What Can I Claim Secondary to PTSD?

Veterans are up to four times more likely to than the civilian population to develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be caused or aggravated by PTSD, depression, anxiety, asthma, sinusitis, and/or rhinitis. Nexus letters can help you get the service-connection you deserve. 

PTSD (Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, etc) is associated with an increased likelihood of IBS. Emotional stress is likely to result in more extreme oscillations of constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.  

Migraine headaches, post-traumatic headaches, and tension headaches are all common in veterans and can be claimed secondary to mental health conditions, tinnitus, TBI, sinusitis/rhinitis, and and even neck and back injuries.

The long-term effects of PTSD (and other psychiatric conditions) can manifest physically, resulting in a host of problems, including temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). TMD causes jaw joint pain that may radiate to the surrounding muscles. 

GERD can be claimed secondary to PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, or even secondary to medications that you take for chronic pain (i.e. Tylenol, Motrin, or other NSAIDs). 

Fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome secondary to PTSD are common VA disability claims. Having a mental health conditions transforms the way in which a veteran's body experiences and perceives pain. 

The rate of erectile dysfunction is 85% in patients with PTSD. PTSD (and other mental health conditions) and the medications used to treat the condition cause and aggravate ED. Once ED is service-connected a  veterans is eligible for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for loss of use of a creative organ. This is known as SMC (k) and  it is paid out in your monthly VA compensation check. For 2022, the SMC-K rate is $118.33. Learn more here.

Suffering from mental health conditions such as PTSD can cause sexual dysfunction for women. Libido, lubrication, and the ability to orgasm can all be affected. This is especially the case for women who have been the victims of Military Sexual Trauma. Medications used to treat psychiatric illnesses can also cause FSAD. FSAD may be entitled to additional compensation under Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) level K. Learn more here.