OSA can also be secondary to several medications that are sedatives due to relaxing the muscles of the throat during sleep. While OSA is often secondary to respiratory issues such as chronic bronchitis or COPD, often due to the exposures mentioned above which can be service connected. This can include fatigue, lack of concentration, memory problems, high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, liver problems, and even heart conditions. For OSA however, there are specific criteria to get rated there must be a functional impact and daytime complications. Despite popular belief, OSA is not presumptive for Gulf War Vets “Undiagnosed Sleep Disorders” is presumptive but difficult to prove. OSA is often related to exposures such as burn pits, oil fires, sand/dust, and pollutants from the Gulf War era. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is the most common of the breathing disorders to be service connected. Not all of these are recognized by the VA as a service connectable disability, and even those that are, it must be shown that it is “as likely as not” related to an event, illness, or injury sustained in service for the disorder to be service connected. Sleep related breathing disorders include such conditions as Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Central Sleep Apnea, and snoring. Insomnia can also be a secondary condition related to medications being taken for a service connected disability such as high blood pressure, heart disease, thyroid disease, depression, and asthma. Insomnia can be secondary to such disorders as arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, asthma and other respiratory problems, conditions that result in chronic pain, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Insomnia is usually claimed as a secondary disability due to being the result of a medical condition that is service connected. They must be able to show that it impedes your ability to conduct your life as you normally would, independently, and as it was prior to insomnia. This evidence can come from a doctor, vocational expert, employer, or statements from those who are observant of your daily behaviors. Besides having the diagnosis, evidence must show that there is some impediment to your occupational or social functioning. The key here is that the disorder has to cause some form of impairment. Insomnia consists of any disorder where you have repeated difficulty with sleep initiation, duration, consolidation, or quality that occurs despite adequate opportunity and circumstances for sleep and results in some form of daytime impairment. Remember, for any claim, you must have an actual diagnosis, with one exception if you are a Gulf War Veteran, Gulf War Syndrome included undiagnosed sleep related conditions. We will look at each type of disorder, the potential causes or links to other conditions, and what evidence you will need to file a claim for the disorder. A polysomnograph, or sleep study, can accurately diagnose sleep disorders and your doctor can request a study be done if you are experiencing sleep problems. There are six identified ICDS-3 Sleep Disorder categories. Sleep disorders are diagnosed using criteria from the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICDS), which was created to differentiate between disorders and facilitate an understanding of symptoms, etiology, and pathophysiology that allows for proper treatment. They fit into 6 different types of sleep disorders: There are several different types of sleep disorders that can be rated for disability by the VA. If that Veteran also has Diabetic Neuropathy, that is a condition that can be claimed as a secondary condition to the Diabetes. For example, a Veteran is service-connected for Diabetes Type II. Whenever you have disability service-connected by the VA, you should immediately see what conditions are secondary to the service-connected one. In this blog, we will explore various types of sleep disorders and what conditions they may be linked to. Many Veterans experience sleep disorders that may be attributable to either their military experiences or secondary to another condition that may be service-connectable. Social Security Disability Benefits Guide.List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map).Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator.A 2023 Guide to VA Disability Rates & Pay Schedules.
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