High blood pressure or hypertension can be easily developed due to stress acquired in active duty. In a study of veterans, PTSD symptom severity increased the risk of screening positive for OSA. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during the course of sleep. In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. You will need strong lay evidence that establishes what symptoms you were having in service loud snoring, apneas (stopped breathing) followed by gasps for oxygen, dry mouth upon waking, daytime fatigue, etc. SvKve5.YmPE}=;vpb -GW2RN Theres lots of literature available to back it up. Sleep apnea is extremely common among veterans, as the disorder is frequently caused or exacerbated by time in service. But remember the ultimate goal to win your VA disability compensation claim. b4RmeCF$ZelpKT+ise$._DSah#Yxm CPGtef%gMvHPMO_'QXfk3xk9R-bxUqJ4rzWhixgi7-]ng)T2i:P z"/oCw.8{N A\c\FOl>jlh@7p 203, San Jose, CA 95134 hUmoF+1QNH6,65B.E]>XH?a8D Ht"B)\5H($>f_+:TPT!UBPTVR$Xz.c-sKGkzlYz;j&]&Lra)"6"x\?gY(5vZlbQn]wEutI&q$+}on~[]#mg])jqY_`jh]W7|E}Ag\SV When Daniel laid it out and told me almost specifically, "Here's your timeline, here's how you do it, "here's what you do, here's what you need, "here are the things that you need," that sealed the deal. In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. If youre stuck, frustrated, underrated, and currently rated between 0%-90%, VA Claims Insider Elite is for you! There are special rules regarding how a Sleep Apnea disability claim is treated by the VA. It's harder to get than it used to be, and there are more regulations. This may be 20 or 30 years after the problems started. Discuss your sleep issues with your primary care VA doctor and ask for a referral to a sleep specialist at the VA. With lay evidence AND medical evidence. How to Hire an Attorney For Your VA Claim or Appeal. THANK YOU AGAIN. Both sinusitis and rhinitis are linked to sleep apnea. The most trusted name in education-based resources for Veterans. Also sinusitis, rhinitis, hypertension. endstream endobj 39 0 obj <> endobj 40 0 obj <> endobj 41 0 obj <>stream I talked to several doctors and sleep experts. I understand you want your VA claim to be done as quickly as possible. The resulting reduction in sleep quality and in the bodys supply of oxygen can have serious consequences on health and quality of life. Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most noticeable signal for those who live alone. A current disability (medical diagnosis in medical records), An in-service event, injury, disease, or aggravation; and, evidence of chronicity and continuity in your service treatment records and private treatment records, or, A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records (sleep study in past 12 months), Medical nexus evidence establishing a connection between. Jason and his paralegal Lisa were on point and on top of their game when it came to handling my worker's comp. A/8un$zjHNSPU%=8HF Z*v@l(?6Nx/ Veterans whoare looking for the easy way to get sleep apnea service-connected will not find it in my opinion, there is no such thing. This is described as being foggy by patients. <>/Parent 3 0 R/Type/Page/Contents 8 0 R/Tabs/S/Resources<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/Font<>>>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Rotate 0>> Those are the ingredients. You're not alone. I read hundreds, if not thousands, of Veterans C-Files, BVA Decisions and Veterans Court Decisions. Common signs of sleep apnea include: Loud and frequent snoring Silent pauses in breathing Choking or gasping Daytime sleepiness Insomnia Unproductive sleep Morning headaches Digestion issues like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Los Angeles, CA: 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Ste 1101, Los Angeles, CA 90025 Without a CPAP machine, the VA assigns a 30% rating. Most Veterans are not proving sleep apnea is service connected. I absolutely agree I think that Mr. Harris was way out of line, and was not educated about the issue he was commenting on. They all treated me as though I was family and helped me with my work comp case in more ways than the average would have.Thank you Jason and Thank you Tina! In order to establish direct service connection for sleep apnea, a claimant must show that they have: a current, diagnosis of sleep apnea an in-service event or illness/injury a medical nexus or link that shows the veteran's sleep apnea is related to their in-service event, injury/illness. This means they make their claim without providing much proof. If I accomplish one thing in this post, it is to change the way thatyouthink about yourVA Disability Claim for sleep apnea. I read hundreds of cases. For instance, the rating criteria for 100% disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome detailing debilitating and incapacitating fatigue, cognitive impairments, or a mixture of other similar symptoms severe enough to restrict your daily life and self-care significantly. Heres what the 38CFR lists for sleep apnea: Once sleep apnea is service-connected, this opens the door for you to file other secondary claims you may want to make. Whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to the This type of sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep. The same can be said about service-connected mental health conditions. I awake countless time at night due to this. Do I Need a CPAP Machine to be Service-Connected? Learn what youve been missing so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation youve earned for your service. Scenario 4: The Veteran has one or more conditions service-connected, and is claiming that those conditions CAUSED the sleep apnea. Like researchers that have been searching for the Holy Grail the harder they look, the less they find. Please call for an appointment before visiting: Mail Processing Center: P.O. Proving Sleep Apnea is Service Connected its the one thing I hear more about from Veterans than any other topic. 1 0 obj Strategic Veteran would like to help you sort out what you may be able to claim and the best way to go about it. Not presumptively. (6.[,P)BLd?8e:}]eS8Sx| XvKdEP,Zbl65k8 x!KSToHjbrC. This may cause dizziness, weakness, fainting while standing or sitting, as well as vision becoming blurry or seeing spots. Microsoft Word 2010; modified using iText 2.1.7 by 1T3XT I filed NOD in early 2017 request an informal DRO. aggravated beyond its natural progression by another service-connected condition (for secondary service connection). hb```f``rb`a`} @ odoF@z&I*B{!C*!H12*0`$I +Nw`ubL6iF bICg!|F % I talked to several doctors about the causes and limitations of sleep apnea. Its an essential piece of evidence. hbbd```b``"A$,^&d4dZ0;LI`2A`6H9!`qF' 0 uuid:9ecae647-b430-492b-9ebf-3254b1d19b42 You can lose your arms and legs and still survive. That is, until he damaged his knees in-serviceand had to geta knee replacement at amilitary hospital. Hepatitis C also causes insulin resistance. Sleep studies can be done to rule out Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or other sleep disorders preventing restful sleep. When filing a VAdisability Claim for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome there are specific things the VA has to see before service connection can be considered and disability compensation granted. According to the VA law, there are three evidentiary elements that must be satisfied for sleep apnea conditions to prove secondary service connection: A medical diagnosis recorded in medical records of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study Evidence of PTSD as a service-connected primary disability f%Ygaz~u&d_',BB)Kw4(wb B @WxW4]XE 8L>kq t#]NGW{#}|_ g#0 oZ)OZLmx JqW2! /kso-v"b688Me ) Here are some common symptoms of sleep apnea: Contrary to the myth, sleep apnea does not need to be diagnosed while on active duty. Click Go Elite Now below to get started today and a member of our team will be in touch within minutes. The VA disability ratings for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, and 100% all dependent on the severity and other factors of your symptoms. Follow the steps below to remedy the above-listed typical reasons for denial, and youll be much closer to a winning claim! Microsoft Word 2010 endstream endobj 43 0 obj <>stream Are you a veteran who suffers from sleep apnea? You do not have to be prescribed a CPAP machine to be service-connected for sleep apnea. 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). I learned that to win your Sleep Apnea claim, you are going to have to put your Sleep Apnea Claim together right. What about PTSD? Ill also show you: * The problem with your particular type of Sleep Apnea from the VAs perspective, * The Key Question to be resolved in EACH scenario, * Solutions to the Most Common Errors in Sleep Apnea claims. I talked to hundreds of Veterans who had been denied VAsleep apnea compensation. I stated on my retirement physical that I sometimes have trouble sleeping at night. Required fields are marked *. ; claim denied; hearing aids supplied but disability denied;pre-diabetic; high blood pressure. If you or a loved one suffers from CFS do not be afraid to report symptoms to your doctor. In recent years this trend has begun to turn around, but it is still one of the more difficult conditions to win a disability compensation claim for. The first requirement which must be met to satisfy the VA is a sleep study. Second example.lets say the veteran has service connection for PTSD. Learn how your comment data is processed. Jason is a excellent lawyer and if I ever need another one I would only go to Perkins,Because I believe they would be able to help me in any situation I am in need of.. Dont make the mistake so many other veterans have. Proving Service-Connection for Sleep Apnea. Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can have a huge impact on a persons life and those around them. Elizabeth M. Walsh appeals the Board's denial of service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea. In the U.S. it has been acknowledged that more education needs to be provided to doctors and nurses to give them the skills to detect CFS sooner for the well being of the patient. (The Insiders Guide), Insider Tips: How to Schedule a Sleep Study with the VA. How to File a Claim on VA.gov (step-by-step)!