Chronic bronchitis Board decisions

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder and has determined that he is entitled to service connection based on direct evidence of a nexus between his current respiratory disabilities and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service personnel records, need for additional VA examinations, and receipt of new evidence. The issues on appeal include service connection for various conditions including arthritis, bilateral cataracts, respiratory disorder, heart disease, hypertension, blood disorder, diabetes mellitus, and liver disorder.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The appeal as to service connection for sinusitis and bronchitis is dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of his appeal.,Right ear hearing loss is remanded for further examination and opinion.,PTSD rating in excess of 50 percent is remanded with new evidence considered.,TDIU is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to issues related to entitlement to separate disability ratings and a higher rating for sleep apnea, chronic bronchitis, asthma, COPD, and allergic bronchospasms.

Service connection for a respiratory disability is denied as the evidence does not support that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,An initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the current ratings are already at the maximum allowed under VA regulations.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no legal basis to award a higher schedular rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his back, migraines, and TBI. The claims will be reviewed again with additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including arthritis of the bilateral knees and feet, a skin disorder likely due to herbicide exposure, sinusitis, bronchitis, and COPD. The Veteran's pre-existing knee and foot injuries are presumed to have existed prior to service.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, diagnosed as other specified trauma disorder, is granted service connection. Service connection for hyperlipidemia is denied. The heart disability, ischemic heart disease and bradycardia, status post myocardial infarction and pacemaker implantation, is granted service connection. Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension are both granted service connection. Service connection for a respiratory/lung disability and bilateral cataracts remains pending.

The Veteran's chronic respiratory disorder was found to have its onset in service and granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition, reactive airway disease with bronchitis, and an acquired psychiatric disability (adjustment disorder with depressed mood and anxiety) incurred during the Veteran's period of active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic bronchitis and epididymitis, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inconsistencies in diagnoses and lack of relevant medical records. The issues include psychiatric disorders, throat disorders, chronic bronchitis, chest disorders, Barrett’s esophagus, ulcerative colitis, and GERD.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability evaluation for ischemic heart disease (IHD) prior to April 13, 2012 and from July 18, 2012 forward has been dismissed. The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective February 8, 2012 to November 11, 2013.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bronchitis, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea due to a lack of VA examinations. The Veteran is not considered to have previously submitted these claims as he did not claim them in his initial application.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for residuals of a broken middle finger was withdrawn. The claims for hyperlipidemia, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD were denied. Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, sinus disability, bronchitis, asthma, hemorrhoids, jock itch, skin disability of the feet (claimed as athlete’s foot), and moles were granted.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran is granted an initial increased rating of 10 percent for bronchitis from September 14, 2011 and a 30 percent evaluation for asthma from February 17, 2015. Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder and an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected allergic rhinitis due to insufficient medical evidence on record. The Veteran is required to provide updated treatment records, undergo examinations, and testify at a hearing if needed.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include asthma and bronchitis. It also denied increased ratings for left shoulder strain and degenerative joint disease, cervical strain, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a respiratory condition, including asbestosis, COPD and chronic bronchitis, and whether the separate evaluation for GERD was correctly terminated effective July 1, 2013, and combined with the evaluation of duodenal ulcer. The claims are being remanded due to inadequate examinations and need further development.