Asthma Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), rheumatoid arthritis, cataracts, malaria, dysentery, asthma, and dizziness, were not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for a medical opinion on whether the veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma contributed to his death.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for asthma and hepatitis, with a 10% rating already in place for asthma since April 17, 1998.

The veteran's generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks and PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, which meets the criteria for a higher rating.,The veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, which does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bronchial asthma with emphysematous changes, effective from May 27, 1959.

The VA Regional Office (RO) in San Juan denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bronchial asthma, molar extraction residuals, umbilical hernia, generalized arthralgia, and right shoulder separation.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for bronchial asthma, which was previously denied in April 1991.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma preexisted service and was not aggravated during active military service. The VA physician concluded that there was an increase in severity of symptoms during service, but also noted that the condition continued to progress after separation from service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for tinnitus, bronchial asthma, headaches, peptic ulcer disease with duodenitis, and a skin condition of both hands. The decision also noted that no issues regarding service connection were currently before the Board.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bronchiectasis and bronchial asthma do not warrant a rating higher than 60 percent, as his symptoms are within the range of what is contemplated for this disability level.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased evaluations of his asthma and rhinitis disabilities, as well as his request to reopen a claim for service connection for neurodermatitis. The decision found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under either the old or new rating criteria.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected asthma, which requires multiple courses of systemic corticosteroids.

The Board denied service connection for neck pain, boils of the groin and arms, insomnia, tension headaches, and bronchial asthma due to an undiagnosed illness. The veteran's claims were not granted.

The Board has granted an initial disability evaluation of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected residuals of status post median sternotomy, effective October 13, 1991. The appeal regarding the initial evaluation for bronchial asthma is not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's hypertension, asthma, and tinnitus are all found to be related to his service-connected conditions. The veteran's PTSD is allowed for rating purposes.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected bronchial asthma and anxiety disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating under either the old or revised criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, to include as secondary to her service-connected granuloma of the middle lobe of the right lung. The claim for an increased rating for post-concussion headaches was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and gout, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for a separate rating of a disfiguring scar of the neck.,The RO separated out the muscle injury from the cicatrices disability in April 1998, resulting in a new 10 percent rating for a disfiguring scar of the neck.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his inability to use both lower extremities without aid.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000. The appellant's service entrance examination is missing, and there are concerns about the completeness of his medical records.