Asthma decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bronchial asthma with COPD resulted in a FEV-1 of less than 40 percent predicted, warranting an initial rating of 100% as of August 4, 2016. The effective date for the award is set at August 4, 2016.

The Veteran's asthma has not met the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim of service connection for mixed obstructive and restrictive airway disease (claimed as asthma) due to incomplete medical records from the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs and the Office of Personnel Management. The Appellant is requested to provide completed VA Form 21-4142 for these records.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to his active duty service. The Board finds that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether the Veteran's current asthma is related to his active duty service and remands this issue for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchial asthma was granted with an effective date of June 1, 2016. The decision acknowledges that the Veteran had asthma prior to this date but there was no formal or informal claim submitted before June 2016.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to internal inconsistencies in a previous VA examination and the need for further evaluation of the Veteran's respiratory symptoms.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and an increased rating have been dismissed as the Appellant has withdrawn her appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to assess the Veteran's functional impairment from his service-connected disabilities, as he failed to report to previous examinations. The TDIU claim is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has granted direct service connection for asthma and COPD, finding that the Veteran's conditions had their onset during service and are related to herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory conditions, specifically asthma and bronchitis. The examiner needs to clarify whether these conditions manifested during the appeal period and if they are related to service or other in-service events.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is granted as a presumptive service connection due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.,Service connection for migraines is granted based on an in-service head injury and current diagnosis.,Service connection for asthma is granted based on diagnosed exercise-induced asthma during active service.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on a history of noise exposure during active service.,Service connection for GERD due to Gulf War exposures is granted as it began during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD with asthma is at least as likely as not related to in-service exposure to jet fuel, aircraft exhaust, paint and other hazardous chemical fumes. Therefore, service connection for COPD with asthma is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination regarding his character of discharge, as well as potential psychiatric issues that may have contributed to his misconduct.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the etiology and relationship of the Veteran's respiratory disabilities to his active-duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive, panic, and nightmare disorders, residuals of a lower back injury during service, right lower extremity sciatica, left lower extremity sciatica, asthma, and prostatitis. Service connection was denied for sinus disorder and sleep apnea.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and remanded the claims of service connection for bronchial asthma with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a back disability, and residuals of a head injury. The claim for service connection for diabetes was denied due to lack of in-service event or disease, no herbicide exposure during service, and insufficient evidence linking current diabetes to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis and/or asbestos exposure with pleural plaques, COPD, and asthma. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were related to inservice asbestos exposure.,Specifically, VA medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are more likely due to his occupational exposure to asbestos over 40 years post-service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at a 70% disability rating, effective July 14, 2022. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a respiratory condition and neck condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and cervical spine. The issues for bronchitis and asthma are remanded.