Asthma decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records related to the Veteran's disability benefits claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's appeal to the RO for additional action, including determining if service connection was established for bronchial asthma in a 1969 rating decision and effectuating that award. The Veteran is seeking service connection for chronic asthma, heart disorder, and hypertension.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including asthma, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development. The issues include service connection for a varicose vein disorder of the left leg, initial ratings for bilateral ankle disability and bronchial asthma.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma did not have an onset during service or due to exposure to environmental hazards, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's pre-existing asthma was aggravated during and as a result of his August 1992 period of active duty for training in the Army Reserves.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma did not clearly and unmistakably exist prior to service, but was not aggravated by his service-connected allergic rhinitis. The psychiatric disorder claim was also denied as there is no clear evidence of its onset in service.

The Veteran's asbestosis is found to be related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issue of asthma and COPD remains unresolved.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bronchial asthma is related to his in-service exposure to asbestos, and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran. Therefore, service connection for a respiratory disorder, including asthma, is granted as secondary to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims. The issues include service connection for allergies, breathing disorders including asthma, hyper-reactive airway disease, reactive airway disease, and a bilateral hand disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence. The case will be returned to the Board after further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 60 percent for his lumbar spine disability and service connection for a respiratory disability, including obstructive sleep apnea and asthma. The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is currently rated at 60 percent.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is unrelated to a disease or injury of service origin. The claims for service connection for asthma, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity (secondary to diabetes), and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity are denied.

The Veteran's asthma was granted service connection, with a rating of 20 percent effective from the date of his claim.,His increased ratings for post-traumatic anterior wedging of the twelfth thoracic vertebra and synovitis of the AC joint were denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for old granulomatous disease was denied as the condition is currently asymptomatic and manifests only benign calcified lymph nodes. The Board found that his current allegations of wheezing are not credible, and that his asthma is not a result of his old granulomatous disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, residuals of left pneumothorax with asthma and bronchitis, and defective vision. The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss with a 10% disability rating, effective April 19, 2007. The Veteran's other claims were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's asthma. The Veteran's eligibility for nonservice-connected pension benefits will also be determined.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, finding that the Veteran's current respiratory disability is related to his in-service breathing problems and post-discharge symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient analysis in the May 2011 VA examination report regarding the significance of a June 1973 chest X-ray and current pleural thickening. The case must be reviewed for service connection.