GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2008

The Board has granted service connection for tendonitis of the right shoulder, arthritis of the left shoulder, and GERD. The veteran is now entitled to a 10% initial rating for each condition.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected duodenal ulcer, status post subtotal gastrectomy with vagotomy and gastroesophageal reflux disease and iron deficiency anemia. The current evaluation is 40 percent.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as his GERD with erosive gastritis and esophagitis/Barrett's esophagus, are service-connected.

The veteran's claim of secondary service connection for hemorrhoids was granted, and he is now receiving a 10 percent rating for his right wrist disability. His left clavicle fracture with fibromyalgia and myalgia also received a 10 percent rating effective from October 2, 2001. The veteran's GERD remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Board has determined that there is no nexus between the appellant's current gastrointestinal disability and his service, including exposure to a fire extinguisher. As such, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and initial evaluations for depressive disorder and gastroesophageal reflux disease, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service or service-connected back disability.

The veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, hiatal hernia with acid reflux, and erectile dysfunction were denied. The decision did not address the secondary nature of the erectile dysfunction to his service-connected hypertension.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (dysthymic disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and irritable bowel syndrome) combine to a rating of 70 percent. The Board finds that the veteran is unemployable due to her service-connected conditions, with the psychiatrist opining it is as likely as not she would be unemployable based on her depression alone.

The veteran's claims for increased disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice and a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for GERD and diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his honorable military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, angiodysplasia (claimed as a stomach condition), tonsillitis, right posterior scalp fungated lesion, and color blindness in both eyes have been denied. The veteran is entitled to an initial compensable disability rating for paresthesia of gingiva mucosa of the lower left side and vitreous floaters.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted after a Supplemental Statement of the Case was issued without the appellant waiving RO review. The issues on appeal include service connection for various conditions and reopening claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sexual dysfunction, hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with large sliding hiatal hernia, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, and increased ratings for his bilateral hip and knee strains. The veteran's hypertension was assigned a 10% rating.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for GERD and a left knee disorder are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to a lack of evidence showing that his GERD had become worse.

The veteran's hypertension was not incurred in service and is not presumed to have been incurred due to military service.,The veteran has not been shown to currently have GERD that is causally related to his military service.,PTSD does not meet the criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and hernia, as well as his claim for service connection for GERD were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for GERD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his service-connected ventral hernia and denied service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The veteran's service-connected ventral hernia is not currently disabling, and there is no evidence that GERD is related to his military service.