GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for various conditions, including a back disorder, sleep disorder (due to PTSD), skin disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and acid reflux disease. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The veteran's claim for higher initial evaluations and effective dates for various service-connected conditions, including Hodgkin's disease, peripheral neuropathy, hypothyroidism, GERD, and depression, was granted. The decision also addressed the reopening of a claim for heart disease as secondary to Hodgkin's disease.

The veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and his military service. The Board denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder and denied service connection for hypertension. The skin rash and GERD claims are remanded for further examination and analysis.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations and a new rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for a neurological disorder of the left upper extremity secondary to service-connected right shoulder disability. The veteran's gastritis and GERD are also service connected, but only due to aggravation by medications.

The veteran's hiatal hernia and GERD have been rated at 60 percent disabling. However, his employment was terminated for tampering with a witness, which does not affect his current employability status. The RO has not addressed the TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities, including hiatal hernia.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current sleep apnea, GERD and IBS are not related to service on a direct or secondary basis. Therefore, his claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board granted a higher initial rating to 30 percent for the veteran's service-connected GERD, effective January 27, 2004.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected post-operative duodenal ulcer with hypertrophic gastritis, hiatal hernia, and gastroesophageal reflux disease did not warrant a rating higher than 40 percent.

The veteran's service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is manifested by subjective daily dysphagia, pyrosis, and vomiting; marked weakening of the primary and secondary esophageal peristalsis; substernal, arm, and shoulder pain; but no anemia, hematemesis, or material weight loss. The criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent disabling for service-connected GERD have not been met.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right knee condition and service connection for GERD as secondary to his service-connected right knee disorder, finding no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to clarify the current diagnoses and determine if any currently diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder, including gastritis and GERD, are causally related to the veteran's active military service. The veteran will be provided with an examination for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of records.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastric ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease and a skin disorder to include skin cancer.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The RO assigned a non-compensable rating for duodenitis with GERD, granted service connection for neurogenic bladder but not depression.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected hiatal hernia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic esophagitis, and short segment Barett's esophagus disabilities. The VA has ordered a new examination to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for cirrhosis of the liver as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. Service connection was denied for stomach ulcer and chronic gastritis (previously GERD) as these conditions are not related to service or service-connected diabetes.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) does not warrant an initial compensable rating, as his symptoms are controlled by medication and do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that the appellant's hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) was not productive of considerable impairment of health, and thus did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.