Asthma decisions — 2011

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma and COPD, due to asbestos exposure. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the current respiratory disorders began in service.

The Board has remanded the case for recalibration of the Veteran's radiation dose estimates and further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the service-connected bronchial asthma, which is more than the current 30 percent rating. The evidence shows that the Veteran's asthma requires daily use of inhaled corticosteroids and had two episodes of acute respiratory distress requiring steroids.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, including sarcoidosis and asthma, was granted. The decision is based on the merits of his claim without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disorder is not related to service, attributing it instead to his history of tobacco use. The left knee disorder was also not linked to service connection as it was more likely due to a work-related injury and not related to his right knee disability.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on current medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder and partially granted the claim for increased rating for asthma. The issue of whether a TDIU benefits claim was raised by the record is addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case for scheduling a videoconference hearing at the RO due to the Veteran's request.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA respiratory examination to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea. The examiner should address whether it was caused or aggravated by service-connected bronchial asthma and/or PTSD.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for clarification of the TDIU examination, and further development is required.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GERD and asthmatic bronchitis are related to his service-connected psychogenic gastrointestinal disturbance, warranting a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have chronic bronchitis and thus, service connection for bronchitis is denied.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis effective June 30, 1997 and assigned a 10% disability rating. The Veteran's attorney argued that the effective date should be July 2, 1991, but this was denied by the May 2009 Board decision.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for service-connected asthma is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD was denied, and his attempt to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for bronchial asthma was also denied. The evidence received since the previous denial is not considered new and material.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including whether they are related to service or any periods of ACDUTRA.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a chest injury and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), but denied the claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, to include asthma.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including macules on the tongue, bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, a heart murmur, hypertension (HTN), right and left carpal tunnel syndromes, bilateral pes planus, low back disability, residuals of salpingo-oophorectomy, and psychiatric disorders have been granted.

The Veteran's asthma has not met the criteria for a higher rating, as his FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC values are within the range that warrant only a 30 percent disability evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for hypertension due to insufficient evidence regarding whether his hypertension is secondary to his service-connected asthma. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.