You're not alone. VA Sleep Apnea Claim They are a leading cause of heart failure and death worldwide and are one of the common secondary conditions in veterans with ischemic heart disease. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. Coronary Artery Disease If a veteran does not attend the exam, their claim can be denied. This causes discomfort and inflammation. post, most veterans didnt realize they had sleep apnea while on active duty. If the VA grants service connection for both conditions, they will only assign whichever condition has the higher rating. It is intended that the DBQs will be completed by the Veteran's health care provider. By law, there are three evidentiary elements that You may be eligible for benefits if you have a service-related heart condition requiring treatment with a stent. Sleep apnea is a common condition that affects about22 million people nationwide. nexus letter from a qualified medical professional. Dry Mouth. Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! at-home test kit if you dont want to wait for the VA or private doctor. I have diagnoses post-service for GERD, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Sleep Apnea Estimate your 2023 VA Rating & Compensation for FREE! The main problem is that you didnt get a When someone has sleep apnea, their body doesnt get the oxygen it needs. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)! To confirm a sleep apnea diagnosis for VA disability compensation purposes, VA requires that a sleep study be conducted. 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. 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. The link between sleep apnea and PTSD is likely due to the fact that many factors which aggravate PTSD also aggravate 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. The General Rating Formula for heart conditions ranges from 10% to 100% with breaks at 10%, 30%, 60% and 100%. You're not alone. This study will serve as medical evidence for the veterans case and can help to prove the medical condition or medical conditions that go into a total rating. This blockage is caused when the back throat muscles relax, impairing the airflow. Over time, plaque can harden and narrow the arteries, making blood flow difficult. What Are the Different VA Heart Condition Ratings? Sleep apnea is a condition that can be caused by several factors, including ischemic heart disease. For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by recurrent complete and partial upper airway obstructive events, resulting in intermittent hypoxemia, autonomic fluctuation, and sleep fragmentation. We have updated our Privacy Policy. The exact mechanism by which the chemical causes this condition is not yet known, but it is thought that it may interfere with the normal functioning of the heart muscle or the arteries. 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. Providers Overview Location Reviews Providers The disability compensation ranges from $152.64- 3,332.06 (rates based on veteran alone). a showing of causation. If youre a veteran with ischemic heart disease and struggling to get the rating you deserve, the expert coaches at VA Claims Insider can help you file for a VA rating. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea develop high blood pressure (hypertension), which can increase the risk of heart disease. Therefore, veterans who are service connected for sleep apnea can become secondary service-connected for their GERD, and vice versa. Learn more about us, Veterans Disability Claim She enjoys working with the Veteran population and keeping them up to date with information they need the most. In this post we'll explore how to get a service connected VA disability rating for Sleep Apnea secondary to Anxiety, even if you've already filed, been denied, or gave up. Heart disease is a general term used to describe various heart conditions. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, including heart rhythm disorders, lung damage, and kidney failure. 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. aggravated by another service-connected disability. Have you been affected by Camp Lejeune water contamination? To receive benefits, you must first prove that there is a service connection. Some of the most common secondary conditions include sleep apnea, heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies, and valvular heart disease. The signs and symptoms of these three types of sleep apnea tend to overlap, sometimes making it difficult to determine which type a person has. existing medical evidence in service treatment records, VA medical records, or All Rights Reserved. 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. #2: It crosses the uvula that dangling thing in the back of your throat. 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. This type of exam is meant to assess the cause and the severity of the veterans condition, as well as the connection to the primary service-connected disability. Being honest and thorough is important so everything can be properly documented. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. Studies have shown that war veterans exhibiting these symptoms tend to have increased frequency and length of apneic events that can be proven by a medical professional. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. For instance, which pages you go to most. Secondary 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. Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing, A whistling or wheezing sound when exhaling, Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu, Re-experiencing the trauma through recurrent memories, flashbacks, and nightmares, Avoidance of people, places, and activities that are reminders of the trauma, Increased arousal such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating, Difficulty maintaining relationships with others, Thick, discolored discharge from the nose, Drainage down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage), Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose, Pain, tenderness, and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead. Typically, sleep apnea symptoms are at their worst during REM Sleep due to the bodys naturally-occurring reduced muscle tone in the bodys airway. 2 3 The main known risk factors for OSA are obesity, male gender, high age, increased neck To find out more, view our Privacy Policy. In addition, sleep apnea can lead to oxidative stress, which is a type of damage to cells that can contribute to heart disease. These changes may lead to clogged arteries and poor heart muscle function. Sleep apnea is a very serious sleep disorder, whereby breathing is briefly and repeatedly interrupted during sleep. WebObstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a more common disorder than currently diagnosed in the clinic. 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! The following are the different ratings that can be assigned to heart conditions: All heart conditions are rated on the General Rating Formula unless otherwise noted. WebThe diagnostic criteria for a VA sleep apnea claim, found in the Code of Federal Regulations, have not changed. Knowing what to look for and how to manage these conditions can help you stay healthy and live a full life. Phoenix, AZ: One Renaissance Tower, Two North Center Avenue, 18th & 19th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85004 People with sleep apnea who underwent coronary bypass surgery had a higher rate of complications than those without sleep apnea. A CPAP machine delivers air pressure, which is greater than the surrounding air, through a mask while the veteran is sleeping. 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. Sleep Apnea VA Obstructive sleep apnea If treatment for sleep apnea provides only limited alleviation, you will only receive ten percent of your maximum compensation, even if a CPAP machine is required. Were seeing veterans coming back from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the southwest Asia theater of war with severe sleep issues, which can oftentimesbe linked to PTSD. If your obstructive sleep apnea VA claim, or other sleep apnea claim, was originally denied, you may be able to appeal the rating and receive VA disability compensation. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. These cookies collect information about how you use our website. You would need a diagnosis and a medical nexus letter that will link your condition to your service or service-connected disability.