Asthma decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for bronchial asthma is denied.,The effective date for the award of TDIU and DEA benefits is granted as December 30, 2002.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current asthma is related to his service-connected sinusitis, and thus grants service connection for asthma as secondary to sinusitis.

The Veteran has asthma that first manifested in service and has persisted since. The Board finds the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's asthma was incurred during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine the etiology of his asthma, allergic rhinitis and skin disorder. The claim for an increased rating for adjustment disorder will also be remanded.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma is rated at 60 percent, and she meets the criteria for a TDIU due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 70%, which meets the threshold for a TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma with obstructive sleep apnea and GERD are rated at the maximum available under VA's rating schedule, and he is not found unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's diagnosed respiratory disability had its onset in service or is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for a respiratory disability.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is considered secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for a respiratory disorder, including as secondary to the service-connected PTSD, has been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the lack of identification of an available VA medical facility for his service-connected bronchial asthma and other conditions. The case will be readjudicated based on this information.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and a supplemental statement of the case.

The Veteran seeks service connection for asthma, which he claims manifested during his active duty training (ACDUTRA) in 1987-1988. The Board is concerned that the entirety of his service treatment records have not been associated with the virtual record and has ordered a search for missing records. Additionally, VA treatment records are to be requested. A VA examination will be scheduled to assess whether asthma had its onset during a period of active service, ACDUTRA, or IDT.

The Board found that the Veteran's asthma preexisted her service and was not aggravated by it, thus denying her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for shortness of breath, asthma, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The claim for an increased rating for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's asthma, right foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot plantar fasciitis have been granted service connection. The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish service connection for the other conditions listed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of his lay statements regarding exposure during deployment in the Gulf War.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for COPD and/or asthma, but denied it on the merits. The Veteran's pulmonary disability is considered secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, and no higher. The issues of entitlement to service connection for TBI, dental trauma, asthma, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability (other than PTSD), and hearing loss in the right ear are remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disability, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma did not begin during his military service and is unrelated to any in-service exposure. The medical evidence does not support a connection between the Veteran's current asthma and his service.