Asthma decisions — 2019

The appeal pertaining to the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for low back disability is dismissed. The Veteran's currently diagnosed COPD and asthma are granted as service-connected due to asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's COPD with asthma was rated at 30 percent, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on his current symptoms.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of various conditions due to his withdrawal of all issues on appeal.

The claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type I, is reopened and remanded. The claims for asthma, muscle and joint pains with spasms, chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disorder, and gastrointestinal (GI) disorder are also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, asthma, ulcers, rectal bleeding, and stomach condition (GERD) due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service. Additional examinations are needed to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical records and a need for an opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death. The Appellant is seeking service connection for cause of death, but there are no private or VA treatment records available. Additionally, verification of in-service herbicide exposure is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions, including a bilateral hip disability. The issues include increased ratings for panic disorder, lumbar strain, asthma, and right leg varicose veins.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment prior to March 27, 2014. After that date, no single disability is rated as 100 percent disabling or solely responsible for his inability to work.

The Veteran's son, J.R., was found to be permanently incapable of self-support prior to the age of 18 due to various disabilities including learning disability, severe dyslexia, visual disorder, COPD with bronchial asthma attacks, and anxiety. The Board granted recognition as a helpless child.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma is rated at 60 percent disabling from March 12, 2014 to December 28, 2016. The decision is remanded due to the need for a VA clinician to review medical records and determine if daily systemic high dose corticosteroids or intermittent courses of corticosteroids are required.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction due to PTSD, but remanded both issues of service connection for erectile dysfunction and asthma. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is being remanded for a new examination, and his asthma is also being remanded for an adequate opinion regarding Gulf War exposure.

The Board denied service connection for asthma and COPD, finding that the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and found that the Veteran's current psychiatric condition is due to his assault during military service. The petition to reopen the claim for asthma was denied as new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for chronic bronchitis (also claimed as asthma) is being remanded due to incomplete medical records and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of OSA, increased rating for respiratory disorder, and an increase in the rating for PTSD have been denied. The Veteran was granted a 70% rating for PTSD but no higher.

The appeal to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma is granted. The Veteran's childhood asthma was noted on an August 1972 pre-induction Report of Medical History, and subsequent service treatment records noted treatment for symptoms of asthma. Post-service treatment records also note findings of asthma. Evidence submitted since the March 2002 rating decision includes the Veteran’s testimony that his childhood asthma was aggravated by exposure to jet fuel, asbestos, dirt, dust, and damp weather during more than 12 years of service in the Air Force.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for obstructive lung disease with bronchitis, finding that there was no evidence of permanent aggravation during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The appellant's preexisting lung disability was determined to have existed prior to his military service.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his low back disability, bilateral pes planus, and exercised induced hyperventilation (including asthma).