How do I prove my sleep apnea is secondary to PTSD?

How to show your sleep apnea is secondary to your PTSD?

Make sure to have a sleep study conducted and get a diagnosis for sleep apnea.
You must have a PTSD disability rating of at least 0%.
Prove that your condition stems from your PTSD or from medication that you are prescribed for your PTSD.

Can sleep apnea be claimed as a secondary to PTSD?

The short answer: yes. PTSD can lead to sleep apnea. From a VA disability standpoint, this means a Veteran could develop sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and would therefore be entitled to compensation.

Is there a link between PTSD and sleep apnea?

Results show that 69.2 percent of participants had a high risk for sleep apnea, and this risk increased with PTSD symptom severity. Every clinically significant increase in PTSD symptom severity was associated with a 40 percent increase in the probability of screening as high risk for sleep apnea.

What is a VA disability nexus letter for PTSD?

A nexus letter is typically written by a doctor or medical professional who can give evidence to the VA that your disability was “at least as likely as not” caused by your service. The medical professional writing the nexus does not have to specifically be from the VA, or even your personal doctor.

How do I prove sleep apnea was service-connected?

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.

Why do so many veterans have sleep apnea?

Many Veterans suffering from emotional distress overeat and lack the motivation to work out. Therefore, sleep apnea can be filed secondary to either a musculoskeletal condition with weight gain or a mental health condition with weight gain.

How do I get a nexus letter for PTSD?

VA Compensation, PTSD 3: PTSD Nexus Letters

The veteran must have a current diagnosis of PTSD.
The in-service event/stressors must be supported by credible evidence.
A connection (called a nexus) between the current diagnosis of PTSD and the in-service event/stressor must be supported by medical evidence.

Can the VA deny a nexus letter?

Can VA and VA-Contracted Doctors Write Nexus Letters? Importantly, VA and VA-contracted doctors cannot write nexus letters in support of veterans’ claims for direct service connection.

Is sleep apnea considered a permanent VA disability?

Since the condition is not considered a permanent VA disability, you can have your rating taken away by the VA. If the condition resolves over time, and you are reevaluated to not have sleep apnea any more, you will no longer be able to claim that rating for compensation.

Do I need a nexus letter for sleep apnea?

Rules of the Game. In order to win a service connection a nexus, or relationship, between PTSD and sleep apnea must exist.

Can you get a nexus letter for sleep apnea?

Sleep Apnea is one of the most difficult VA disabilities to get service connected, especially if you weren’t diagnosed with sleep apnea before leaving active duty service. However, veterans can win their VA claim for sleep apnea, especially with a nexus letter for sleep apnea secondary to another service-connected disability rated at 0% or higher.

What causes sleep apnea secondary to PTSD Nexus letter?

XXX takes Losartan 100mg/ Hydrochlorothiazide 25mg and Prazosin HCL 6mg a day for hypertension and Nightmares. Without it his reading are in the range of 148/116 to 155 to 128. It is in my opinion theXXX Hypertension are more likely than not cause by his services connected Post-Traumatic Stress disorder.

Can a PTSD claim be linked to sleep apnea?

Otherwise, it would seem that the DoVA Rating Agency will probably deny the sleep apnea secondary to PTSD disability claim. Bottom line is that you will need a medical doctor’s opinion for nexus since it wasn’t provided with the submission of your sleep apnea secondary to PTSD disability claim.

What are the pros and cons of VA Nexus letters?

Pros: Very experienced, high-specialized, and dual-hatted as a Medical Doctor (MD) and an accredited VA attorney. Cons: Can be very expensive. $1,500+ per nexus letter. Provided IMO and representation for sleep apnea on more than 100 cases with very high success rate. Does not offer physical exams. Location: Tucson, Arizona.

What is a nexus opinion?

Nathan Guin: At its base, a Nexus Medical Opinion is essentially just establishing a relationship between something that happened in service and a current disability. So, essentially, let’s say a veteran fell or hurt his knee somehow or another in service and still suffers from, let’s say,…

What is secondary to sleep apnea?

Secondary hypersomnia is the result of conditions that cause fatigue or insufficient sleep. For example, sleep apnea can cause hypersomnia because it can cause trouble breathing at night, forcing people to wake up multiple times throughout the night. Some medications can also cause hypersomnia.

How does PTSD cause OSA?

A theory that OSA causes posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would fit with a scenario in which an individual with poorly treated or undiagnosed OSA suffered from excessive sleepiness that caused a car accident. As motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of PTSD, this scenario assigns OSA the status…

Does PTSD cause OSA?

Study finds high risk of sleep apnea in young veterans with PTSD. DARIEN, IL – A new study of young U.S. veterans shows that the probability of having a high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increased with increasing severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.