Asthma decisions — 2000

The veteran's bronchial asthma is currently rated at 30 percent disabling, effective April 2, 1997. Prior to that date, it was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for asthmatic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is well-grounded, as there is medical evidence linking his current lung conditions to exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke during active duty. The RO must now provide a VA examination to determine if this link is at least as likely as not caused by the veteran's service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for cavernous hemangioma, varicose veins, and initial evaluations for pulmonary disorder (asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) and atherosclerotic heart disease are granted. The claim for service connection for depression is also granted.

The Board denied the veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for asthma, PTSD, and a skin disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma in January 1989, finding that his preexisting condition existed prior to service entrance and was not aggravated by active duty. The veteran has now attempted to reopen this claim with new evidence but the Board found it insufficient.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis, laryngitis, and asthma as secondary to exposure to mustard gas in service. The veteran's chronic restrictive pulmonary disease is not due to the mustard gas exposure.

The veteran's bronchial asthma has been rated at 30 percent since 1995. The most recent rating decision granted a 60 percent rating based on the severity of her symptoms, including frequent attacks and need for intermittent inhalation or oral bronchodilator therapy.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma and chronic allergic pruritus, finding that these conditions began during service. The claim for post-traumatic stress disorder is well grounded but the RO will attempt to verify the veteran's reported stressors before making a final determination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for asthma. The claim is now considered well-grounded, and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if there is any current disability related to her preexisting asthma.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for asthma, bronchitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as secondary to service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis are not well grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence for asthma, denial of a fractured right jaw claim as not well-grounded, and denial of PTSD as not incurred during military service.

The veteran's claim of service connection for asthma is well-grounded and the Board finds that his asthma was aggravated during a period of active duty training in June 1987. The case will be remanded to allow for further development, including an examination.

The veteran's seasonal asthma, which requires intermittent inhalational therapy, is granted a 10% evaluation.

The Board granted service connection for bronchial asthma and assigned a 10 percent disability evaluation effective March 22, 1993. The veteran also argued for an earlier effective date of his claim but the Board found no basis to grant this request.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development of evidence, including obtaining VA examination reports and normal ranges of motion of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board has granted service connection for steroid dependence and found the veteran's claim of secondary service connection for anemia with fatigue well grounded. The remaining issues of secondary service connection will be addressed by the RO.

The Board has determined that the appellant's solar keratoses (pre-cancerous) of the forehead and scalp, excessive tooth loss with bone loss, and fragile skin with excessive bruising are related to service exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma claim is not well grounded, and his neck disorder claim was denied in a final decision. The new evidence submitted to reopen his neck disorder claim supports service connection for this condition. His allergic rhinitis and left foot laceration claims are both found to be well grounded.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and asthma due to new evidence submitted since the June 1990 rating decision. However, the claim remains well grounded as there is no direct or presumptive evidence linking these conditions to service.