Asthma decisions — 2020

Your prior 30 percent rating for asthma has been restored, effective February 27, 2018. The appeal is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his request for reinstatement of this rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective from March 23, 2007.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a low back condition, respiratory conditions (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder), depression, anxiety, sleep apnea, migraines, left knee condition, right shoulder bursitis, and memory loss. The claims are remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma, finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood (equipoise) that her sleep apnea is related to her asthma.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for asthma, psoriasiform dermatitis, and allergic rhinitis have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Veteran's asthma was evaluated at a 10 percent rating from January 1, 2008 to April 13, 2011.,From April 13, 2011 to June 10, 2011, the Veteran required daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy and was granted a 30 percent rating.,The Veteran's asthma did not meet criteria for a higher than 30 percent rating from June 10, 2011 to August 21, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory and dermatological disorders due to insufficient information in the VA examination report. The Veteran is seeking service connection for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung nodules, seborrheic dermatitis, and hives.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his skin disability claim was granted. His claims for service connection for a pulmonary disability, an eye disability, and hearing loss were denied on the merits. The Veteran's bladder cancer claim is remanded. Other issues are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed conditions and missing treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lung conditions, specifically chronic bronchitis and asthma. The Veteran is presumed to have been sound at service enlistment for asthma.

The Veteran's asbestosis and restrictive airway disease did not manifest with post-bronchodilator FVC of 64 percent or less, DLCO of 55 percent or less, or maximum exercise capacity of 15 to 20 ml/kg/min oxygen consumption with cardiorespiratory limitation to warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent. The Board found the preponderance of evidence against assigning such a rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The claims are being returned to the RO for review of new evidence, including a March 2019 VA spine examination and April 2019 thoracolumbar spine addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, was granted. Claims for asthma, CFS, bronchitis, TBI, sleep apnea, COPD, and heart disorder were dismissed.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional VA treatment records from 1992 to 1998.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for asthma, entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for asbestosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and entitlement to TDIU prior to October 28, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remands and insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death. The claim for service connection for cause of death is being reviewed again.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have asthma or hypertension in service, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.,For her headaches, the Veteran's claim is remanded as there are insufficient medical records to determine if they were incurred during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for fibromyalgia, asthma, COPD, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and dizziness have been granted as qualifying chronic disabilities due to undiagnosed illness. The Board found current clinical diagnoses of these conditions were not established.

The Board has remanded multiple issues for further development, including examinations and the provision of additional medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being reviewed again to determine if her conditions are related to her military service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's urticaria with anaphylaxis reactions is rated at 60 percent, but no greater.,An increased rating for asthma and a lumbar spine disability are both REMANDED due to the need for further evidence.