The VA will consider the severity of the veterans symptoms. They may also be used to keep track of what [products, video, links, etc.] Sleep apnea is a very serious sleep disorder, whereby breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with many different forms of CVD including hypertension, stroke, HF, coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation (AF). When someone has sleep apnea, their body doesnt get the oxygen it needs. 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. Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! 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. These machines create airway pressure to help the individual breathe throughout the night. we represent clients nationwide. 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. If the VA grants service connection for both conditions, they will only assign whichever condition has the higher rating. During the exam, the examiner may evaluate both the primary and secondary condition. This process may be repeated over and over again during the night. Since sleep apnea can correlate with conditions like heart disease and obesity, its important to seek treatment options. Additionally, sleep apnea may worsen existing coronary artery disease. Medical Nexus Letter from a qualified doctor. These exams are usually performed by a VA examiner or a VA-contracted third-party medical professional. While arrhythmias can be serious, most people with the condition can manage their symptoms and live long, healthy lives. It puts extra strain on the heart and can damage the arteries. Sinusitis also affects the nose, throat, and head, much like sleep apnea. The most trusted name in education-based resources for Veterans. Note: Millions of Philips CPAP Machines have been recalled due to toxic chemical seeping into mask and unknowingly being inhaled by sleep apnea patients. service connection: The first part can be satisfied with any VA may deny a sleep apnea claim based on different aspects, whether theres not enough medical evidence of sleep apnea or perhaps no logical connection between your military service and your current sleep apnea. existing medical evidence in service treatment records, VA medical records, or You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned, 9 Secrets Strategies for Winning Your VA Disability Claim. Did you know there are more than 40+ conditions that can be medically linked to cause or aggravate sleep apnea? WebAccording to Jeremy Tietjens, MD, a clinical fellow at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, sleep apnea is associated with a variety of cardiovascular conditions and outcomes, but the strongest associations are with high blood pressure, arrhythmias (especially atrial fibrillation), and heart failure. It indicates, "Click to perform a search". As such, the two conditions have been linked and veterans can receive secondary service connection for sinusitis linked to sleep apnea. Tinnitus is known as the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. 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 Over time, hypertension can lead to coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and kidney failure. 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. A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately due to, or the result of, a service-connected disability. How do I prove VA disability for sleep apnea? For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. Click HERE to read now. It can happen multiple times throughout the night, leading to serious health problems like fatigue, high blood pressure, and heart disease. What Are the Different VA Heart Condition Ratings? If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! Our firm was founded in 1986 in Orlando, Florida. We have updated our Privacy Policy. Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from theUnited States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State Universitys Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class). Providers Overview Location Reviews Providers A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately caused by or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability. Good news, there is a better way and theres a laundry list of possible sleep apnea secondary conditions. I have diagnoses post-service for GERD, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. study. be resistance among military clinics worldwide from ordering-up sleep studies Veterans may also receive secondary service connection for anxiety and depression if they are already service-connected for sleep apnea. Take advantage of a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call. What happens during a C&P exam for sleep apnea? She enjoys working with the Veteran population and keeping them up to date with information they need the most. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! 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). There are many conditions that have been linked to sleep apnea that veterans can receive benefits for through secondary service connection. The relationship can also work in the reverse, with sleep apnea being the primary service-connected condition. rocky top hearts australian shepherds Sometimes, certain lifestyle changes can help to minimize the symptoms of sleep apnea, such as losing weight or quitting smoking. Finally, we invite you to contact us and we welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. The DBQ allows an examiner at a C&P exam to check boxes next to descriptions that best express how your sleep apnea is affecting you. Theres no data that shows the average VA rating for ischemic heart disease. Specifically, both anxiety and depression can be linked to sleep apnea. You may also be asked to fill out what is called a Disability Benefits Questionnaire or a DBQ. Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease (CAD), or coronary heart disease, is a condition that occurs when an artery supplying blood to the heart muscle becomes blocked or narrowed. 2019 The causes of these disturbances may vary depending on which form of the condition you have: obstructive, central, or a mixed form of both. By using our website, you agree to the use of certain cookies. Additionally, there are some cases that the VA cannot schedule re-examinations: If you are interested in learning more about C&P examinations, check out our guide! If your VA claim was denied, we may be able to assist you. To receive benefits, you must first prove that there is a service connection. 203, San Jose, CA 95134 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. 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. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent complete and partial upper airway obstructive events, resulting in intermittent hypoxemia, autonomic fluctuation, and sleep fragmentation. This means you do NOT currently have the VA disability rating and compensation YOU deserve, and you could be missing out on thousands of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits each month. Does Sleep Apnea Cause Coronary Artery Disease? Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 A 100% rating is given if an MET test causes symptoms (like shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, or fainting) at 3.0 METs or less. Some experts believe that hypertension may contribute to ischemic heart disease, but the exact relationship between the two conditions is unclear. Or, if you served continuously for at least 90 days and are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Additionally, GERD may contribute to sleep apnea, as acid in the esophagus can cause spasms in the vocal cords which may prompt sleep apnea. Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Columbus, OH: 100 E. Campus View Boulevard, Suite #250, Columbus, OH, 43235 After receiving an honorable discharge in 2018, Trisha worked as a growth marketer and utilizes her analytic skills to help others accomplish their business goals. Not everyone who snores has sleep apnea, but many who have sleep apnea do snore regularly and loudly. You provide evidence of an in-service event, injury, disease, or aggravation. Usually, a sleep specialist will monitor the veterans breathing overnight for a sleep study. How to Service Connect Sleep Apnea secondary to PTSD. There is growing evidence that sleep apnea may be a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Exploring the Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease. The rating criteria are as follows: 60% diastolic pressure predominantly 130 or more In addition, sleep apnea can lead to oxidative stress, which is a type of damage to cells that can contribute to heart disease. any private medical records. How hard is it to get VA disability for sleep apnea? 26,27 More recent studies have found an even higher prevalence of both CSA and OSA in heart failure patients. Well help you gather the evidence and documentation you need to have the best chance of winning your claim. Another type of sleep apnea is central sleep apnea, in which the brain fails to properly control breathing during sleep. (The Insiders Guide). The VA rates IHD between 10-100%. A ton According to medical research, military veterans are FOUR TIMES (4x) more likely to have sleep apnea than the normal civilian population, a truly staggering number. So the brain tells the body to wake up just enough to tighten the muscles and unblock the air passage. The VA assigns a disability rating to each condition based on the severity of the condition and its effects on the veterans ability to work and live a normal life. Allergic Rhinitis. Sleep apnea can cause various health problems, including heart disease. Cookies help us deliver the best experience on our website. It can lead to a heart attack; over time, it can weaken the heart muscle and cause it to pump less efficiently, leading to fluid buildup in the lungs and other body parts, resulting in heart failures characteristic symptoms. A C&P exam for Sleep Apnea might involve a physical examination and review of your medical history and severity of symptoms over time. People with sleep apnea are more likely to have coronary artery disease than those without sleep apnea. A veterans final VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea depends upon the frequency, severity, and duration of symptoms, meaning, the more severe your symptoms, the higher the VA rating for Sleep Apnea. If you are the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who has passed away, youre eligible Average Disability Payment Agent Orange Ischemic Heart Disease, VA Secondary Conditions to Ischemic Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea Secondary to Ischemic Heart Disease, Heart Failure Secondary to Ischemic Heart Disease, Arrhythmias Secondary to Ischemic Heart Disease, Cardiomyopathies Secondary to Ischemic Heart Disease, Valvular Heart Disease Secondary to Ischemic Heart Disease. Arrhythmias occur when the heart muscle cannot pump blood effectively, which can cause the heart to beat too fast or too slow. Anxiety and depression can interfere with a persons sleep patterns, as well as cause symptoms of hyperarousal or hypervigilance. Some of these symptoms include sleep deprivation, insomnia, hyperarousal, and daytime sleepiness. In some cases, arrhythmias can lead to cardiac arrest. Valvular heart disease is often a secondary condition to another form of heart disease, such as ischemic heart disease. To be able to provide a nexus linking their sleep apnea to the secondary condition. The severity of the sleep disorder directly impacts diabetes symptoms, they say. However, there has been a growing controversy over the amount of money the VA pays veterans afflicted with this condition, and an increasing lobby to get rid of compensation for it. Because the chamber must relax in order to fill with blood between contractions, this stiffness means that an inadequate amount of blood is available to pump to the rest of the body. Disability terminology chart. at-home test kit if you dont want to wait for the VA or private doctor. Sleep apnea is a disorder in which a persons breathing repeatedly starts and stops during sleep. The information these cookies collect will not personally identify you, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites. There are risk factors that overlap in both disorders affecting sleep apnea and symptoms of PTSD, oftentimes aggravating the conditions. People with sleep apnea who underwent coronary bypass surgery had a higher rate of complications than those without sleep apnea. Yes, Sleep Apnea is a VA disability and its rated under diagnostic code 6847, Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed). If you want to learn how to implement these strategies to get the VA benefits you deserve, click here to speak with a VA claim expert for free. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The third part can be satisfied with a medical The most common symptoms include: There are a multitude of potential causes of sleep apnea in adults, but in veterans specifically, the causes could include: To confirm a diagnosis of sleep apnea, a sleep study must be given to show that you are experiencing breathing problems, and other sleep disorders and health problems have been ruled out. You may be eligible for benefits if you have a service-related heart condition requiring treatment with a stent. For example, maybe your Sleep Apnea so severe, that you have difficulty working and lose productivity throughout the day due to frequent napping. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! Under the current rating schedule, VA issues ratings at 0, 30, 50, 100 percent for sleep apnea even if treatments are somewhat effective in dealing with the condition. These cookies do not store any personal information. Being honest and thorough is important so everything can be properly documented. These cookies are essential so that you can move around the website and use its features. 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. Id. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea develop high blood pressure (hypertension), which can increase the risk of heart disease. Because of this close relationship between ischemic heart disease and heart failure, its important for anyone diagnosed with one of these conditions to be closely monitored by a cardiologist. Brian Reese here, Air Force service-disabled Veteran and Founder @ VA Claims Insider. 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! Sleep Apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which a persons breathing is repeatedly interrupted, or ceases, during the course of a nights sleep. WebA study of data on hypertension patients in the VA healthcare system indicates that blood pressure control has improved significantly and substantially over time, but that many patients have less than optimal blood pressure control (Borzecki et al. are still among the most common treatments. This sleep-disordered breathing leads to poor sleep quality and is a risk factor for the poor quality of life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.