GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2011

The Veteran's PTSD disability rating was increased to 70 percent, and his hypertension and GERD disabilities are found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's initial claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The appeal as to the propriety of severance of service connection for teeth erosion is deferred pending a decision on whether to issue an SOC regarding this issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for abdominal adhesions is granted. The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for GERD remains denied, and her claim for service connection for neck pain is granted.

The Veteran's claims for sinusitis, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), headaches, respiratory condition, colon condition or GERD, and hypertension are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,Specifically, a VA examination is required to determine if any current disabilities were incurred in service, including as a result of paint sanding and chipping duties. The examiner must also provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted, and his claim to reopen a stomach disorder claim was also granted. The Veteran now has service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for an appendectomy scar but denied service connection for diverticulitis, hiatal hernia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board has found no evidence of exceptional factors that would warrant an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as due to exposure to an herbicide agent (i.e., Agent Orange) was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish herbicide exposure during service and thus, service connection could not be granted on a presumptive basis. Additionally, there is no evidence of record suggesting direct service connection for diabetes mellitus. For his stomach disorder claim, the Veteran's current GERD diagnosis was deemed unrelated to military service by the VA examiner in February 2010.

The Board has determined that further development of the evidence is required before the claims can be adjudicated. The appeal is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.

The Veteran's depressive disorder with attention deficit disorder was granted service connection. The initial evaluations for Crohn's Disease, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and residuals of injury to the right ankle/foot remain unchanged.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II with nephropathy was granted an initial rating of 10 percent. Service connection for coronary artery disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were granted as secondary to the service-connected diabetes. However, service connection for conjunctivitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GERD, CTS of the left wrist, DJD of the 1st MTP joints of both feet, and bilateral thumb DJD at the 1st carpometacarpal (CMC) joint are all attributable to her period of service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for GERD is granted, and he is assigned a noncompensable (10%) disability rating for his right shoulder DJD, cervical spine DDD, and IBS.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have onset during service and is granted service connection.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's bilateral knee disability is not related to his service, but a current wrist disability may be due to his service-connected PTSD. His gastrointestinal disability may be due to his service-connected right hip and sacroiliac joint disabilities.,The Veteran has a current bilateral wrist disability that is secondary to his service-connected PTSD with depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability and GERD are being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD, hypertension, lumbar spine myalgia, and DDD. The Board found that the preexisting back conditions were not aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with the service-connected GERD and IBS receiving an initial rating of 30 percent effective April 19, 2009. The low back disability received a higher initial rating of 40 percent effective that date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of September 10, 2002, for the grant of a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability due to lack of factual ascertainability of his inability to work prior to that date.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been denied. The initial rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent, tinnitus at 10 percent, and hypertension is not service connected.