Asthma decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, ulcerative colitis, asthma, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea and asthma, left knee arthritis (flexion), partial ACL tear and status post left knee arthroscopy, and left knee arthritis (instability) due to inadequate development.

Service connection for a lumbar spine disability is denied.,Compensable disability rating for sinusitis is denied.,Service connection for PTSD is remanded due to insufficient details regarding the stressor.,Service connection for asthma is remanded due to insufficient details regarding the nature of the condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise, resolving all doubt in favor of the Veteran. For sleep apnea and RLS, additional medical records are needed to determine their etiology. Bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded two issues: service connection for a respiratory disorder and residuals of a melanoma on the right side of the abdomen. The remand requires obtaining complete dates of active duty training (ACDUTRA) in the National Guard, obtaining VA opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's conditions, and providing an opinion regarding whether any current respiratory disability clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service entrance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma arose in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and missing VA outpatient records. The Veteran's lung disability, including reactive airway disease, asthma, interstitial lung disease, and allergies, is being reviewed for possible service connection.

The Board denied service connection for left-hand finger condition, right-hand finger condition, and adenoid/tonsil removal condition. Service connection was granted for asthma.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, finding clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development regarding chemical exposures while working in proximity to Titan II missiles. The Veteran's respiratory issues are being considered as possibly related to his service, specifically exposure to asbestos.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma and COPD are related to service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic cough and asthma has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The appeal is granted as far as reopening the claims, but the underlying merits are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for schizophrenia, an unspecified psychotic disorder, anxiety disorder, and asthma due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The remaining issues, including respiratory disability, psychiatric disorder, cervical and thoracolumbar spine disabilities, and foot disabilities, are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lower respiratory disorder other than tuberculosis, finding that his current conditions did not manifest in service and are not otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a respiratory disorder other than asthma, including restrictive lung disease and COPD is denied.,The Veteran's claim for left fifth finger peripheral neuropathy is denied.

The Board denied DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the death of the Veteran, finding that the cause of death was not caused by VA care and that no negligence occurred on VA's part.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a pulmonary disorder (lung cysts, asthma) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board found that there was no direct link between the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and his current health issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for migraine headaches and sinusitis due to inadequate examination reports. The asthma claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of sciatica or asthma, and the Veteran does not meet criteria for increased ratings.