Sleep apnea is a medical condition that an employer or insurance provider often seeks to downplay. There are even some naysayers who regard sleep apnea symptoms as being simply irritating rather than debilitating.
The truth conveys something else altogether.
What is sleep apnea, and why does it merit close attention?
The Mayo Clinic terms sleep apnea “a potentially serious sleep disorder.”
The reason for that depiction is starkly clear. Any medical condition in which breathing “repeatedly stops and starts” is immediately concerning.
And sometimes fatal, a point that Mayo experts and other medical professionals underscore.
In fact, sleep apnea is a national health concern, with disabling outcomes being commonplace.
Spotlighting the various types of sleep apnea
We make this fundamental point concerning sleep apnea on our website at the established national disability ERISA Law Center: Symptoms of the disorder vary, which lead to differing types of the condition. Given that sleep apnea can be a materially disabling problem over the long term, any affected individual absolutely needs to be proactive concerning diagnosis and treatment. These are the main classifications of sleep apnea:
- Central sleep apnea (when brain fails to properly signal breathing muscles)
- Obstructive sleep apnea (when throat muscles relax, making breathing problematic)
- Complex sleep apnea syndrome (when an individual manifests symptoms of both central sleep and obstructive sleep apnea)
Symptoms range from loud snoring and interrupted breathing to gasping for air, insomnia and other issues.
Disability benefits can be crucially important for a sleep apnea sufferer. Questions or concerns regarding sleep apnea eligibility, denial or any other related matter can be directed to a proven and empathetic disability legal team.