GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for left hip disability is denied.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for sleep apnea is granted. The Board found that there was evidence showing the Veteran has sleep apnea and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating such claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left elbow disability, bilateral hearing loss, bronchitis, tinnitus, hypertension, hemorrhoids, and GERD. The decision also remanded the claim for service connection for bronchitis due to asbestos exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right hip, right knee, acid reflux, and low back conditions. The decision also noted that the Veteran's skin condition (claimed as dyshidrotic eczema) was remanded for a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings on multiple service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection were partially denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s psychiatric disabilities are at worst manifest by symptoms most comparable to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas, resulting in a 70% rating. The issues of residuals of frostbite and GERD service connection, as well as the rating for hypertrophic gastritis post-operative removal of sigmoid colon polyps and colon polyps, were remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to inadequate VA examinations and requests for new opinions regarding the Veteran's right knee condition and GERD/acid reflux.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained multisymptom illness is denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted effective February 6, 2012.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to make a fully-informed decision on the service connection claims for various conditions, including bilateral shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, fibromyalgia, and others. The Veteran's medical history will be reviewed, and further examinations may be conducted.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for left and right knee disabilities, service connection for GERD, and service connection for right and left hand disabilities due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran's GERD is being examined again to determine if it is caused by or aggravated by his service-connected back disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an incomplete review of the Veteran's medical records and a need for a new opinion regarding his hiatal hernia.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction due to their association with the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claims of entitlement to service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's GERD is related to service or his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his GERD was caused by military service, and if it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for Vitamin D deficiency is denied because it is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes.,Periodontal disease (gingivitis) is not considered a compensable disability, and the Veteran's claim must be denied.,The Veteran's vertigo is rated as 10 percent disabling based on occasional dizziness. A higher rating of 30 percent is not warranted due to lack of evidence of staggering.,Tinnitus in the left ear is currently assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 6260.,The Veteran's exercise-induced asthma does not meet the criteria for a compensable initial rating based on his PFT results and medication use.,Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is rated as noncompensable due to lack of specific diagnostic codes, with GERD being rated by analogy under Diagnostic Code 7399-7346.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions has been granted. The specific conditions include low back strain, hearing loss, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), and residuals of exposure to tuberculosis disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations. The issues include left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, PTSD, sleep apnea, and hiatal hernia with GERD and esophagitis.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for depression has been reopened and is granted. The issues of service connection for neck condition, heart condition, GERD, and acquired psychiatric disorder are also addressed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the service connection claims, as there are limited VA treatment records from the relevant time period. The Veteran's disabilities have been treated at the Leavenworth VA Medical Center since 2001.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his hiatal hernia, GERD, and sinus conditions.

The Veteran's urethral disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected scar on the tip of his penis. The gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has denied all service connection claims and increased rating claims for various conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a sliding hiatal hernia with associated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with noncardiac chest pain.