Hence, the weight gain. case, my case has settled now, and I am very happy for all Jason and his office hard work on my case, he was always there to help me out with any questions that I had or help I needed. Brooklyn, NY: 300 Cadman Plaza West, One Pierrepont Plaza, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY, 11201 In fact, winning your VA sleep apnea claim can feel like you just led your team to victory in the World Cup. Anxiety and depression can interfere with sleep patterns. Portland, OR: 650 N. E. Holladay Street, Suite 1600, Portland, OR, 97232 Its an entirely different thing to mix those ingredients so that they turn into a cake. NOT GOING TO GIVE UP, I filed a FOIA for a copy VA experts opinion in preparation for another NOD, this time Im requesting a formal face to face meeting with DRO. Many civilian doctors have NO CLUE what a Nexus letter is or the importance of it! If accepted into our ELITE membership program, youll get free up-front access and permission to use $13,119 worth of proprietary VA claim resources, including access to our network of independent medical professionals for medical examinations, disability evaluations, and credible Medical Nexus Letters, which could help you get a HIGHER VA rating in LESS time. Required fields are marked *. . %PDF-1.4 Sleep Apnea in Gulf War Veterans - Public Health endstream endobj 42 0 obj <>stream Medical opinions will be CRUCIAL, as these are not NECESSARY connections. Medications can be prescribed that help with depression caused by living with CFS, also low dose antidepressants have been shown to improve sleep patterns. A Guide to VA Ratings for Sleep Apnea - Hill & Ponton, P.A. I understand you want your VA claim to be done as quickly as possible. Readers should not act or rely upon any information contained in this web site without first seeking the advice of an attorney. How is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed? You can lose a kidney, and live a full and complete life. Veterans Court reminds the VA: the BVA must adjudicate the logically related informal claim. PDF UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS No. 18-0495 Your airway narrows and closes, leading to pauses in the breathing cycle. The question raised in this case is whether this "intermediate step" is limited to . Translation: 3 out of every 4 of youwill see your sleep apnea claims and appeals deniedunless you learn how to prove your Sleep Apnea Claim the right way. Veterans Benefits Network-Sleep Apnea secondary to Service Connected There are 3 ways to get it: Chris, Most people with CFS seem to have an impaired immune system which is thought to possibly be the cause of having CFS. This is where I come in. Service connection on a secondary basis requires evidence of aggravation or causation.This requires that the secondary disability be shown to be proximately due to or proximately aggravated by another service-connected disability. endstream endobj 39 0 obj <> endobj 40 0 obj <> endobj 41 0 obj <>stream Yi-bR :z>r6iFR Copyright 2023 Hill & Ponton, P.A.. All Rights Reserved. Both anxiety and depression can also be linked to sleep apnea. Seattle, WA: 506 2nd Ave,Suite 1400,Seattle, WA 98104. My claim was approved first time submitting. Second example.lets say the veteran has service connection for PTSD. As a fellow disabled Veteran this is shameful and Im on a mission to change it. c}gn7 Ds?4S&}eLg\Qz}3l>tN`MA&DDz5:/v DRO sided with VA expert (not surprise) who claimed SA was least likely as not occurred or caused by service, moreover, VA expert justified opinion by THE FOLLOWINGS;(time 12yrs since retirement, age 50 at the time of sleep study, and weight gain ?). Instead, lets focus on one type of sleep apnea claim our firm has recently worked on to illustrate just oneof the ways to prove service connection of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea Secondary to GERD - The Expert's Guide - VA Claims Insider Kim was very helpful and any time I had a question she made sure I got an answer. z`tsd#Ex>@"A"M@+5;$ Signup to never miss a beat with special offers, blog updates, exclusive trainings, and more delivered right to your inbox! This will confirm a medical diagnosis and current symptoms, especially if theyve become more severe over time. *To prove your Sleep Apnea is service connected without a sleep study in the military? ; claim denied; hearing aids supplied but disability denied;pre-diabetic; high blood pressure. If I accomplish one thing in this post, it is to change the way thatyouthink about yourVA Disability Claim for sleep apnea. VA Disability Ratings for Hypertension and Sleep Apnea These pauses can happen several times an hour when the apnea is severe. lh20EnM.svSI}][PFkaq-h;qm,=4b~7d #XEBJkb8_]3VL ,zYvA "FJh=2b6`E\ouXj/'|fg Dear Mr Attig: The polysomnography study records your brain waves, the oxygen levels in your blood, your heart rate and breathing, and eye and leg movements, among other criteria. A credible nexus letter fulfills one of the requirements for secondary service connection for sleep apnea: medical nexus evidence establishing a connection between the service-connected disability and the current disability (sleep apnea). A sleep study is critical to confirming whether you meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for sleep apnea. Are you a veteran who suffers from sleep apnea? Veterans can also prove service connection for sleep apnea by showing that their sleep apnea began in service using service medical records, or by providing a nexus opinion from a medical professional that links their current diagnosis of sleep apnea to signs or symptoms they experienced in service. Sounds easy enough, right? If you are interested in avoiding unnecessary delay in your claim and want to do everything you can to maximize your chances of success, it is probably a good idea for you to consult with an accredited veterans disability attorney. Youre arent alone. If you have symptoms of OSA, consider obtaining a sleep study, also known as polysomnography. ZB{hp!=Uds~$?4Af%E)L:va4Hc_?qaH }q?OFI>4 7Q3 Richmond, VA: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA, 23225 Jessica Rodriguez, Claims Advocate Updated: June 27, 2020. I got so many questions that I began to do a lot of research into how to service connect Sleep Apnea claims and what is happening with Sleep Apnea in the Veterans community. For instance, often sleep apnea presents itself in those who have been suffering from PTSD. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing is repeatedly interrupted during the course of sleep. Living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can have a huge impact on a persons life and those around them. Hepatitis C also causes insulin resistance. The biggest mistake most veterans make in their service-connection for sleep apnea claims is in expecting the VA to take them at their word. The BEST Path to Proving Sleep Apnea is Service Connected. For a limited time, you can book a free, no-obligation VA Claim Discovery Call with one of our experts. The information contained on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and not legal advice. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. No current sleep study within the last 12 months, #2. These are sometimes referred to as a crash, relapse, or collapse, and some patients can tell when they will happen. It occurs when airflow is impaired repeatedly during sleep due to blockage in the upper airway. Cleveland, OH: 600 Superior Ave. East, Fifth Third Building, Suite 1300, Cleveland, OH, 44114 Discuss your sleep issues with your primary care VA doctor and ask for a referral to a sleep specialist at the VA. In my next article, I will explain another road to service connection: obstructive sleep apnea as a secondary disability. Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. . The VA is also wary of the fact that sleep apnea may well have been a condition suffered by the veteran before their time in the military. While youmay have been a loud snorer or had other sleep difficulties in service that are normally associated with sleep apnea, if you are like most service members you probablydid not undergo a sleep study and get a formal diagnosis before your discharge from service. History of studies and lab work showing the doctor ruled out other possible conditions that may be causing the same symptoms, Nonexudativepharyngitis (swelling of the back of the throat with no mucus), Tender/palpable lymph nodes (neck or underarms), Fatigue lasting longer than 24 hours after exercise, Neuropsychological symptoms (burning, numbness, tingling sensation, sensitivity). Medical professionals did not have the medical capabilities to perform sleep study testing when they served. Click Go Elite Now below to get started today and a member of our team will be in touch within minutes. The VA uses two options for rating most sleep apnea claims. You can lose your arms and legs and still survive. You will need to follow one of the paths to service connection, which will likely require lay evidence and expert medical evidence. OSA secondary to PTSD (or other mental health claim) is a more challenging claim to make, but it is still a top candidate for secondary service connection of sleep apnea. Emerging research indicates a strong association between PTSD and sleep apnea.The link between sleep apnea and PTSD is likely due to the fact that many factors that aggravate PTSD also aggravate sleep apneaincluding sleep deprivation, insomnia, hyperarousal, and daytime sleepiness. Concerningly, it is also one of the conditions most rejected by the VA, as the vast majority are regularly turned down. This is a great group of people who really care about your well being. presentit neatly andpersuasivelyto the VA. BVA denied VAbenefits for sleep apnea in 76% of the appeals. fight to get their sleep apnea service-connected. Learn what youve been missingso you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you deserve! SvKve5.YmPE}=;vpb -GW2RN This type of sleep apnea occurs when your throat muscles intermittently relax and block your airway during sleep. Local Wounded Veterans Gifted with Opportunities to Go Fishing. UNFORTUNATELY HE DIED.! * A 5-Star medical opinion, resting on 5-Star Lay and Medical Evidence, that demonstrates HOW your Sleep Apnea is related to military service. That is how I suggest you handle this situation. Board of Veterans Appeals Template for processing Decision or Remand I can teach you: * HOW toproveyour Sleep Apnea Claim for any ofthe 3 types of Sleep Apnea you have. There are certain chronic diseases that a veteran may be presumptively entitled to if the disease manifests to a certain degree within a specified timeframe after the veterans period of, In todays society, hypertension is a common diagnosis for most veterans. I absolutely agree I think that Mr. Harris was way out of line, and was not educated about the issue he was commenting on. Weight gain can be tied to several different conditions. I cannot recommend Jason and his staff enough. Once diagnosed the more difficult step is required, which is proving the service-connection for sleep apnea. The VA has also given me a 0% disability for service connected IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis . Thousands of other Veterans in our Community are here for you. Below is the schedule for rating . Making the Sausage: Heres what you need to know about new VA Claims regulations. Did the VA Benefit of the Doubt Rule just disappear? This may be 20 or 30 years after the problems started. Sleep apnea is a medically complex disorder. uuid:9ecae647-b430-492b-9ebf-3254b1d19b42 Learn how your comment data is processed. I talked to several doctors and sleep experts. This is described as being foggy by patients. 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. 67 0 obj <>stream Everyone I came in contact with there was very nice. Therefore, a well-crafted nexus letter for sleep apnea is the single most crucial document a veteran can provide the VA adjudicator to help prove service connection on an at least as likely as not basis. What the doctor may do is multiple laboratorytests to rule out some other underlying cause. Broadly, its defined as the occurrence of five or more breathing-related events per hour, measured by polysomnography (sleep study). Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most noticeable signal for those who live alone. Its an essential piece of evidence. Just think about our veterans from older eras. It is common to have a range of motion (ROM) exercises, stretching a few minutes each day and steadily increase to build a tolerance. The Holy Grail: An EASY Path to Proving Sleep Apnea is Service Connected? How you mix them is the hard part. For a true diagnosis of CFS the patient must also have one of the two following symptoms: There are other symptoms that some but not all experience: Diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can be a bit tricky and understandably so because there is no set test to make the determination. Its one thing to give you the ingredients for a chocolate cake. FromApril 2013 to April 2014, the BVA denied 76% of Veterans Sleep Apnea appeals. * How the VA willrate your sleep apnea condition after granting Service Connection. protected, calm and informed I can teach you how to do that. Symptoms of CFS include thinking and memory issues, orthostatic intolerance such as dizziness, weakness, fainting when upright, and much more. Source: Department of Veteran Affairs Regional Office New Orleans, LA. Therefore, sleep apnea can be filed secondary to either a musculoskeletal condition with weight gain or a mental health condition with weight gain. You can subscribe to his Veterans Disability channel on YouTube. 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. Because of my PTSD meds and sleep apnea I have gained considerable weight as well as an underactive thyroid. Make sure to have your sleep study done. I have sleep apnea and emphysema. Heres 4 lessons I learned that I want to pass on to you if you can really learn and understand these lessons, you will have the power to really improve and service connect sleep apnea claims and appeals. I do not response to Individual claim and legal questions, although I do catalog them for post / video ideas. Do I Need a CPAP Machine to be Service-Connected? For instance, if you complain of being tired all the time your doctor may order blood tests to check for anemia, diabetes, and hypothyroidism all of which cause fatigue.

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