most likely need oxygen treatment.
Generally, you will get three tries to do the spirometry test and your scores will be averaged out.
The Ultimate Guide to Lung Disabilities for Veterans
There are a lot of lung conditions that veterans can service connect, whether they served from Vietnam to Afghanistan.
How to Get Pneumoconiosis VA Disability
If you were exposed to dangerous working conditions during your time in the service and have since developed upper respiratory issues, you may qualify for pneumoconiosis VA disability. As with any disability, in order to get your benefits, you have to show proof of diagnosis and a service connection.
To start with, you will need to get evaluated by a VA-approved doctor who can confirm your diagnosis. Then you will need to show documentation of your time in the service that exposed you to harmful dust. If you were a Gulf War or post-9/11 veteran who was exposed to toxins from burn pits during your service, you may qualify for a presumed connection for any interstitial lung disease. In these cases, you would not need to provide a medical nexus proving your ailment was caused by your service.
Once you have your documents in order, you will need to be evaluated using the VA disability pulmonary function test, which measures spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusion capacity of the lungs, to see where you fall on the respiratory disability rating scale. These tests will give the doctors a sense of the severity of your illness and help them to decide on what your rating will be and, therefore, how much you will get in benefits each month.
What To Do if Your Test Results Come Back Normal
If you feel that the results of your pulmonary function test don’t accurately reflect the severity of your illness, you should absolutely appeal and request additional tests be done. There are other ways to measure the degree of your disorder, and because these tests directly affect how much you get in benefits each month, it is essential to ensure that they are accurate.
For some people with respiratory diseases, such as asthma, the respiratory abilities will vary depending on whether or not there is a flare-up, so the tests, taken during a normal breathing period, will not be representative of the true severity. While most people with pneumoconiosis experience continuous breathing problems, you may have a higher lung capacity in the early stages of the disease. Still, you might be unable to work, per doctor’s orders.
Woods & Woods, the veteran’s firm, can help you navigate these complicated situations and advocate on your behalf to ensure that you are getting the full amount of benefits possible.
It is also important to get reevaluated if your disease progresses. Because this is a chronic, progressive illness, your condition may deteriorate over time, qualifying you for additional benefits.
How to Appeal a VA Disability Rating Decision
The appeals process for VA disability is extremely complex and confusing, but don’t let that discourage you. If you are suffering from a severe, life-altering disability due to your time in the service, you deserve the full benefits available to you. Woods & Woods is adept at dealing with the VA disability system and helping veterans increase their monthly disability payments.
We are happy to offer a free, no-obligation consultation about your case, and we will provide our clear, honest opinion about whether or not we can help you. We don’t take any payment upfront and only make money if we win your case. Additionally, our fees are taken out of back payments owed, never any future payments. Our main goal is to ensure that all of our veterans are getting the support they need. Call today if you have any questions or want to learn more about what we do and how we can help.
At Woods and Woods, the Veteran’s Firm, we’ve helped thousands of veterans with their VA disability applications and appeals. We’ve been adding staff and lawyers during the Covid pandemic to serve disabled veterans better in difficult times.
Call us today to discuss your VA disability appeal or your first application. The call is free and we won’t charge you a single fee until we win your case. We even pay for the postage for all of the documentation you send to our office. You can look for a VA disability attorney near you or call us and join the thousands of veterans living off of VA disability thanks to Woods and Woods.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illnesses are. becoming more common among Gulf War veterans. The VA is starting to recognize this as a service-connection in many veterans and granting them disability. If you want to know if you’ll have a better case with MUCMI or Pneumoconiosis because of your lungs, give us a call. We can go over your case for free and give you advice on how you should proceed.
Neil Woods
VA disability lawyer
Woods and Woods
VA Accreditation Number: 44739