GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran's right heel disability, bilateral hearing loss, ulcer/GERD, irritable bowel syndrome, and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) are all remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent, which is the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 9411.,The Veteran’s service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension, secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions, has been reopened and remanded.,The Veteran's claim for seizure disorder remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.,Left ear hearing loss is rated at 0 percent effective May 20, 2014. The issue of an earlier effective date is remanded.,Diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent and the Veteran's request for a higher rating remains denied.,PTSD, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, coronary artery disease, hypertension (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions), acid reflux (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus) are all remanded.,The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.

Service connection for PTSD is granted as the Veteran's reported combat experiences in Vietnam are sufficient to establish his service-connected stressors, and he has a current diagnosis of PTSD.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities is denied as there is no evidence that it became manifest during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, as well as an increased rating for GERD. The Veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.,Service connection was denied because there is no medical evidence linking current shoulder conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including neck disability, right and left knee disabilities, tinnitus, systemic arterial hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), kidney stones, and a skin condition on scalp. The reasons include unclear relationships to service due to conflicting statements from the Veteran.

The Veteran's GERD and left foot disability have been granted initial ratings of 10 percent. The right hand disability has not yet been resolved, but the Board finds that a remand is necessary to determine its relationship to service.

The Veteran's GERD is rated at 10 percent, and his bilateral knee disabilities are each rated at 10 percent. The claims for higher ratings are denied.

The Veteran's appeals regarding service connection for various conditions and an increased rating for radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been dismissed. The Board has granted a 20% rating for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, effective from when the decision was made.

The Veteran's GERD has been rated as noncompensable. The Board remanded the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, left inguinal hernia, and a left foot condition (status post stress fracture).

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several service-connected conditions have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation.

The Veteran's GERD and headaches are granted service connection. The claims for prostate cancer and bladder cancer are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and a 10% rating has been assigned for his left knee disability. The other conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's left fifth finger fracture is rated at 10 percent, and his duodenitis with GERD is rated at 10 percent. The higher ratings for these conditions are denied.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including fibromyalgia, prostate cancer, sleep apnea, gastrointestinal disorders, colon cancer, hiatal hernia, acid reflux, erectile dysfunction, skin disorder, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's claims were based on direct service connection rather than presumptive exposure to herbicides or other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claims. The Board found that there is no link between any of the disabilities and active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including EBV and mononucleosis with residuals, chronic fatigue syndrome, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, neck scar, Bell's palsy, GERD, chronic sinusitis, bilateral shoulder condition, left index finger injury, left index finger scar, and right ear hearing loss have been granted.,The Board found the preponderance of evidence supported the Veteran's claims for service connection based on his in-service diagnoses and continued symptoms.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for vocal cord disability, GERD, and skin disability due to additional development being required. This includes obtaining VA and private treatment records, as well as scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim to reopen a service connection for low back condition is granted. The issues of service connection for GERD, RLS, and sleep apnea are remanded. The issue of rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, onychomycosis, and hypertension is also remanded.