Asthma decisions — 2018

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected asthma, but needs further examination and evidence to determine this definitively.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's atrial fibrillation is not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected hypertension and asthma, and thus remanded for further review.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and asthma, finding no evidence of in-service injury or aggravation that would support direct service connection. The Veteran's pre-existing asthma was found to have existed prior to her active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses at Conroe Medical Center was denied because VA facilities were feasibly available and the Veteran chose to go to a private facility. The Board found that all conditions for reimbursement under 38 U.S.C. § 1725 were not met.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, Asthma, and Chronic Bronchitis as they are not related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's asthma is rated at 30 percent, effective from the date of the July 2014 rating decision. The Veteran's headaches are currently rated as non-compensable prior to January 23, 2017 and in excess of 30 percent thereafter. The Veteran's PTSD remains rated at 50 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for asthma has been dismissed as he explicitly withdrew his claim in June 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's asthma, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, migraines, and sciatica, as well as their relationship to service or service-connected conditions.

The appeal for asthma is dismissed. The COPD claim has been remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disability and asthma. Specifically, new examinations are required to address the Veteran’s assertions of continued symptomology and exposure to asbestos.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including asthma and bronchitis.

The Veteran's recurrent pneumonia is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected asthma and chronic bronchitis, and the Board grants service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of various respiratory/pulmonary conditions, including COPD, emphysema, obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, asthma/bronchial asthma, and allergic rhinitis. The VA is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a pulmonologist regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, asthma, left wrist disability, and allergic rhinitis with sinusitis prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment from December 1, 2011 through September 10, 2012.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension. However, it denied the claims for secondary service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, COPD, esophageal stricture, and dysphagia to his service-connected non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand is denied. The Board has also remanded his claims for a respiratory or lung condition, to include chronic sinusitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, due to burn pit exposure in service.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is granted a 50 percent rating, and other conditions are either denied or remanded for further review.

The Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, asthma, a urinary disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to the need for further development.,No specific service connection theory is applicable as none of the conditions appear to be linked to military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic fatigue due to Persian Gulf service. The Veteran will be provided with a new examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

Service connection for TBI and associated disabilities is granted, effective May 24, 2017. The Veteran's migraines are service connected as a residual of his TBI. Effective dates for other conditions are set based on the reopening of previously denied claims.