Asthma decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for additional compensation for a dependent child based on school attendance was denied as the evidence did not show that information regarding D.G.'s status as a dependent school child was received within a year of his 18th birthday or when he began college.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, and whether it is secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for mild restrictive lung disease (claimed as asthma) prior to December 7, 2016 was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea with restrictive lung disease (previously rated as mild restrictive lung disease (claimed as asthma)) was also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchial asthma, finding that his condition preexisted service and did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for shortness of breath is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, neck disability, back disability, bilateral hip disabilities, and depression. Service connection was also denied for high cholesterol.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examiner's opinion regarding whether the Veteran's GERD is secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected asthma and/or rhinitis. The case will be referred for a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition was denied, and his claim to reopen the asthma claim was granted. The right hand disability secondary to the shoulder condition is not service connected.,Service connection for asthma has been reopened due to new evidence, but it remains denied as there is no link between the current diagnosis and service.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's asthma was caused or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's asthma, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, and hypertension are all rated at their current levels. The Board found no evidence to support increased ratings for any of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bronchial asthma, and COPD due to additional evidence that may be available from his employment with the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Veteran's asthma and recurrent pneumonia and bronchitis are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine their relationship to service, including Gulf War environmental exposures.

Service connection for PTSD is granted. The Veteran's right knee patellofemoral syndrome is rated at 10 percent, and her constrictive bronchiolitis with exercise induced asthma was initially rated at 10 percent prior to March 31, 2016, and then increased to 60 percent from that date onwards.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sarcoidosis, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, and asthma due to inadequate opinions based on lack of evidence supporting asbestos exposure. The Veteran will need new VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an allergy condition and asthma have been granted, while his claim for a heart condition has been granted on the basis of presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent due to its symptoms but no greater.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess, psychotic disorder and bipolar disorder, diabetes mellitus, beta thalassemia minor, chronic fatigue syndrome as due to an undiagnosed illness, asthma, migratory joint pain as due to an undiagnosed illness, and elevated cholesterol. The effective dates for the service connection claims were not earlier than December 29, 2011.

The Veteran's asthma, hypertension, and GERD are granted as service-connected. The lumbar spine disability is assigned an initial rating of 40 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD and diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims for initial compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, cataracts, and bilateral hearing loss are denied. The claim for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus remains denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for rhinitis and cataracts remain denied.

The Veteran's asthma disability is being remanded for further evaluation due to the lack of recent medical records and clarification on whether he uses an inhaler.