For veterans who have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea without a sleep study by the VA, the veteran may have to undergo a sleep study done by the VA in order to confirm the diagnosis for benefit purposes. High Blood Pressure Secondary to Obstructive Sleep Apnea: What Veterans Should Know Are you suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and hypertension? Believe it or not, buddy statements can be helpful in proving sleep apnea claims if you can find vets who you served with and heard you snoring, or can talk about the issues that led to the sleep apnea. Medical evidence and documented medical records from a VAC&P exam will be necessary for the process of filing your claim and could even reveal other secondary conditions. Coronary Artery Disease For now, these ratings are merely a proposal so stay tuned to this page while we update. Generally, to establish service connection, the veteran needs to submit three things to VA: Veterans can submit a claim for service connection on VA From 21-526EZ. Specifically, both anxiety and depression can be linked to sleep apnea. Veterans, in this post I list more than 40+ possible sleep apnea secondary conditions so veterans can win, service-connect, and rate your sleep apnea VA claim in less time. Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 The chemical has been linked to various health problems, including cancer, congenital disabilities, and ischemic heart disease. This is because, while asleep, the body may not clear the veterans esophagus as it would when the veteran is awake, thereby exacerbating the veterans GERD. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! An MET test causes symptoms (like shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, or fainting) at 7.1 to 10.0 METs. Secret hack: You can also order a sleep study Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! To receive benefits, you will need to file a claim and get service-connected for it. Additionally, the more severe a veterans PTSD is, the more severe their sleep apnea can become. Some of the following conditions can be secondary to sleep apnea, while others may be the primary condition to which sleep apnea is secondary. In some cases, implantable cardioverter-defibrillators may be recommended to help prevent sudden cardiac death. Hypersomnolence (i.e., excessive daytime sleepiness), Mental anxiety and/or depression related to combat, Use of alcohol, sedatives, certain medications or tranquilizers. Additionally, sleep apnea may worsen existing coronary artery disease. Trisha attended the U.S. Air Force Academy and holds an MBA from Webster University. VA Claims Insider ELITE is our premier program, which utilizes our proprietary medical process to identify gaps in your record to ensure (1) service-connection of your current disabilities, and (2) the highest rating possible under the law. The apparent variation in susceptibility to sleepiness, cognitive deficits, and cardiovascular disease for any given apnea-hypopnea index level suggests a need to develop improved measurements of disease and to Common examples of PTSD symptoms include the following: Researchshows that veterans with PTSD have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea. As such, veterans can establish secondary service connection for hypothyroidism relating to sleep apnea. Although heart failure can be filed secondary to IHD, the VA wont assign separate ratings. VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Explained The Experts Guide Medical Nexus Letter from a qualified doctor. Obstructive sleep apnea, which is the most common type of sleep apnea, occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat relax and fail to keep the upper airway open, which prevents you from breathing properly. #3. After veterans file a claim for secondary service connection, VA may request that the veteran undergo a Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam. It can lead to chest pain, shortness of breath, and other symptoms. In 2020, Sleep Apnea VA ratings range from 0% to 100% with breaks at 30% and 50%. This means that a veteran has an already service-connected disability that caused the veteran to have sleep apnea. Op. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complex and heterogeneous common chronic disease characterized by repetitive episodes of upper airway collapse, affecting 40%60% of patients with ACS [1, 2]. What happens during a C&P exam for sleep apnea? Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School, - Learn About CCK's Partnership with DAV and Harvard Law School, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Machine, Compensation and Pension Exams for Secondary Service Connection, Common Secondary Conditions to Sleep Apnea, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Secondary to Sleep Apnea, Mental Health Conditions Secondary to Sleep Apnea, Secondary Service Connection & Aggravation, VA Disability Benefits for Secondary Conditions to Depression, VA Disability Ratings for Sleep Disorders, How to WIN Your Sleep Apnea VA Disability Claim, Hypersomnolence, or excessive daytime sleepiness. Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 If accepted into our ELITE membership program, youll get free up-front access and permission to use $13,119 worth of proprietary VA claim resources, including access to our network of independent medical professionals for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible Medical Nexus Letters, which could help you get a HIGHER VA rating in LESS time. San Jose, CA: 2880 Zanker Road, Ste. You might also like the following Blog posts about Sleep Apnea: #2. Okay veterans lets take a minute to explore the law regarding the symptoms and level of impairment required to warrant a VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea. Claire Szewczyk Updated: November 7, 2022. Houston, TX: 2925 Richmond Ave, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77098 A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules, Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator, List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map), Social Security Disability Benefits Guide, sleep apnea as a secondary service connected condition to PTSD, Calculate Your Potential Compensation Now. While the symptoms of heart failure can seem to come out of nowhere, the condition is often the result of another underlying cardiovascular problem. Bringing someone with you to the appointment may also be useful. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for managing cardiomyopathies. Veterans may also receive secondary service connection for anxiety and depression if they are already service-connected for sleep apnea. Copyright 2023 Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD. All Rights Reserved. This data may be used to help optimize our websites and make them easier for you to navigate. Additionally, sleep apnea may worsen existing coronary artery disease. Arrhythmias are a common symptom of ischemic heart disease and can often be a sign that the condition is progressing. As a part of the VAs duty to assist veterans in obtaining evidence to help prove their claim, the VA has a duty to assist veterans in scheduling the examination for a sleep study and helping them realize the VA disability claim that they are entitled to. 26,27 More recent studies have found an even higher prevalence of both CSA and OSA in heart failure patients. VA Form 21-686c: A Quick 8-Step Guide For Veterans. any private medical records. You're not alone. The main problem is that you didnt get a One type of heart disease is valvular heart disease, which occurs when one or more of the hearts valves are damaged. How to Get a 100 Percent VA Rating (if deserved)! Our process takes the guesswork out of filing a VA disability claim and supports you every step of the way in building a fully-developed claim (FDC)so you can increase your rating fast!If youve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low ratingor youre unsure how to get startedreach out to us! Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? However, if you have ischemic heart disease, the reduced blood flow can cause the electrical activity to become abnormal. WebLets look a little deeper at OSA for a minute Obstructive Sleep Apnea is by far the most common type of Sleep Apnea that affects veterans. Well help you gather the evidence and documentation you need to have the best chance of winning your claim. High Blood Pressure. These cookies do not store any personal information. Study Impact: Our findings reveal a close relationship between the atherosclerosis-related burden measured by the coronary artery calcium score and the severity of sleep apnea that persisted after adjusting for confounding variables related to the risk of coronary artery disease. Your Sleep Apnea VA Rating A Guide to Getting a VA Disability Rating for Sleep Apnea, Top 10 Questions About Military Sexual Trauma (MST), A post shared by VA Claims Insider (@vaclaimsinsider). Sleep Apnea in Cardiovascular Patients The second part can be satisfied with a veterans existing service-connected disability rated at 0 percent or higher. For instance, which pages you go to most. He is aformer active duty Air Force officerwith extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM. These cookies collect information about how you use our website. They can also occur due to other conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. Approximately 34% and 17% of middle-aged men and women, respectively, meet the diagnostic criteria for OSA. This blockage is caused when the back throat muscles relax, impairing the airflow. Service connection on a secondary basis requires a showing of causation. Do You Qualify for Long Term Disability Benefits? According to the Mayo Clinic, Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts.. Pittsburgh, PA: 201 Penn Center Boulevard, Suite 400, Pittsburgh, PA, 15235 If your heart is healthy, it can pump enough blood to meet the increased demand. The most common symptom of cardiomyopathy is shortness of breath, but patients may also experience fatigue, chest pain, and lightheadedness. This is likely due to a variety of factors related to service, such as exposure to noise, possibility of traumatic brain injury, and exposure to explosive devices like IEDs. But, maybe theres a better way to Loud snoring can keep anyone who sleeps nearby from getting good rest. An ischemic heart exam, commonly called a stress test, can provide your doctor with important information about your heart health. sleep apnea Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP), Medical Nexus Letter, aka, Independent Medical Opinion (IMO). This storage is often necessary for basic functionality of the web site or the storage may be used for the purposes of marketing, analytics, and personalization of the web site such as storing your preferences. Need an Independent Medical Opinion (IMO) to help service-connect your sleep apnea VA claim? The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. There is growing evidence that sleep apnea may be a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Research has found that veterans who have chronic tinnitus also prevalently experience sleep apnea. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! Join our premier education-based membership program, VA Claims Insider Elite, connect with an expert-level Veteran Coach (VC) within minutes, and finally get the rating you deserve. for active duty military members. His eBook, the9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claimhas been downloaded more than 300,000 times in the past three years and is the #1 rated free VA disability claims guide for veterans. Furthermore, as to case summaries, reports of past results, individual lawyer biographies, news posts and other information pertaining to past and present cases, these descriptions are meant only to provide information to the public about the activities and experience of our law firm. Sleep apnea treatment may help reduce the risk of developing or worsening coronary artery disease. A 60% rating is given if an MET test causes symptoms (like shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, or fainting) at 3.1 to 5.0 METs. We know the pain of feeling stuck, frustrated, and alone, and we want to make this process as easy and painless as possible for you. These changes may lead to clogged arteries and poor heart muscle function. VA Sleep Apnea Claim Epidemiological research indicates that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increases in the incidence and progression of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and atrial fibrillation. A person must have a polysomnogram, either in a sleep lab or at home, in order to be diagnosed with sleep apnea. ==> Click HERE to apply for FREE:www.vaclaimsinsiderelite.com <==. Sleep apnea See 67 FR 54394. Veterans, do you think you might have Sleep Apnea? These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make to give you better functionality and preferences such as text size, fonts and other customizable website elements. Research from 2018 estimates that obstructive sleep apnea affects 34% of men and 17% of women in the general population but 40% of men and 60% of women with cardiovascular disease. Is it difficult to stay awake performing tasks like driving, reading or watching TV? I've read that these can be rated secondary to OSA. There is no evidence in the veterans service treatment records of any sleep Two disorders such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea and diabetes would seem to have no connection at all however the data can be surprising. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements on other websites. Check out our post on sleep apnea secondary connection with PTSD here! Brian isalso the CEOofMilitary Disability Made Easy, which is the worlds largest free searchable database for all things related to DoD disability and VA disability claims and has served more than 4,600,000 military members and veterans since its founding in 2013. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a persons breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep. Good news, there is a better way and theres a laundry list of possible sleep apnea secondary conditions. The more severe the obstructive sleep apnea, the greater the risk of coronary artery disease, heart attacks, heart failure and strokes. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 In this blog post, we will discuss how. This can range from CPAP therapy, lifestyle changes such as diet, exercise, and others. Heres the deal Lets begin today's post with the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): It is HARD to get service connected for Sleep Apnea secondary to Depression. By continuing to use our website, you agree to these updates. As a fellow disabled Veteran this is shameful and Im on a mission to change it. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, 9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim. The causes of these disturbances may vary depending on which form of the condition you have: obstructive, central, or a mixed form of both. Sleep apnea is sleep disorder that affects a persons breathing during the course of the night. In this post, we will be exploring how to get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea. She was a former US Airforce civilian employee, who worked at Hill Air Force Base, in Layton, UT as a flight testing administrator. If you have been diagnosed with ischemic heart disease (IHD), its important to be aware of the other conditions that can occur. A polysomnogram is a sleep study in which medical devices are used to monitor a persons breathing, heart rate, and the electrical activity of their brain waves while they sleep. The most trusted name in education-based resources for Veterans. How to Get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Anxiety (The Insiders Guide), Can I Get a VA Rating for Sleep Apnea Secondary to Depression? Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call. Current evidence has shown that OSA initiates and exacerbates coronary atherosclerosis and is closely related to poor outcomes in patients Once your condition has been approved, you will be able to receive compensation based on the severity of your disability. secondary Since 2016, VA Claims Insider has helped thousands of Veterans just like you get the VA rating and compensation they deserve in less time. Learn more about how VA Claims Insider can help you get the rating you DESERVE!Speak with a VA Disability expert and start for FREE! Click the button below to get more information. How hard is it to get VA disability for sleep apnea? Being honest and thorough is important so everything can be properly documented. I have diagnoses post-service for GERD, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Heres a quick litmus test: If you snore during sleep, are tired during the day (maybe you take frequent naps), and stop/start breathing while sleeping (gasping for air), chances are you might have Sleep Apnea. Sleep Apnea For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. The VA assigns the following ratings for veterans based on the severity of their sleep apnea: PTSD, Hypertension, Asthma, Cardiovascular Conditions, Type II Diabetes, Mental Health Conditions, Respiratory Conditions, Alzheimers disease. With an audible gasp, breathing starts again. Tucson, AZ: One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor, Tucson, AZ, 85701