Sleep apnea is a serious disease that’s becoming quite common nowadays and not many people pay attention to it. There are a lot of things it can do to our health, but does it count as a disability? Learn about it here.
So, is sleep apnea a disability? No, sleep apnea does not have a disability listing but the SSA (Social Security Administration) have listings for breathing disorders, heart problems and mental deficits which sleep apnea can affect.
Meeting any one of those criteria can qualify a sleep apnea patient for disability benefits.
Sleep apnea, if left untreated can lead to other complicated health issues that may qualify for disability benefits. However, sleep apnea itself is not a direct qualification for disabilities.
In order to apply for medical benefits with sleep apnea to SSA, your condition needs to match the Blue Book listing, a document that details all of the disorders covered under Social Security Disability.
You may qualify for disability benefits if your pulmonary artery pressure is greater than 40 mm Hg caused by sleep apnea. You can find out your pressure by visiting your physician and getting your pressure checked.
If you also have chronic pulmonary disease that can affect sleep apnea or be worsened by sleep apnea, it can also qualify for disability benefits.
In the Blue Book section 12.02, it also covers sleep apnea symptoms if there are severe emotional and psychological symptoms that sleep apnea is causing, it can also make patients qualify for disability benefits.
This means the patient must experience memory loss, disorientation or mood swings and such.
There are certain things that sleep apnea may affect your basic life activities such as traveling and driving.
Like other disabilities, patients with sleep apnea are required to declare their sleep apnea condition before they are allowed to drive.
Your doctor needs to provide an approval certificate that you are allowed and capable of driving since your sleep apnea is being actively monitored and treated.
This counts as something similar to those with disabilities and this is because sleep apnea patients are prone to driving accidents due to the disease’s symptoms such as daytime sleepiness or lack of focus.
Drivers with sleep apnea can accidentally fall asleep while driving and lead to unexpected events which is very dangerous.
For those who are also traveling, your travel insurance does not actually cover sleep apnea conditions unlike other disabilities that get covered by travel insurances.
Sleep apnea is only covered by life and health insurance but there are cases when sleep apnea is severe that travel insurances might actually consider covering it.
There are also rare cases when sleep apnea triggers seizure attacks more than those that actually have epilepsy conditions and when this happens, the patient might already qualify for disability benefits.
How sleep apnea can be a disability
Aside from getting in the way of our sleep at night and disrupting our body’s functionality, there are many unhealthy things sleep apnea can cause to our health.
Eventually, those risk factors will turn or count as disability. Here’s a list of things that sleep apnea can cause to your health.
- Sleep apnea causes:
- Death
- Sleep apnea interrupts breathing that can affect the heart and the brain which can lead to sudden death during sleep.
- Difficult breathing
- Sleep apnea can occur when there is an obstruction in the airway or the brain is unable to function well that helps the body breathe, causing difficult breathing.
- Snoring
- If there is an obstruction in the airway, the muscles around the throat may vibrate and cause snoring.
- Worsens other illnesses
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep disrupts your entire body’s functionality and eventually attacking the other diseases a patient may already have.
- Heart problems
- With sleep apnea, you are more prone to heart problems such as heart failure or heart attacks. This is due to the lack of blood oxygen levels.
- Irregular heartbeat
- Due to the low blood oxygen levels or the air is unable to reach your heart, it can lead to an abnormal heartbeat or pauses in breathing during sleep.
- Stroke
- Similar to heart problems
- Depression
- Being unable to breathe well during sleep and get the proper rest can mess up your emotions or eventually lead to depression.
- Weight gain or loss
- Sleep apnea messes up your body’s hormone production. You can end up gaining weight faster due to sleep apnea.
- Diabetes
- Having sleep apnea disables the body’s ability to control the sugar level which can lead to diabetes.
- High Blood Pressure
- Sleep apnea can potentially cause or worsen hypertension in people.
- Increases ADHD
- Being sleep deprived decreases the person’s ability to focus, worsening conditions such as ADHD.
- Headaches
- The lack of air that enters the brain can lead to other brain problems, but usually results in morning headaches.
- Daytime sleepiness
- Difficulty breathing at night can lead to restless sleeps, making you feel the need to stay asleep even during the day because your body couldn’t rest well at night.
- Insomnia
- Difficulty in breathing can lead to insomnia. Instead of waking up randomly at night, you will end up being unable to sleep.
- Seizures
- Sleep apnea patients are more prone to seizures during sleep compared to epilepsy patients without sleep apnea.
- Irritability
- When you are sleep deprived, you will unconsciously lose control of your emotional stability. You can become irritable or easily frustrated with sleep apnea.
- Poor memory
- Sleep apnea causes sleep deprivation which may lower your brain’s performance as it affects the brain activity, causing poor memory in patients.
- Respiratory diseases
- Sleep apnea is a respiratory disease that may cause other diseases or worsen them.
- Driving accidents
- The lack of concentration and daytime sleepiness can lead to driving accidents when you have sleep apnea.
- Death
As you can see, some of these in the list meet the criteria for qualifying as a disability. If you have heart problems, movement problems or for some cases, brain problems due to sleep apnea, it becomes a disability.
How to prevent sleep apnea from becoming a disability
Now that you know how sleep apnea can turn into a disability, you should also know how you can prevent it from happening.
After all, nobody wants to have a bad health. We should stay healthy at all times so we will share different ways how to treat sleep apnea.
It can involve surgeries or using medical equipment or basic lifestyle changes. Treating sleep apnea depends on what causes it in the first place.
- Rapid Maxillary Expansion
- For children with obstructive sleep apnea. This process places an expandable brace on the roof of the mouth that increases the width of the upper jaw (maxilla).
- Over time, parents can adjust the brace using a special key to increase the amount of pressure for the teeth.
- Jaw Advancement Surgery
- For teenagers and adults. This process will surgically break the jaw bones, moved forward and then fixed properly with screws and plates and will change the person’s facial structure or profile.
- It might take months to recover.
- Surgical Airway Advancement
- Similar to the 2nd example. Bones of the upper and lower jaw will be repositioned in a way that will relieve airway obstruction.
- Nasal Strips
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
Nowadays, there are newly developed nasal strips that you can try.
- Nasal strips are one of the earliest tools used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and its symptoms such as snoring.
- Oral Appliance
- Oral pieces can help with sleep apnea and snoring, they are custom made to make sure it prevents the obstruction in the airways and counter sleep apnea and snoring.
- CPAP Treatment
- The CPAP or “Continuous Positive Airway Pressure” is a commonly used treatment and proven to be effective for sleep apnea patients and helping snoring.
- Avoid sedatives before going to sleep
- Certain sedatives can cause sleep apnea. Consult a medical expert to determine what type of sedative may be the cause.
- Treat chronic allergies
- Some allergies can trigger obstruction in your body’s airways and may cause you to have sleep apnea and cause you to snore.
- Try to avoid overworking yourself.
- Sometimes, simply going to sleep while totally exhausted can make our muscles relax too much to the point that it can lead to sleep apnea.
- Avoid drinking liquor before bed.
- Excessive liquor can also relax the muscles that will lead to sleep apnea. Limit alcohol consumption or avoid drinking too much before going to sleep.
- Sleep with your head elevated.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
You can also use an anti-snore pillow which will keep your head in proper place that can help stop sleep apnea. Sleeping in a chair or a recliner chair is also an option.
- When
the head is not properly elevated, the tongue can fall back and
block the air passage, causing the tissues to vibrate and snore.
- Try to sleep on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
You can read about: “How to prevent sleeping on my back” to learn how you can keep sleeping on your sides.
- Sleeping
flat on our backs can cause the tongue to fall back and block the
airways. It can also make the muscles relax and cause sleep apnea.
- Get plenty of exercises.
- Lack of physical activity can cause our body’s functionality to drop. This means that we need the right amount of exercise to keep our body “awake” and functioning even as we sleep.
- Stop or limit smoking.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
Those who are also exposed to secondhand smoke can be prone to sleep apnea, so avoid getting near smoke as much as possible.
- If
your body inhales the smoke, it can cause the muscles inside to
swell or become irritated, potentially blocking the airways and
causing you to snore.
- Drink enough water.
- When we are dehydrated, the throat becomes dry which makes the vibrating tissues sound louder and produces snoring or sleep apnea. Stay hydrated!
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
Focus on eating healthy foods!
- Our
diet plays a huge part in our health! You should also avoid eating
heavy before sleeping, if you go to sleep on a full stomach, your
muscles may not work as it should.
- Sleep on time.
- Not getting the right amount of sleep and not sleeping early can cause the body to become dysfunctional and have sleep apnea.
- Lose weight.
- Being overweight or obesity will cause difficulty in breathing. The excess fat will get in the way of the air passages, causing tissues to vibrate and cause sleep apnea.
To find out the best treatment for your sleep apnea condition, it’s important to see a doctor first. This can also help you identify if your sleep apnea can cause disabilities or not.
What are the signs of sleep apnea that can cause disabilities
How do you know if you actually have sleep apnea that can be a disability if left untreated? Here’s a list that can help you find out.
- Heavy snoring
- Maybe, it can be a sign of fatigue but snoring loudly and usually can be a sign of sleep apnea.
- Gasping for air during sleep
- The feeling of drowning without knowing it and suddenly you’re out of air.
- Insomnia
- Having trouble going to sleep because you have breathing problems that you may not notice
- This is also why we feel sick later on, the lack of sleep means lack of energy.
- Hypersomnia
- Having trouble staying awake in the morning because you were unable to sleep well due to your obstructive sleep apnea. We may also confuse sleepiness for sickness.
- Sudden weight gain or loss
- Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to uncontrolled weight gain or weight loss for some cases. It’s because
- Waking up with a headache
- Obstructive sleep apnea can disturb your body’s “charging” state. Since you can’t sleep well, your body will use energy for means that can help you breathe which may lead to headaches.
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- With obstructive sleep apnea, the person tends to snore and keep their mouth open when gasping for air which leads to a dried up mouth once we awaken.
- Decreased ability to focus
- Obstructive sleep apnea can give lack of sleep which will also result in difficulty to focus on anything
- Feeling uncomfortable
- Your lack of energy due to obstructive sleep apnea can make you feel uncomfortable and irritable without your knowledge
- Suddenly stop breathing during sleep
- Your
housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Obstructive
sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds
which is already risky.
If the interrupted breathing lasts longer, sleep apnea is more severe than ever.
- Your
housemates should notice this and tell you about it. Obstructive
sleep apnea can disrupt breathing that may last for up to 10 seconds
which is already risky.
To confirm your suspicions whether you do have sleep apnea or not, it’s best to see a health expert.
Related Questions
Can Sleep Apnea prevent you from working?
No, sleep apnea does not prevent you from working if you are referring to medical qualifications by employers. However, sleep apnea can indirectly affect your work and make you feel extra tired even after sleeping.
This can affect work productivity which can lead to unwanted work absences.
Does sleep apnea disqualify you from CDL?
No, sleep apnea does not usually disqualify you from a commercial drivers license or CDL. You are only required to declare if you have the condition or not for safety precautions.
As long as your doctor permits you to drive, you will not be disqualified. However, if your sleep apnea is severe, it might be a different case. But once again, it usually does not prevent you from getting a CDL.
