Va Sleep Apnea Secondary To Ptsd

Research shows that veterans with PTSD have a higher risk of developing sleep apnea.

Va sleep apnea secondary to ptsd. A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records unless you did this already on active duty Evidence of a service-connected primary disability such as PTSD depression anxiety sinusitis rhinitis weight gain AND. Thus as a veterans PTSD severity increases both the likelihood that the veteran will develop sleep apnea and or the severity of his or her sleep apnea also increases. For a records review and possible nexus letter. The VA will reward sleep apnea secondary service-connection to PTSD now but it is not a sure thing.

PTSD however will often cause to other conditions or disabilities. They found an incredible statistical difference. Many factors that aggravate PTSD have been shown to aggravate sleep apnea as well such as sleep deprivation chronic stress and hyperarousal. A medical diagnosis of sleep apnea confirmed by a sleep study in VA medical records or private records sleep study in past 12 months Evidence of a service-connected primary disability such as PTSD depression anxiety sinusitis rhinitis weight gain AND.

PTSD does NOT cause Sleep Apnea however PTSD and side effects of medications taken to manage PTSD symptoms can aggravate obesity weight gain leading to the development of Obstructive Sleep Apnea OSA in Veterans hence Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD can be granted. Berry Law - Veterans. Approximately 1185 of individuals suffering from PTSD also had sleep apnea. While sleep apnea cannot be the cause of post-traumatic stress disorder it seems to lower a persons mental defenses making it more likely for the disorder to develop after experiencing a stressful incident such as a firefight or improvised explosive device IED detonation.

The veterans sleep apnea is more likely than not secondary to his service-connected MDDPTSD. PTSD and sleep apnea have similar stressors in regards to sleep. Whats more it appears that sleep apnea can increase ones susceptibility to developing post-traumatic stress disorder. One study compared the records of 4 million Veterans suffering from PTSD and those not suffering from PTSD to find a connection between PTSD and sleep apnea.

However the studys authors say that disrupted sleep and sleep deprivation while in combat paired with veterans physical and psychological stress may play a role. Relationship Between Sleep Apnea and PTSD. Some examples of conditions secondary to PTSD are sleep apnea gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD hypertension migraines and erectile dysfunction. For example sleep deprivation fragmented sleep chronic stress and hyperarousal all effect both PTSD and sleep apnea.

If youve been diagnosed with PTSD chances are you suffer from what are known as secondary conditions. If youre wondering if youre sleep apnea may be secondary to your service-connected PTSD feel free to reach out to Todd Finnerty PsyD. Sleep Apnea Secondary to PTSD. Scientists at the Madigan Army Medical Center have recently studied the incidence of sleep apnea in military personnel.

The study found that about 69 of veterans with PTSD are at a high risk for sleep apnea which is a sleep disorder causing a person to repeatedly stop and start breathing. This correlation between the two becomes even stronger when the study determined that an increase in the severity of PTSD leads to an increase in the probability of sleep apnea.