Am I disabled if I have sleep apnea?
Asked by: Nichole Haag DDS | Last update: January 11, 2024Score: 4.9/5 (15 votes)
The Social Security Administration (SSA) does not recognize sleep apnea as a disability. However, if you suffer from severe enough sleep apnea, you may meet eligibility standards with the other symptoms resulting from your sleep apnea. To qualify for benefits, you must meet SSD's definition of disabled.
How much disability does sleep apnea?
The VA rates sleep apnea on a range of 0% for a documented sleep disorder that is asymptomatic, 30% for persistent day-time sleepiness, 50% with the required use of a breathing device such as a CPAP machine, or 100% with chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale (abnormal enlargement of ...
Are sleep disorders considered a disability?
If someone is diagnosed with a sleep disorder that affects their ability to work, they may be eligible for disability benefits if their condition cannot be effectively treated. Complaints about being tired or fatigued would not be enough to qualify for disability benefits.
Is sleep apnea in the Social Security Blue Book?
You will likely only qualify if you have serious complications caused by sleep apnea. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a Blue Book in which the agency lists all ailments that qualify for disability benefits. For sleep apnea, SSA lists respiratory and other impairments caused by sleep apnea.
Is sleep apnea considered mental health?
Sleep Apnea and Mental Health
Sleep apnea also has an effect on mental health, and those with sleep apnea have a far higher risk of anxiety, panic disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, or even schizophrenia.
Sleep Apnea and Social Security Disability
What type of disability is sleep apnea?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) evaluates sleep apnea under the Respiratory Disorders section of the Blue Book listing of impairments. The complications of sleep-related breathing disorders are evaluated under the listing for the body system that is affected.
What mental illness is associated with sleep apnea?
Untreated apnea may increase the odds of having:
anxiety, by 3.68 times. depression, by 3.11 times. severe psychological distress, by 2.88 times. suicidal thoughts, by 2.75 times.
Can you get 100% disability for sleep apnea?
You can receive a rating of 0, 30, 50, or 100 percent for sleep apnea. 0 Percent: You are asymptomatic but have a documented sleep disorder.
Does being on oxygen qualify you for disability?
even when there is no evidence that they meet a listing. In summary, just being on oxygen is not a sure thing when it comes to Social Security disability benefits.
How do I claim sleep apnea disability?
- a current, diagnosis of sleep apnea.
- an in-service event or illness/injury.
- a medical nexus or link that shows the veteran's sleep apnea is related to their in-service event, injury/illness.
Can you be cured of sleep apnea?
The answer is no, although it is a common question among people with a sleep apnea diagnosis. While there is no cure for this chronic condition, there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can reduce your sleep apnea symptoms.
Is sleep apnea a chronic disease?
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common disorder that has all the characteristics of a chronic condition. As with other chronic conditions, OSA requires ongoing management of treatments and problems, such as residual symptoms, deficits and co-morbidities.
What is the disability when you can't sleep?
Understanding Insomnia
As mentioned, insomnia is a common sleep disorder. People who suffer from it usually have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep despite having the time and the right environment for sleeping. The severity of insomnia can vary from one person to another.
How much disability is a CPAP machine?
Right now, service-connected sleep apnea is assigned a 50 percent rating if you are prescribed a CPAP machine. If you have a CPAP and you also have chronic respiratory failure or similar conditions, you can get a 100 percent rating.
Can anxiety cause sleep apnea?
Because central sleep apnea involves issues with the central nervous system, the same physical issues causing your anxiety could also cause your central sleep apnea.
Can sleep apnea cause back 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 is the 5 year rule for Social Security disability?
No waiting period is required if you were previously entitled to disability benefits or to a period of disability under § 404.320 any time within 5 years of the month you again became disabled.
What is a breathing test for disability?
The Mayo Clinic defines spirometry as the first and most commonly done lung function test to determine how well your lungs work while inhaling and exhaling. It measures the capacity and time it takes for you to move air in and out of your lungs.
Is sleep apnea 50 disability?
Doctors also recommend changes in your diet, exercise, and stress reduction. But the CPAP is central to the VA rating schedule for sleep apnea. If a clinical evaluation shows that your sleep apnea is bad enough to warrant a CPAP machine, you automatically get a 50% rating.
Does sleep apnea run in families?
Inheritance. The inheritance pattern of obstructive sleep apnea is unclear. Overall, the risk of developing this condition is about 50 percent greater for first-degree relatives (such as siblings or children) of affected individuals as compared to the general public.
Does snoring mean sleep apnea?
Not all snorers have apnea, but the two often go hand-in-hand. As snoring gets louder, chances of having sleep apnea are greater and greater. If you have apnea, your bed partner might notice that the snores are punctuated by pauses in breathing. Those are apnea episodes, and they can recur hundreds of times a night.
Who suffers from sleep apnea the most?
- Before age 50, it's more common in men and people assigned male at birth (AMAB). ...
- People are more likely to develop it as they get older.
- Having excess weight or obesity strongly increases the risk of developing it.
- It's more common in people who are Black, Hispanic or of Asian descent.
Is sleep apnea caused by brain damage?
Sleep apnea, narcolepsy, periodic limb movement disorder, and parasomnias may also occur after a head injury. In addition, depression, anxiety, and pain are common brain injury comorbidities with significant influence on sleep quality.
How debilitating is sleep apnea?
A lack of restorative slumber can lead to daytime sleepiness, memory problems, depression, and anxiety. Every time breathing ceases during the night, victims of obstructive sleep apnea experience a drastic drop in oxygen levels that damage the body's cells.