Asthma Board decisions

The Veteran's asthma worsened during service due to exposure to tobacco smoke, and the Board finds new evidence relevant for readjudication of his claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the etiology of the Veteran's respiratory condition, specifically whether it is related to service-connected heart disease or exposure to burn pits during military service. The VA must provide an addendum opinion from a clinician addressing these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative joint disease of the lower lumbar spine, bursitis, asthma, right hip strain, and left hip strain are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.,The Veteran contends that her current conditions began during or shortly after her military service. The Board finds that further development is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of these disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD with emphysema, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic pneumonia, and diabetes mellitus type 2 is granted. The claims for asthma and chronic respiratory disorder are remanded due to additional evidence received after the March 2020 statement of the case.

The Veteran's service connection for Bronchial Condition / URI and asthma is granted due to the PACT Act, which establishes these conditions as presumptive diseases associated with exposure to burn pits and other toxins. The effective date of this presumption is August 10, 2022.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's asthma is caused by medication for his service-connected left shoulder disability, and thus grants service connection on a secondary basis.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, COPD, lumbosacral strain (back injury), sleep apnea, tendonitis of the left ankle, and tendonitis of the right ankle. The claim for flat feet was reopened but not granted.

The Veteran's claims for headaches and allergies/respiratory disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and verification of exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a respiratory disability, bilateral foot disabilities, and bilateral knee disabilities due to duty to assist errors. The Veteran's assertions regarding his current conditions are considered.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and asthma but granted service connection for right ear hearing loss. The issue of pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for asthma and allergies have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the issues of an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed because the Veteran has since been granted service connection for asthma, which is a condition that can be considered secondary to sleep apnea.

The Veteran's asthma and pseudofolliculitis barbae are granted service connection, with the former being granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to burn pits during his deployment in Afghanistan.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for chronic sinusitis and asthma due to a duty to assist error. The AOJ needs to reconstruct the Veteran's claims file, including obtaining copies of the November 2019 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for skin disability, respiratory disability, diverticulitis, digestive system disability, pancreatic-intestinal system disability, and neurological disability. The decision is based on the Veteran's credible lay accounts and a supportive medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory disability and tremor disability are remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The VA examiner did not adequately address the theories of entitlement raised by the Veteran, including those related to PTSD.

The Veteran withdrew all issues on appeal, including those for bilateral flat feet, left shoulder impingement, right shoulder impingement, right knee strain (also claimed as lower leg condition), left Achilles tendinitis (also claimed as ankle condition), abnormal kidney function, benign neoplasm of skin right lower eyelid, bilateral presbyopia/hypermetropia with right eye retina lattice degeneration and round hole, chronic asthma condition, chronic fatigue syndrome, hyperlipidemia, left knee strain (also claimed as lower leg condition), and ventral hernia.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as it is proximately caused by the Veteran's service-connected asthma.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, gout, right and left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions in the VA examinations. The Veteran will need additional evaluations to determine if his conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for emphysema, interstitial lung disease, asthma, and hypertension due to a lack of current diagnoses at the time of appeal. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development regarding his asthma and hypertension.