Sleep apnea is a common but serious condition that occurs when sleep is interrupted due to gaps in breathing which can last from 10 to 20 seconds and can occur up to 30 times per hour. Sleep apnea is defined by interrupted sleep three or more nights per week. Obstructive sleep apnea is frequently accompanied by loud snoring. Sleep apnea often causes daytime drowsiness and can result in a dangerous lack of focus leading to industrial, auto or other types of accidents and injuries. Sleep apnea, if not treated, can increase the risk of irregular heartbeats, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Often, physicians will prescribe breathing machines to increase the oxygen flow such as C-PAP or B-PAP machines. Sleep apnea may cause an individual to be so sleep deprived that they may not be able to get up in the morning or have sufficient attention or concentration to hold a job. There are pulmonary specialists who test for sleep apnea at sleep disorder clinics throughout the state.
Another condition often associated with sleep apnea is Restless Legs Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. Other complications of sleep apnea may include obesity, depression and heart disease. Sleep apnea may also impair cognitive function.
In order to prove your disability to Social Security, you need to either document that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria found in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or, if you are an adult, that your condition and symptoms are so severe that you are unable to work. If you are a child under 18, you must similarly show that your condition or conditions meet or equal in severity the criteria in the Social Security Commissioner's regulations or that your condition or conditions functionally equals the Commissioner's regulations. The law firm of Sheryl Gandel Mazur has experienced disability attorneys and has been representing individuals in their Social Security disability appeals for over twenty five years. Let us help you receive your Social Security disability benefits.
Our disability law firm represents individuals:
- In filing their initial disability applications
- In handling cases at the initial level including appealing initial denials
- In handling cases at the reconsideration level including appealing reconsideration denials
- In handling cases at the hearings level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Appeals Council level
- In appealing and handling cases at the Federal Court level
This firm also handles SSI child's disability cases at all levels.
Organizations: American Sleep Apnea Association (www.sleepapnea.org), Central New Jersey A.W.A.K.E. (http://www2.umdnj.edu/~zozularo/home.htm), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (www.nhlbi.nih.gov)
