Chronic bronchitis decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current respiratory disorder other than sleep apnea, and his hypertension is not at a compensable level. The claims for service connection for valvular heart disease and sleep apnea are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bronchitis as these conditions are found to be aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, reopening of claims, and effective dates for TDIU. The main issue is the assignment of an effective date prior to July 30, 2013 for granulomatous infection with pulmonary nodule, left upper lobe.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional records from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The Veteran's pension claim is denied as he did not serve during a period of war.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not service-connected and was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to May 17, 2018. From May 17, 2018 onwards, it warrants a rating of at least 40 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis, asthma, and restrictive bronchiolitis. The appeal regarding the right shoulder degenerative arthritis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), all claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness during Gulf War service. The examinations are needed to address the nature of these conditions and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's osteoarthritis of both hips was not incurred in or aggravated during service and is not presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to herbicide agents. The respiratory disorder (chronic bronchitis) may be related to exposure to toxic chemicals, including herbicide agents, at McChord Air Force Base. Arteriosclerotic heart disease is also linked to exposure to toxic chemicals.,The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease was not incurred in or aggravated during service and is not presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to herbicide agents. The respiratory disorder (chronic bronchitis) may be related to exposure to toxic chemicals, including herbicide agents, at McChord Air Force Base.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis, residuals of pneumonia, and lichen planus of the bilateral wrists and ankles due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these claims. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder was reopened, but the issue of a compensable rating for chronic bronchitis prior to May 7, 2009 remains denied. The Veteran is now rated at 10% for his chronic bronchitis from May 7, 2009 onwards.,The effective date for service connection of chronic bronchitis was dismissed as the Veteran did not file a timely appeal regarding this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings have been denied. The claim for dry eye syndrome due to PRK surgery was not reopened, while the remaining issues were denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, and dermatitis due to a lack of an opinion regarding their etiology. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of a left hip condition, left knee condition, lung conditions (including asthma and bronchitis), and hypertension. The issues have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for a respiratory disability and remanded the issues of service connection for chronic sinusitis, right knee patellofemoral syndrome and osteoarthritis, and neurological symptoms (claimed as hiccups and muscular twitching of the eyes).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of loss of use, blindness, or severe burn injury. The Board found no inhalation injury and denied eligibility.

The Board has ordered the Veteran's VA vocational rehabilitation folder to be obtained and associated with his e-file. They are also requesting an addendum from a previous examiner who evaluated him in June 2016, asking them to provide an opinion on whether the Veteran’s currently diagnosed bronchitis and allergic rhinitis had their clinical onset during active service or is otherwise etiologically related to any incident of service.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for bronchitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease as the Veteran withdrew his appeal before a decision was made.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids, the propriety of reducing his bronchitis disability rating from 30 percent to noncompensable, and service connection for hypertension have all been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of these appeals.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, bronchitis, asthma, COPD, sleep apnea, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diverticulosis, colon polyps, kidney stones, cysts and lumps, facial acne, headaches, and depression. The remand requires obtaining private medical records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric examination.