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Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities. Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Tuesday & Wednesday at 7AM Central.
Take control of your medical evidence related to your benefits and visit https://podcast.prestigeveteranmctx.info/veteran/ for more information and to connect directly with us!
Hey, guys. It's Leah b from Prestige Veteran Medical Consulting. I am a US army veteran, physician assistant, and former compensation and pension examiner. So today, wanna come on and do a video on BPH or benign prosthetic hyperplasia and VA disability. So in case you guys didn't know, veterans with BPH or benign prosthetic hyperplasia may qualify for VA disability benefits.
Leah Bucholz:BPH is not cancer, but it can cause serious urinary problems, sleep disturbances, and a big impact on daily life. So in today's video, I'll explain what BPH is, how VA rates it, what research says about its cause and long term effects, how secondary service connections may apply, and resources that can sometimes help veterans suffering from this. So let's talk about what BPH is and try to get a better understanding of this. So benign prosthetic hyperplasia or BPH is a condition where the prostate gland enlarges with age. While it's not cancer, it can put pressure on the urethra and bladder leading to things like difficulty starting or maintaining urination, frequent urination, especially at night, which is known as nocturia, weak urine stream or dribbling, urinary retention or incomplete emptying.
Leah Bucholz:For veterans, these symptoms can interfere with sleep, work, and even, social activities. Many deal with interrupt interrupted rest. So, seriously, this is one of the most common things I would see in men over 40, 50 years old, and and up. It's pretty I mean, I I'd have to look at the CDC to see the, frequency, but this is an extremely common condition in in men, veterans and nonveterans. Right?
Leah Bucholz:It can cause embarrassment. People don't even wanna get you know, talk about it. So there's probably a lot of people out here watching right now that are suffering from these symptoms that just haven't gone and seen the doctor about this. Right? You can have complications like urinary tract infections or bladder damage if the condition goes untreated.
Leah Bucholz:So let's talk about some literature. So what does the research say? So medical research shows that BPH is extremely common affecting up to fifty to eighty percent of men, so over the age of 50 and as many as eighty percent by age 80. Alright? So there's the there are some statistics for you.
Leah Bucholz:So a 2022 study in Prostate International found that veterans with higher stress levels, metabolic disorders, or exposure to environmental toxins may face increased risks of BPH. Some research also suggests that military exposures such as Agent Orange or burn pits may play a role in worsening urinary tract health. Beyond urinary symptoms, BPH has strong links to sleep disruption, depression, and reduced quality of life. One study in urology noted that men with severe nocturia from BPH reported levels of fatigue similar to those with chronic sleep disorders. K?
Leah Bucholz:So now let's get into VA disability and BPH. So how does VA rate BPH? So as always, with most conditions, we're gonna talk about function and and how that disrupts your your function. So BPH is gonna have ratings that that align with the urinary symptom system based on symptoms. K?
Leah Bucholz:So you can be rated for avoiding dysfunction problems with urinary frequency every one to two hours during the day or waking up three to four times at night at twenty percent. So the forty percent level is gonna be moderate moderately severe symptoms, such as waking to urinate five or more times per night or the need for absorbent materials change two to five two to four times per day. Sixty percent level severe symptoms, like requiring the use of an appliance or absorbent materials that must be changed more than four times a day. So, again, like, there's gonna be different types of ratings based on function. VA focuses less on the diagnosis itself and more on how much it affects your daily life, sleep, and things like that.
Leah Bucholz:So let's talk about some secondary service connections. So secondary service connections are very important for veterans with BPH. When we talk about primary service connection, we're usually talking about did did this get diagnosed in service, or is it directly related to some kind of event in service? Secondary service connection would be if maybe another service connected disability caused this. And then on the flip side, if you have BPH service connected, is it causing another medical condition?
Leah Bucholz:Condition? So and that you could possibly get rated for as well. So BPH can be linked to or worsened by other service connected conditions like agent orange exposure disabilities that that are already affecting, you know, the prostate. So if you've got prostate cancer related to agent orange, maybe it's affecting you and causing you to have some BPH as well. PTSD and chronic stress, which are associated with urinary urgency and sleep problems.
Leah Bucholz:Hypertension, and diabetes, both of which increase BPH risk. Now this is not to always say that these are gonna cause them, but in some veterans, there may be some overlap. Medications for mental health with or hypertension that may worsen urinary symptoms. And, again, on the flip side, BPH itself can lead to other secondary service connect connected conditions like chronic urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, sleep disorders from that nocturia. Maybe you've got some insomnia from waking up all the time.
Leah Bucholz:You can have depression or anxiety tied to ongoing symptoms. So let's talk about some challenges that veterans with BPH may have. So BPH can, it might sound like a routine aging problem, but for veterans, it can be especially difficult. Interrupted sleep from constant bathroom trips can lead to fatigue, irritability, and lower productivity. Some veterans also have dealt with incontinence, which can be embarrassing and socially isolating.
Leah Bucholz:And while medications or surgery can help, they often come with side effects like dizziness, sexual dysfunction, or complications from procedures. So for many, the condition is more than an inconvenience. It can just be a daily struggle. So how do some veterans receive benefits? So a lot of veterans will file claims for this, and they take certain things into consideration, like having a diagnosis.
Leah Bucholz:Do you have a medical diagnosis from your doctor? You can get it from, you know, your primary care manager or urologist. How do you show that service connection? You know, you have to show a relationship between your service or another service connected disability in the condition. And then if VA believes that there's enough information to order a C and P exam, they're gonna send you to a C and P exam and get a, medical opinion, right, from their contracted C and P examiners.
Leah Bucholz:So you wanna document your symptoms, especially the urinary frequency or or the need for absorbent materials. Any kind of secondary conditions that are happening because of the BPH, like kidney problems, urinary tract infections, sleep issues, depression, things like that. As always, the stronger your evidence, the stronger you may have support for your claim. So what are some resources for veterans? So if you're a veteran dealing with BPH, there are a lot of resources like your VA urology clinic or your primary care manager for medications or surgical options, veteran service organizations like the DAV or the BFW or American Legion to guide you through the claims process with their VSOs, prostate health education network for patients' education and support, the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, and then press 1 if you're if you're having, like, sleep disruption and stress from BPH and they're impacting your mental health.
Leah Bucholz:So benign prosthetic hyperplasia may be common, but its impact on veterans can be severe. So if you're struggling with BPH, know that you may qualify for VA disability benefits, especially if it's tied to your service or leads to other health problems. If this video was helpful, please like and subscribe and share it with another veteran who might need the information. And as always, thank you for watching, I will see you guys next time. Alright.
Leah Bucholz:Bye.