GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee disabilities have also been reopened.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, while his hypertension was not shown to have manifested within one year of separation from service. The Veteran's GERD and genitourinary disability (prostate disorder) are also denied as they do not appear to be linked to service.,Service connection for the Veteran’s hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, GERD, and prostate disorder were all denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals for service connection and increased rating claims related to gout, lumbar spine disability, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, anxiety disorder (claimed as PTSD), and hypertension. The claim for service connection of PTSD is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and migraine headaches have been denied. The Board found that the GERD was not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, continuity of symptomatology is not established, and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has identified several procedural issues and remanded the claims for an increased rating for anal fissures, entitlement to a TDIU, and service connection for a liver disorder (claimed as biliary cystadenoma). The Veteran is also entitled to a new VA examination for his anal fissures. The AOJ must issue a statement of the case regarding the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for GERD with diverticulitis and service connection for a liver disorder.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for more contemporaneous examinations of the Veteran's service-connected left lower lip numbness and GERD with duodenitis and gastritis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine, left knee, and GERD conditions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings for GERD and a lumbosacral spine disability due to the Veteran's withdrawal of those appeals prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, GERD, depression, and tinnitus. The issues of service connection for these conditions are being remanded to the RO.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, GERD, and hiatal hernia were granted. However, the effective dates are not specified as they were reopened on new evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, anxiety, and migraine headaches have been granted. The claim for insomnia was denied. Service connection has also been established for a left wrist disorder.

The Veteran's high cholesterol, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), astigmatism and refractive error of the eyes, frequent urination, crescentic IgA nephropathy with congenital left atrophic kidney condition, right knee disability, left ear hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and acid reflux are all denied as service connection. The Veteran's character of discharge for his period of active service from March 2007 to April 2012 is a bar to VA benefits.,The Veteran was not diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder or multiple personality disorder during his military service.

The Veteran's left knee disability is rated at 10 percent, effective June 25, 2010. The rating for GERD remains at 10 percent throughout the period on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and failure to address evidence favorable to the Veteran. The GERD claim will be reconsidered on a secondary basis, and TDIU will require further development.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, psychiatric disorders (including anxiety disorder and PTSD), and gastroesophageal reflux disease due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete medical records. The Veteran is entitled to a new VA examination to determine if his current conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and active service.,No effective dates are granted as all claims predate May 3, 2016.

The Veteran's GERD is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected condition.,The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is being remanded due to the need for a supplemental medical opinion considering in-service exposures and ongoing symptoms.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded as there may be an issue with verifying exposure to herbicide agents during service. The AOJ should verify whether the USS Coral Sea was within the 12-nautical-mile territorial sea of Vietnam while the Veteran was aboard.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is being remanded for a supplemental medical opinion considering his asserted in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's skin disability is being remanded for a supplemental medical opinion addressing whether it is related to bare-skin exposure to jet fuel during service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and a mood disorder) is being remanded as there may be issues with verifying in-service stressors. The AOJ should attempt to corroborate the Veteran's reported stressors involving witnessing the death of a fellow serviceman aboard the USS Coral Sea during the '1967 cruise'.,The Veteran's sleep apnea, hypertension, hiatal hernia, and erectile dysfunction are being remanded as secondary to his claimed acquired psychiatric disorder. The AOJ should attempt to obtain VA treatment records from Portland VAMC for the period between 1970 and 2002.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for updated VA audiological examination records, which may provide evidence of a worsening disorder.,The Veteran's ear infection disability is being remanded as there may be issues with obtaining relevant private treatment records. The AOJ should attempt to obtain these records and complete any necessary requests.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for esophageal cancer and GERD, as well as his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are being remanded due to lack of compliance with the Board's previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection, including prostate cancer with erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, left and right knee disorders, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), lumbar spine disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not addressed in this decision.