Asthma decisions — 2009

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his military service and denied all of his claims.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bronchiectasis and bronchitis, asthma, GERD, hypertension, bilateral eye disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and right hip disability. The Veteran's appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for right hand carpel tunnel syndrome and asthma require further development, including obtaining additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection were denied. The Board found that the reduction in disability rating from 100% to 10% was proper, but did not find evidence supporting restoration of the higher rating.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bronchial asthma. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current bronchial asthma disorder found on examination, including whether it is related to his inservice treatment for chronic pneumonia.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his asthma and an initial evaluation for his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for the issues of service connection for allergies and hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the increase in his disability rating for bronchial asthma to 60 percent was denied as there is no evidence from the year preceding February 15, 2005 that made it factually ascertainable that his asthma disability had increased so as to warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder is attributable to bronchial asthma and COPD, known diagnosed illnesses, and is not related to service. Chronic tension headaches were not evident during service or until many years thereafter and are not shown to have been caused by any in-service event.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased initial disability ratings for her service-connected lumbosacral spine disability and asthma, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma preexisted service and did not find evidence of aggravation during or as a result of active military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for asthma, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 1, 1985 to January 30, 1989 for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death while the case was pending before the Board.

The Veteran's right wrist fracture residuals do not warrant a compensable rating. His bronchial asthma was first noted in service and is presumed to have existed prior to enlistment, thus precluding service connection. The claim for gastrointestinal disorder reopening is denied as no new evidence has been submitted that would reopen the previously denied claim.

The Veteran's asthma claim, which was reopened due to new and material evidence, remains pending. The Board has ordered additional development including a Gulf War examination.

The Board found that the appellant does not have residuals of right lower lobe pneumonia in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's respiratory disability was not manifested by symptoms requiring chronic low dose or intermittent corticosteroids from April 23, 2004 to June 28, 2005. As of June 29, 2005, the Veteran used inhalers daily and had an FEV-1 of 86 percent predicted, which did not meet criteria for a higher rating.