Va Disability Sleep Apnea:
In one study, sleep disorders were found to be 5 to 10 times more likely in patients who abused alcohol and/or narcotics than in those who didn’t. Sleep apnea can be secondarily service connected to various medical issues. If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in other health issues and increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.
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The VA rates sleep apnea at a 30% rating if you experience hypersomnolence or excessive daytime sleepiness. While there are a few different types of sleep apnea, the general diagnosis is that breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout a sleep session. Like PTSD, other conditions rated as mental health conditions can be related to sleep apnea. The study also found that among younger veterans, PTSD and Sleep Apnea is not usually the result of a high BMI (being overweight).
Veterans who do not meet the schedular requirements under 38 CFR ‘ 4.16(a) may be considered for extraschedular TDIU under 38 CFR ‘ 4.16(b). Many veterans experience other health issues that can either contribute to or worsen their sleep apnea. Contact Veterans Guide if you want more information or have questions about how to file for a VA disability rating for sleep apnea.
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People with untreated sleep apnea routinely stop breathing throughout the night ‘ sometimes as many as hundreds of times within one night’s sleep, resulting in the brain getting decreased oxygen. The exact cause of the relationship between military service and sleep apnea is unknown. However, some researchers think the stressors veterans experience during military service are a factor in its development. If severe sleep apnea has you pinned down and unable to work, you could qualify for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability, or TDIU.
Some sleep apnea sufferers and people with asthma may find relief using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine while they sleep. CPAP therapy is designed to help those with severe sleep get redirected here apnea by preventing the airways from collapsing using continuous air pressure. It has also proved beneficial in reducing asthma symptoms by increasing airflow, inflammation, and acid reflux.
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After veterans file a claim for secondary service connection, VA may request that the veteran undergo a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. This type of exam is meant to assess the cause and the severity of the veteran’s official statement condition, as well as the connection to the primary service-connected disability. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when the muscles in the throat relax when you sleep, resulting in a narrower airway.
The VA rates sleep apnea with diagnostic code 6847 for Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed) in the Schedule of Ratings. A 0% rating means the VA acknowledges the condition is related to your military service, but does not consider it disabling enough for you to receive compensation. The relationship between sleep apnea and many other conditions is also better documented. Now that there’s a greater awareness of this condition, veterans who are previously untreated are getting diagnosed and getting the treatment that they need for it,’ said VA disability lawyer Krystal Lechner. Digging deeper involves checking boxes like having one service-connected disability rated at least 60% or two disabilities with a combined rating hitting 70%, provided one is at least rated 40%.
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Even though there are many hoops to jump through to increase your VA disability rating, it’s worth your time and trouble to receive the compensation you deserve if you qualify. The National Sleep Foundation found that while roughly 20 percent of adults in the United States suffer from sleep apnea, 85 percent do not even know they have it. Untreated sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, memory problems, obesity, fatigue, traffic accidents, death, and insufficient sleep. Okay veterans ‘ let’s take a minute to explore the law regarding the symptoms and level of impairment required to warrant a VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea.
Additionally, the VA requires that your diagnosis of sleep apnea is confirmed by a sleep study. Yes, sleep apnea can be caused by and affect many other medical conditions, including sinusitis, rhinitis, and heart active disease. If you have a medical condition resulting from your military service and can’t get restful sleep, you should discuss with your doctor whether there might be a connection between the conditions.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops while a person is sleeping. It makes them feel constantly tired because their sleep is repeatedly interrupted. The ongoing lack of sleep often affects the person’s ability to function well in their daily life.
Veterans may also be able to establish service connection for sleep apnea on a secondary basis. Establishing a secondary service connection involves proving that your sleep apnea is a secondary or residual effect of a service-connected condition. To prove secondary service connection, you must provide a medical nexus opinion linking your current secondary condition to your already service-connected disability.
If you’re a veteran suffering from this condition, you likely have questions about when and how you can receive veterans disability benefits. The best source of information is an experienced VA disability benefits advocate. While you’re waiting for your free consultation, here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions. Are you unhappy with a VA disability benefits decision for your sleep apnea?
The cavalry has arrived in the form of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines. Loud snoring might be joked about in many circles, but it’s no laughing matter when paired with gasping or choking sounds. These are telltale signs your airway is playing tug-of-war with itself while you try to rest. And let’s talk daytime drowsiness’it doesn’t mean you’re bored by midday paperwork. Excessive tiredness during daylight hours suggests that your nighttime battles leave you drained. If we break down sleep apnea, it often leads to loud snoring and gasping for air during sleep’not exactly music to anyone’s ears.
Your brain becomes that forgetful director who doesn’t cue your muscles to breathe on time’that’s right; even our brains need reminders sometimes. Then there’s mixed or complex sleep apathy’it couldn’t pick a lane if its life depended on it because it combines both obstructive and central types like some twisted plot twist no one asked for. Working with an experienced veterans disability benefits advocate can help ensure that your application is thorough and accurate, and help you avoid mistakes that could delay or reduce your benefits. Making sure that applications are completed correctly and that the right supporting evidence is included can be complicated. That’s especially true when there is no presumptive service connection and the burden is on the veteran to establish a service connection. We have years of experience successfully advocating for VA disability appeals for our veteran clients ‘ including those diagnosed with sleep apnea.
For years, Air Force Veteran Deanna King struggled with fatigue and exhaustion. Today, after seeking help at the Houston VA and receiving a new device designed to treat sleep apnea, she is sleeping like a baby. The statistics provided on Veteran Ratings website are based on result averages and are a general estimate not specific to any one claim.