Anxiety Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for MS, brain lesions, cognitive disorder, anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder are granted. The Board also finds that the Veteran has additional disabilities secondary to his service-connected MS, including vision disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, bladder and bowel dysfunction, foot drop, gait and imbalance issues, muscle spasms, left hand disability, left leg disability, and right leg disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient rationale in the VA examinations and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable evaluation for plantar warts and service connection for acid reflux as secondary to headaches have been dismissed.,Her appeal for service connection for sleep apnea, which is now considered secondary to her service-connected restrictive airway disease (RAD), has also been denied. The Board has determined that additional development is needed before a decision can be made on this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence on file, and requests that VA examinations be conducted by specialists to determine the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's current MDD and unspecified anxiety disorder are etiologically related to his active service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection due to exposure to loud noise during service. Service connection for anxiety and depression is also granted, but sleep apnea and PTSD are denied.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted, but his diabetes mellitus and tinnitus claims are denied. The effective date for service connection of tinnitus is prior to June 8, 2017.,Service connection for a back disability, left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea secondary to anxiety disorder is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete notification and potential new evidence, as well as the need for a VA examination regarding his mental health conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to new evidence added by VA. The Veteran's issues were last considered in April 2019, and additional records need to be reviewed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as anxiety disorder and depressive disorder, is service-connected. The decision also found that the pre-existing condition of a psychiatric disability did not exist before service entrance.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for congenital cataracts has been denied as the evidence does not show that his condition was aggravated by active duty service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD and an anxiety disorder) have been remanded due to insufficient examination findings. The examiner must consider all psychiatric diagnoses during the appeal period and provide a rationale for their opinion.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition has been remanded as the VA examination was inadequate. An addendum is required, considering whether the condition is directly related to active duty service or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder condition or degenerative disc disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety condition, severe headaches, left foot condition, right foot condition, intervertebral disk syndrome (claimed as low back problems), left hip problems, and right knee condition due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including tinnitus, alcohol abuse, traumatic brain injury, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, right hip condition, left hip osteoarthritis, right sciatica, left sciatica, bilateral leg disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability. The decision also denied a request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and mood disorders with anxiety, depression, and alcohol abuse, is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a response from the Veteran regarding any private medical evidence.

The Board has dismissed the claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).,The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin cancer, an eye disability, PTSD, and hypertension are remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD is also remanded as it involves a mental health condition that may be related to his claimed skin disability.,The Board has not addressed the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right eye disability due to 38 U.S.C. § 1151, which was referred to the AOJ.

The Board has denied a higher rating for PTSD from March 31, 2011 to December [REDACTED], 2017. The case is remanded for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's PTSD after December [REDACTED], 2017.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD) and PTSD. The case is remanded to determine the current severity of the right knee disability and whether the Veteran meets criteria for a separate rating under DC 5257.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder and entitlement to a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete service records and the need for further medical examinations. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disorder, a bilateral foot disorder, a right inguinal hernia, diverticulitis, and hemorrhoids.