GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current GERD is causally connected to his in-service symptoms, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to assess his current level of impairment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the relationship between his tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a bilateral knee disorder, and diabetes mellitus have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD, IBS, and sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected maxillary sinusitis with right maxillary cysts and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 70%, which meets the threshold for a TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unemployable.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, including as secondary to medications taken for her service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development and an appropriate VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's throat disorder, diagnosed as an ulcer, nasal polyps and allergic rhinitis, stomach disorder (GERD), and hypertension are not service-connected.

The Veteran was previously denied a TDIU prior to September 5, 2012. The Board found that the service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation during this period.,Beginning September 5, 2012, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board granted a TDIU at this time.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with various conditions, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction. The Board finds that these diagnoses are related to his service due to the presumption of herbicide exposure for veterans who served in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral plantar fasciitis with cavus foot formation, folliculitis and contact dermatitis, GERD, IBS, CFS, and lumbar degenerative disk disease. Service connection is denied for the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, and neck.

The Veteran's hiatal hernia and GERD with antral gastritis and duodenitis are rated at a 30 percent rating, effective from the date of claim. The TDIU claim is denied as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected bronchial asthma with obstructive sleep apnea and GERD are rated at the maximum available under VA's rating schedule, and he is not found unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia of the bilateral legs. The claims for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, acid reflux disorder, diabetes mellitus, headaches, and sleep apnea have also been denied as there is no current diagnosis or link to service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be at least as likely as not related to his military service, including in-service noise exposure and a perforated left eardrum.,The Veteran currently suffers from Barrett's esophagus and GERD, which the Board finds is less likely than not caused by or related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing VA examinations to assess the severity of the appellant's service-connected gastritis secondary to GERD and trigeminal neuralgia with headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the lack of identification of an available VA medical facility for his service-connected bronchial asthma and other conditions. The case will be readjudicated based on this information.

The Veteran's asthma, right foot plantar fasciitis, and left foot plantar fasciitis have been granted service connection. The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish service connection for the other conditions listed.

The Veteran's IBS with GERD and Crohn's colitis disability was rated at 60 percent prior to December 1, 2015. From that date onwards, the rating for her gastrointestinal disorder increased to 60 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and her request for a compensable rating was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have PTSD or GERD related to her service-connected mandibular fracture, but her masticatory dysfunction due to the mandibular fracture residuals more closely approximated severe malunion of the mandible.