Can sleep apnea be secondary to chronic pain?

Sleep apnea and back pain are commonly experienced together. Although medical experts don’t believe that one condition causes the other, the two health issues are found as co-symptoms often enough that the relationship between back pain and sleep apnea deserves to be explored.

What VA claims are secondary to sleep apnea?

Some conditions that can be secondary to sleep apnea may include but are not limited to heart conditions, mental health conditions, and diabetes. If you have a service-connected condition that you believe is causing your sleep apnea, it may be a good idea to start to talk to your doctors about it.

Is sleep apnea a secondary VA disability?

VA Secondary Service Connection and Sleep Apnea In addition to primary service connection for sleep apnea, veterans can receive secondary service connection for any conditions that were caused or aggravated by their already service-connected sleep apnea.

What is the VA rating for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD?

Service connection is in effect for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, rated as 60 percent disabling; PTSD, rated as 30 percent disabling; obstructive sleep apnea associated with PTSD, rated as 20 disabling; and tinnitus, rated as 10 percent disabling.

Can sleep apnea be secondary to chronic fatigue?

Studies indicate that there is a link between sleep disorder and ME/CFS. It has been found that close to 60% of patient with chronic fatigue syndrome also suffer from hypopnea syndrome or sleep apnoea.

How do you prove sleep apnea is service connected?

b) To prove the onset of sleep apnea occurred while you were in service, you need to bridge the gap from “then” to “now.” Without an in-service diagnosis, now you must prove that you had symptoms during your time in service. This is the most common route of veterans’ claims for sleep apnea.

Can I file sleep apnea secondary to depression?

Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted, as secondary to service-connected major depressive disorder.

Can I claim insomnia secondary to sleep apnea?

VA offers service-connected compensation for multiple sleep disturbances, including sleep apnea, insomnia, and narcolepsy. Importantly, service connection for sleep disorders can be awarded on a direct, secondary, or presumptive basis.

How Much Does VA pay for sleep apnea?

A veteran may be eligible for disability benefits if they can demonstrate that their sleep apnea is connected to their service. Under the VA Ratings Schedule, a veteran with sleep apnea may be entitled to between 0% and 100% benefits based on their condition.

What is the VA disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome VA Rating 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. Your VA rating for chronic fatigue syndrome will be higher the worse, or more severe, your symptoms are.

Does the VA check CPAP compliance?

There are two changes being made to the rating. Change 1: A veteran must show that the CPAP he’s using is a medical necessity. Thus, a letter from your doctor will be needed to explain that the prescribed breathing device is needed for medical treatment of your sleep apnea.

Do you need a nexus letter for secondary condition?

A Nexus Letter is a strong form of proof that can bridge gaps in a condition’s link to military service. For secondary conditions (conditions caused by other conditions), a Nexus Letter must clearly detail how the current condition was caused by the original.

How does the VA determine if sleep apnea is service connected?

A Final Word: A diagnosis must be confirmed by a sleep study. Whether you suffer from obstructive, central, or complex (mixed) sleep apnea syndromes, ratings are based on the severity of the disability. A VA rating of 50 percent requires the use of a CPAP machine or other approved breathing assistance device.

What is the VA rating for chronic insomnia?

Insomnia can be rated anywhere on the VA disability rating scale — from 0–100% — which means Veterans could receive up to $3,221.85 from the VA for their insomnia. A 0% disability rating for insomnia is not enough to qualify a Veteran for benefits.

What is the highest VA disability rating for insomnia?

38 C.F.R. § 4.130. The Veteran’s service-connected insomnia is currently rated noncompensable prior to July 9, 2012 and as 10 percent disabling from July 9, 2012.

Is sleep apnea secondary to PTSD?

OSA is also commonly seen as a secondary condition in veterans who have PTSD (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). In fact, a recent study found that almost 60% of veterans with PTSD also suffer from sleep apnea.

Is sleep apnea secondary to depression?

Current research supports the link between sleep apnea and depression. Specifically, people who suffer from sleep apnea are 21-39 percent more likely to have depression than those who do not have sleep apnea.

Can Sleep Apnea be secondary to chronic fatigue?

Is chronic fatigue secondary to PTSD?

Another population-based study of psychological stress found that of all measured variables, PTSD was most strongly associated with severe fatigue (18). Both trauma exposure and the severity of PTSD symptoms were significantly associated with a diagnosis of CFS in a clinical sample of patients with CFS (9).

Are military veterans more likely to have sleep apnea?

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… The major problem for your sleep apnea VA claim, however, is that you probably were NOT diagnosed with sleep apnea on active duty.

What are the most common VA sleep apnea secondary conditions?

Top 3 Most Common VA Sleep Apnea Secondary Conditions 1 Sleep Apnea secondary to PTSD 2 Sleep Apnea secondary to Sinusitis 3 Sleep Apnea secondary to Medication Side Effects (weight gain from medication side effects used as an interim link)

Can You service connect sleep apnea secondary?

Okay, let’s explore how you can service connect sleep apnea secondary. Service connection on a secondary basis requires a showing of causation. A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be “proximately caused by” or “proximately aggravated by” another service-connected disability.

What is a showing of causation for sleep apnea secondary conditions?

A showing of causation requires that the secondary disability be shown to be “proximately caused by” or “proximately aggravated by” another service-connected disability. By law, there are three evidentiary elements that must be satisfied for sleep apnea secondary conditions to prove secondary service connection: