Asthma decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the service connection for asthma. The examiner needs to address whether the Veteran's preexisting asthma was aggravated during active duty service or if any increase in severity was due to natural progression.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure to report for VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD and bilateral plantar fasciitis. His asthma and bilateral plantar fasciitis are denied for increased ratings, with effective dates of May 26, 2004.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition, including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and COPD, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions. The claims file must be provided to a VA physician who will provide an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for asthma and COPD due to a lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The VA examiner is requested to provide addendum opinions addressing the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including exposure to jet fuel or other chemicals during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ankle disability and respiratory disability (other than allergic rhinitis), claimed as bronchitis and asthma, due to inadequate medical opinions in the August 2021 VA examination report.

The Veteran's sinusitis, mixed rhinitis, and asthma are related to her service in the Persian Gulf War. The Board granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to exposure to particulate matter.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions. The issues include service connection for various conditions, with a focus on secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung condition, including asbestosis, is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to verify in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and COPD, as well as his claim for TDIU. The Board found that there was no current diagnosis of asthma or COPD, and that any such conditions were not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for right below the knee amputation was denied as new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim. The claims of increased ratings for bilateral pseudophakia, left patella chondromalacia, and bronchial asthma are remanded for further examination and rating considerations. The TDIU issue is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other claims.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, neurological disabilities, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma. The claims are being remanded to allow for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding secondary service connection for OSA. The Veteran's obesity is linked to his service-connected disabilities, but further clarification on whether these conditions caused or aggravated his obesity is needed.

The Veteran's OSA and asthma are rated at 50 percent each, but the Board found that neither condition warrants a higher rating due to lack of evidence supporting more severe manifestations.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, finding that the Veteran's preexisting asthma was noted on entry and did not increase in severity during service. The isolated acute exacerbation of asthma in service is considered an intermittent flare-up rather than aggravation.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma, finding that his current condition is related to exposure to burning oil fields during his service in the Persian Gulf.

The Board denied service connection for a pulmonary disorder, including as a result of asbestos and beryllium exposure.,The Board also denied service connection for hypoxic and hypercapnic respiratory failure, including as a result of asbestos and beryllium exposure.

The Veteran's asthma was rated at a 30 percent disability rating since December 17, 2016. The Board found that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran used daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy for her asthma between December 17, 2016 and July 14, 2017.

The Veteran's bunions are being remanded for a new VA examination to determine their etiology.,The Veteran's left knee disability is being remanded due to inadequate previous examination and the need for additional medical opinion regarding its relationship to service.,The Veteran's unspecified chronic virus, including Lyme Disease and/or Epstein-Barr virus, is being remanded as there are conflicting opinions on its etiology and potential radiation exposure link.,The Veteran's neurological eye disability, specifically Fuch's dystrophy, is being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to address the relationship between her service and these conditions.,The Veteran's sciatica is being remanded due to inadequate previous examination and need for additional medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's respiratory disability, including asthma, is being remanded as there are conflicting opinions on its etiology and potential radiation exposure link.,The Veteran's lower extremity stress fracture residuals are being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine the presence of such residuals.