Asthma decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the veteran's asthma and undiagnosed illness are related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of bronchial asthma, which was previously denied in January 1969.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a pulmonary disorder, including asthma, as new and material evidence was not received.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased evaluation for bronchial asthma. The VA found no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, and determined that the veteran's bronchial asthma is currently evaluated at 30 percent due to his pulmonary function test results.

The Board found no evidence of a breathing problem due to an undiagnosed illness during service and denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis, as the additional evidence does not provide significant information concerning the onset or worsening of these conditions during service.

The veteran claims service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asbestosis and asthma, due to in-service exposure to hazardous substances, specifically asbestos. The case is being remanded for further development of the record.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for asthma and determined that it was incurred during her military service.

The Board has ordered a VA examination to determine if the veteran's asthma is related to service, and to assess whether any preexisting condition was aggravated by service.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have current asthma and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bronchial asthma and for service connection for cardiac disability and skin disability. The veteran's bronchial asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen any of these claims.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the veteran's current asthma or basal cell carcinoma of the left eyebrow to service, including exposure to herbicides or radiation. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a skin rash, and inflamed joints to include knees, hands, and feet due to herbicide exposure. The conditions are presumed to be related to such exposure.

The veteran's disability due to undiagnosed illness during her service in the Persian Gulf War is presumed and granted.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected disabilities, including asthmatic bronchitis, myositis of the lumbar spine, conjunctivitis, histoplasmosis, and bilateral hearing loss, was granted. The effective date for a TDIU is set at March 19, 1991.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, and partial hearing loss due to incomplete development of evidence regarding asbestos exposure in service. The RO is instructed to develop this issue further and provide a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to incomplete information, potential conflicts in service records, and need for additional medical examinations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bronchiectasis. The evidence did not support a finding that the veteran's current respiratory conditions were related to his service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the severity of the bronchial asthma disability and determine whether the appellant is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.