Join Our Newsletter

New? Free Sign Up

Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:

CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.

CPAP Supplies

Latest Activity

Steven B. Ronsen updated their profile
Mar 5
Dan Lyons updated their profile
Mar 7, 2022
99 replied to Mike's discussion SPO 7500 Users?
"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Dec 4, 2021
Stefan updated their profile
Sep 16, 2019
Profile IconBLev and bruce david joined SleepGuide
Aug 21, 2019
Possible to apply for disability based on severity of one's sleep apnea? Cedric Lytton, a member, would like to know.

Views: 2236

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

I have never heard of anyone getting disability for apnea. In my opinion people who have apnea need to begin some sort of therapy, and try to increase their activities. Seems to me that disability might be counter-productive in getting control of apnea.
Sleep apnea is a treatable condition, it is not a disability; even severe apnea is fully treatable. If it can't be treated with CPAP, it can be treated with a tracheostomy.
In my opinion sleep apnea is NOT a disability. It can be corrected with various treatment options available. Many times those that can not get it to work, simply don't have the right mind set.

There are those that would rather stay home and let the government take care of them. I am NOT advocating that everyone on disability is lazy -- just that there are some that simply do not want to work. Leave the disability for those that truly qualify and can not work for true medical conditions.
It is true many with sleep apnea are considered disabled however, this is related to other illness or disease.
Obesity, cardiac abnormalities, etc.. I have "Heard" that a patient was disabled due to central sleep apnea and had to be on Auto SV 24/7 but this would fall under ventillator therapy... but I could be wrong. This patient had c-3 c-4 damage to vertibrae. So Apnea is not the actual diagnosis for disability. I am sure the Docs would have more educated thoughts on this subject.
I am afraid that I am approaching the point where I may not be able to work normally due to fibromyalgia. I have both short term and long term disability insurance through my employer. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to get any sort of disability for fibromyalgia. The insurance companies are able to find doctors that will back up the insurance conpanies' claim that fibromyalgia is not a legitimate medical condition.
my husband has had all the surgeries available and tried cpap & bpap and multiple masks, nose pieces, etc...nothing has worked. he's employed as a dump truck driver and I refuse to let him drive when I'm with him in a vehicle because he oftens nods off while drive.
I pray daily no one will be harmed if he falls asleep for more than a moment.
His sleep apnea has been disagnosed as severe - he stops breathing an average of 40+ times an hour and never gets past stage two sleep. Each year his conditions seems to worsen.
I'm researching disablility because I fear what may happen if he continues to drive anywhere, in any vehicle.

Tim said:
Sleep apnea is a treatable condition, it is not a disability; even severe apnea is fully treatable. If it can't be treated with CPAP, it can be treated with a tracheostomy.
Except for tracheostomy, sleep apnea surgery is generally useless. Is he fully compliant with CPAP? Why doesn't CPAP work for him? Does he have a physical anomaly that prevents the use of CPAP?
Mary A Wilcox said:

" I pray daily no one will be harmed if he falls asleep for more than a moment."

Prayer may be making you feel better, but it isn't going to do anything for the people who he injures or kills. How can you live with yourself, allowing him to endanger other people like that? What if he kills a child? What if he causes a child to be blinded or to have to live in a wheelchair for their entire life?

If he causes injury or death, it is likely that his untreated sleep apnea will come up in court.
I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I know for a fact that disability is possible for people with this disorder. I also know that not all people with this disorder are neccesarily disabled, it will be determined based on the persons ability to function in a capacity considered to be acceptable after all treament possiblities have been exausted. In other words, for those who have tried everything to alleviate thier symptoms and show no positive results and are still experiencing symptoms considered by SSA to be debilitating and have not worked or held gainful employment for a substantial period of time and are not expected to be able to do so, can and should recieve these benefits for thier condition. Only you, your doctors and the SSA can determine if you are disabled. Some of the people who have posted thier opinions here are misinformed. I hope this helps
SHORTLY next year i hope will be going on pension due to my apnea every case is different on an individual basis and no one should judge one that may be simular to another where one is working and the other is disabled

sleepybob said:
I have been diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. I know for a fact that disability is possible for people with this disorder. I also know that not all people with this disorder are neccesarily disabled, it will be determined based on the persons ability to function in a capacity considered to be acceptable after all treament possiblities have been exausted. In other words, for those who have tried everything to alleviate thier symptoms and show no positive results and are still experiencing symptoms considered by SSA to be debilitating and have not worked or held gainful employment for a substantial period of time and are not expected to be able to do so, can and should recieve these benefits for thier condition. Only you, your doctors and the SSA can determine if you are disabled. Some of the people who have posted thier opinions here are misinformed. I hope this helps
talking about disablity you usually have to fill in forms

these forms are designed as a catch all and usually leave no room to manuver

my question is have these questionaire been past by the medical bodies that are set up or are they questions made up from government doctors who may phrase questions in a bias way and are not at all fair
99, are you compliant on CPAP and is your AHI <5 when on CPAP?

Reply to Discussion

RSS

© 2024   Created by The SleepGuide Crew.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service