GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2015

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for residuals of dislocated toes of the right foot in May 1983. The current decision denies reopening this claim.,Service connection for a back disability was not addressed, and the Veteran did not provide evidence to reopen his previous denial.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to incomplete development of the Veteran's service connection claims, specifically regarding his exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident (stroke residuals), enlarged prostate (voiding dysfunction), colon cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's service-connected GERD has been manifested by persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal arm or shoulder pain, productive of considerable impairment of health. The Board grants a higher initial rating of 30 percent for the service-connected GERD since July 20, 2009.

The Veteran's left ankle disorder is not related to service. The VA examiner found no evidence that the current left foot-ankle disorder relates to his in-service injury.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD is granted, and the Board finds that his current diagnosis of PTSD is related to his military service. The claim for GERD as secondary to PTSD or NSAIDs prescribed for a service-connected disability is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development and consideration of his claims.

The Veteran's stomach problems were not related to his military service and were not secondary to his service-connected anxiety disorder NOS, with history of alcohol dependence, in full sustained remission.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine if his current conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling new VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, other than GERD, to include IBS as secondary to his service-connected fibromyalgia is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's GERD has been manifested by persistently recurrent epigastric distress, pyrosis, reflux, regurgitation, vomiting, and hematemesis with mild substernal pain. These symptoms have not resulted in considerable impairment of health.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, including GERD and acid peptic syndrome. The Board finds that additional development is necessary due to the lack of medical treatment records documenting GERD until many years post-service discharge.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The case will be returned for additional development and adjudication.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including esophageal spasm and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, finding that new and material evidence has been received sufficient to reopen his previously denied claim. The Veteran's current gastrointestinal disability is related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus and obstructive sleep apnea have been reopened, but additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions. The Veteran's GERD claim remains on hold due to a lack of definitive evidence linking his current condition to active duty.

The Veteran's GERD was granted a higher initial rating.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, and right hand disorder were all granted. However, service connection for right ear hearing loss was not established.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's kidney cancer and related conditions are presumed to be due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board also finds it is at least as likely as not that these conditions have caused or contributed to his other diagnosed disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, TBI residuals, seizure disorder, liver disability, bladder disability, kidney disability, pulmonary/respiratory disability, and stomach disability (GERD) due to Korean Hemorrhagic Fever. The evidence did not support a finding of these conditions or their etiology.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND section.