Asthma Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for difficulty breathing, including asthma and bronchitis. The decision is based on the need to obtain additional medical records and an updated examination to determine if the Veteran's preexisting conditions were aggravated by his service in September and October 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine which of his respiratory conditions (asthma or sleep apnea) is predominant and to assess the severity of both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and asthma have prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since December 27, 2008. The Board has granted TDIU effective that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral knee conditions and asthma, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due solely to these conditions. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether he can perform such work.

The Board denied service connection for COPD, gastric cancer, prostate cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to hazardous materials during service and the etiology of his pulmonary disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for breathing problems, but denied the merits of the claim as there is no evidence that his current respiratory issues are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of his lumbar spine disability, right shoulder impingement, and asthma due to lack of a VA examination. The Veteran is also entitled to an increased rating for his arthritis of the right ankle.

The Veteran's asthma is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for vertigo, heart murmur disability, hypertension, anemia, and TDIU.

The Veteran's asthma was granted a 10% rating from November 24, 2011 to November 13, 2013 and a 30% rating thereafter. The bilateral ankle sprain disabilities were granted a 20% rating starting March 4, 2014.,The Veteran's asthma required intermittent inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy prior to November 13, 2013 but daily use of inhalational bronchodilator therapy and FEV-1/FVC of less than 70% from that date. The bilateral ankle sprain disabilities were manifested by moderate limitation of motion.

The Board has remanded the claims for asthma and COPD due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, thus denying a nonservice-connected pension.

The Board has remanded several issues for further examination and opinion, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied due to lack of a current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and its relationship to his service-connected bronchial asthma.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and sarcoidosis, but denied for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's cause of death due to sarcoidosis is also confirmed.,The claim for asthma remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for lumbar spine disability, right toe injury, asthma, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypertension, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, affective psychosis, and adjustment disorder due to incomplete service records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including as due to environmental hazard exposure in the Gulf War, is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and insomnia are dismissed. The claim of increased rating for asthma is denied, but a 30% rating is granted effective May 5, 2015. The right knee disability rating reduction from 10% to noncompensable is overturned, and the 10% rating is restored. The back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy issues are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for asthma was dismissed due to her death while the appeal was pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for asthma, left foot bunion, and hammer toe. The issues are related to whether service connection can be established for these conditions.