Asthma decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma, bilateral posterior subcapsular cataracts, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, are preventing him from obtaining or maintaining substantial gainful employment. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a link between any past asthma during service and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in a previous VA examination regarding whether asthma is related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran’s claims. The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to outstanding VA medical records and need for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for asthma and sleep disorder to include OSA due to exposure to burn pits in service. The Veteran's lay testimony of continuous symptoms since deployment is not addressed by the November 2016 VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, a back disability, and other conditions has been granted with an effective date of October 29, 2012. The appeal is denied for the remaining issues.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a pulmonary condition, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rhinitis, and bronchitis, is remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The Board will request an opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, left ankle disability, hypertension, DDD of the lumbar spine, and left hip disability as there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to his service-connected bronchitis and asthma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, respiratory disability (to include COPD and asthma), and ischemic heart disease have been reopened. The effective date of the grant of service connection for tinnitus is set to December 5, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD has been granted with a rating of 70 percent effective from June 26, 2007.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate compliance with previous directives regarding chemical exposure and respiratory disability etiology. The Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disability, including asthma, restrictive airway disease, and COPD, is now pending again.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected asthma.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to worsening symptoms of his service-connected PTSD and the recent grant of service connection for asbestosis. A VA examination is needed to assess the impact on employment.

The Board has remanded four issues for further development: restoration of a 100 percent rating for service-connected bronchial asthma, entitlement to TDIU based on bronchial asthma, service connection for COPD secondary to bronchial asthma, and service connection for a bilateral foot skin disability. The claims are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hypertension and asthma for further development, as there is insufficient evidence to determine their relationship with service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the issue of a higher rating for xerosis with pruritis. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD has been reopened and granted, with a 50% rating effective as of an earlier date. Other claims remain pending.

The Veteran's asthma is rated at 30% since January 12, 2010. The Board has now granted a 60% rating effective June 20, 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete examinations and lack of proper consideration of Gulf War exposure. The Veteran is required to undergo a Gulf War examination to address his claimed conditions.