Another Strong Link Between PTSD and Sleep Apnea
November 5, 2010
Here’s a not too surprising study about post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) in veterans: 54% of PTSD patients who underwent formal sleep studies were found to have obstructive sleep apnea. This is much higher than what’s normally expected (about 20%). There are numerous reports of veterans with severe PTSD that are eventually found to have obstructive sleep apnea later in life, and once treated, the PTSD goes away.
It’s likely that they always had some degree of obstructive sleep apnea to begin with, and once the emotional or physical trauma took place, memories or thoughts of that event can trigger a hyperintense reaction, since your nervous system is going to be hypersensitive in general.
I’m also guessing that there will be a significant number of veterans that don’t meet the official criteria for obstructive sleep apnea, but still suffer from significant breathing pauses and arousals.
Based on these findings, do you think everyone with a formal diagnosis of PTSD should be screened for obstructive sleep apnea? Please enter your comments in the text box below.
5 Responses to “Another Strong Link Between PTSD and Sleep Apnea”
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Yes, they all should be screened. I know one Vietnam veteran disabled with PTSD for decades. He has classic symptoms of sleep apnea – snores, sleepy all the time, fatigued, recessed chin and heavy neck fat. He and his wife don’t want to hear anything about a sleep lab and his VA doctors have never considered that he might have sleep apnea.
I was diagnosed with PTSD about 5 years ago, and although I had been having nightmares, cold sweats, and unable to catch my breath waking up 3-5 times each night for the last 39 years, the Dr. that just diagnosed me with sleep apnea , says that there is know way that the 2 are linked together. He says one is psychological, and the other is a physical illness.I am up for a compensation hearing and review, and if it comes back not in my favor, the I plan to get an attorney, because no one in my family has EVER had sleep problems, and it’s a proven fact that most physical illnesses start out as psychological issues to begin with, and I don’t believe he can prove that the sleep apnea was NOT caused by the PTSD!
I was diagnosed with severe PTSD 6 years agofrom an incident that happened in 1972 while in the US Army, and was recently diagnosed with severe sleep apnea 118 episodes a night!! I am not overweight and No One in my family, nor myself has ANY history of sleep dis-order, and looking at all of the other veterans that have this dis-order, WHY is it so hard for the Goverment to tell the truth and own up to the responsibility when it come to linking the 2 disabilities together. The BOTTOM Line is $$$$$… and there is no one that is going to convince me of any other reason why they don’t!!!
More to the point, It’s time for the VA to accept the fact that there is a causal relationship between PTSD and OSA.
Doc, You’re a well respected expert on this matter. You “talk” a lot. It’s time for you to step up to the plate and DO something.
I am getting ready to submit my claim for osa as a secondary to PTSD. The incident in question happened 32 years ago in Berlin, Germany. (MST) It took me 30 years to get to this point for 100% PTSD. Now, I am getting ready to have a sleep study done in the middle of May at the VA. My old records, up to the present, are litterered with references of symptoms (insomnia, sleeping problems etc. Not one time in 30 years of Doctors and such was anything suggested about a sleep study. Well don’t worry, I’m making up for lost time!