Asthma decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted them. The issues of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a respiratory disability (claimed as breathing disorder, to include asthma), and a bilateral foot disability are remanded.

A rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn.,Service connection for asthma, a respiratory disorder, is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.,The Veteran's kidney stones are presumed to have been incurred in service due to the PACT Act.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, finding that the Veteran's preexisting asthma did not worsen during military service and was not aggravated by any in-service event or exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand instructions. An addendum VA opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's asthma was incurred in service or related to service exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability due to asbestos exposure, finding that there was no evidence of a link between his current lung condition and his active service. The Board noted that the Veteran had normal lungs at separation from service and remained asymptomatic for lung disease until his diagnosis in 1998.

The Board has remanded the cases of asthma and COPD for further evaluation due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing service treatment records from Fort Huachuca and a need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the respiratory disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for asthma and scars due to improper filing of a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) under the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of asthma, finding no clear and unmistakable evidence that it preexisted his military service. The VA medical examiner concluded that the condition did not clearly and unmistakably exist prior to service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lung disability, including asthma, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

Entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for COPD with asthma prior to July 17, 2013 was denied.,Entitlement to a rating in excess of 50 percent for COPD with asthma and OSA prior to December 22, 2021 was denied.

The Veteran's bronchial asthma required daily use of immunosuppressive medication from March 17, 2014. A 100 percent rating is granted for this period.

Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome is granted. Service connection for asthma is remanded.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for left shoulder condition, asthma, tinnitus, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding asbestos exposure during service, and for a medical opinion on the etiology of any respiratory disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by her service-connected allergic rhinitis, and thus grants service connection for asthma.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for lumbosacral strain and asthma have been denied. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain, as there is no objective evidence of muscle spasms or guarding severe enough to result in an abnormal gait or spinal contour. For asthma, the evidence does not show at least monthly visits to a physician for required care of exacerbations or intermittent (at least three per year) courses of systemic corticosteroids.

The Veteran's asthma is granted as service-connected due to exposure in Southwest Asia. The eye disorder and TBI issues are remanded for further examination and evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder manifested by coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath, including COPD, emphysema, and asthma. The decision finds that the Veteran's current respiratory conditions are as likely as not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings are remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.