Asthma Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded for additional development and clarification of his conditions, exposure basis, and theories of entitlement. The issues include bilateral hand disability, hypertension, cervical degenerative disc disease, lumbar degenerative disease, respiratory disability (asthma), bilateral hearing loss, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's asthma and obstructive sleep apnea have been granted a 100% evaluation, effective from July 25, 2015 to July 22, 2022 for the service-connected asthma, and from July 22, 2022. The TDIU has also been restored.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for asthma, but denied the claim itself due to clear and unmistakable evidence that the preexisting asthma did not worsen during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting information in the May 2016 VA examination report regarding the use of corticosteroids by the Veteran. The decision is pending further review and clarification.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence.,The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of her knee disabilities, determine the nature and etiology of her psychiatric disorder, and address any aggravation by her service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for asthma was denied. The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for arrhythmia was granted, and the issues of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and testicular condition were remanded.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including tension headaches, allergic rhinitis, asthma with histoplasmosis, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome were denied. The Veteran was not granted higher ratings or initial compensable ratings for several of her conditions.

The Veteran's asthma is determined to be caused by his exposure to toxic substances during service, specifically Gulf War Syndrome. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petition to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, and has remanded several other claims. The decision is final as it pertains only to the denial of the lung disability claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The opinions are needed to determine if OSA is caused or aggravated by asthma, and whether obesity/weight gain is a substantial factor in causing OSA. Additionally, the examiner must consider all lay evidence, including the Veteran's statements.

The Board has denied service connection for hypertension, residuals of a stroke, asthma, and an acquired psychiatric disorder as the evidence does not support that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma, migraines, PTSD, and TBI-related conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment for the appeal period from May 14, 2018, to September 7, 2021, and from September 18, 2021, to September 7, 2022. Effective September 7, 2021, he is in receipt of a 100% combined schedular disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma, finding that it is not related to active service or service-connected sinusitis.

Service connection for asthma is granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee, left shoulder, and left hand disorders are reopened but the Board finds insufficient evidence to grant these claims on their merits.

The Veteran's respiratory disability other than asthma with nocturnal hypoxia is remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents and/or environmental exposures.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for asthma, hypertension, plantar fasciitis, emphysema, GERD, and hyperlipidemia. The claim for service connection for COPD was reopened but denied due to lack of causal relationship with service.

The Veteran's claims for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, ovarian cyst complications (claimed as infertility), acquired psychiatric disorder, asthma, and right knee disability have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims by her representative.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn for an increased rating of major depressive disorder. The claims for service connection for sinusitis, COPD, and asthma were reopened due to new evidence. Service connection for PTSD and chronic myeloid leukemia was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain outstanding VA treatment records, including Battle Creek VAMC records. The issues include PTSD ratings prior and subsequent to specific dates, as well as ratings for a bilateral foot disorder, cervical spine disorder, and asthma.

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability, GERD, and asthma have rendered him unemployable since April 19, 2017. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of his disabilities.