Filing Sleep Apnea Secondary To Ptsd

Filing Sleep Apnea Secondary To Ptsd

Prove that your condition stems from your PTSD or from medication that you are prescribed for your PTSD. One study compared the records of 4 million Veterans suffering from PTSD and those not suffering from PTSD to find a connection between PTSD and sleep apnea.


How To Win Your Va Sleep Apnea Claim Va Disability Disabled Veterans Benefits Veterans Benefits

You must have a PTSD disability rating of at least 0.

Filing sleep apnea secondary to ptsd. A claim for veterans disability compensation on sleep apnea secondary to medication taken for the treatment of PTSD and or other mental health disorders should have all elements completed before you file. PTSD does NOT cause Sleep Apnea however PTSD and side effects of medications taken to manage PTSD symptoms can aggravate obesity weight gain leading to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSA in Veterans hence Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD can be granted. However the studys authors say that disrupted sleep and sleep deprivation while in combat paired with veterans physical and psychological stress may play a role.

Whats more it appears that sleep apnea can increase ones susceptibility to developing post-traumatic stress disorder. If youre wondering if youre sleep apnea may be secondary to your service-connected PTSD feel free to reach out to Todd Finnerty PsyD. Study links are at the end of this page You will be filing a Fully Developed Claim FDC with your VA Regional Office VARO.

First and foremost claiming and getting sleep apnea secondary to PTSD or Mental disorder is not easy. Sleep apnea may also cause other mental health conditions such as depression anxiety and worsening PTSD. They found an incredible statistical difference.

Research shows that veterans with PTSD have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea for which they can file a VA claim of secondary service connection. A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records sleep study in past 12 months Evidence of a service-connected primary disability such as PTSD depression anxiety sinusitis rhinitis weight gain AND. Warning signs of sleep apnea include snoring and choking gasping or silent breathing pauses during sleep The Veterans Administration also offers benefits for those veterans who do suffer from sleep apnea.

I have personally seen more lost than won however it can be obtained and I myself have personally received it. Make sure to have a sleep study conducted and get a diagnosis for sleep apnea. As a veterans disability lawyer veterans often ask me how they should go about winning a claim for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD.

How to Prove Your Sleep Apnea is Secondary to Your PTSD. While sleep apnea cannot be the cause of post-traumatic stress disorder it seems to lower a persons mental defenses making it more likely for the disorder to develop after experiencing a stressful incident such as a firefight or improvised explosive device IED detonation. For a records review and possible nexus letter.

Success in winning these claims comes from understanding the medical evidence that associates sleep apnea with other health problems. Approximately 1185 of individuals suffering from PTSD also had sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD.

As such it may be helpful to have a doctor submit a letter stating that there is a causal relationship between your sleep apnea and your PTSD. How to show your sleep apnea is secondary to your PTSD. As mentioned above secondary service connection is dependent upon establishing a nexus between the two conditions.

Typically one of the biggest risk factors for sleep apnea is excessive weight but research is needed to determine exactly why PTSD is linked with sleep apnea. An increasing number of scientific studies show that sleep apnea and PTSD are co-morbid conditions. Demonstrating Sleep Apnea Related Health Conditions Is Crucial.