GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2020

The Veteran's GERD is rated at 30 percent, effective May 14, 2020. The rating for left lower extremity radiculopathy has been restored to 20 percent, and the rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy has also been restored to 10 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected GERD, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support this determination.

The Board determined that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disorders are not related to his service or Gulf War exposure, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and records to determine the current severity of his GERD, PTSD with Primary Insomnia, and other conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cholesterolemia, chronic gastritis, and GERD have been denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for tension headaches, right shoulder disorder, chronic left rib cage pain, chronic chest pain (including tendonitis/costochondritis), right wrist disorder (including carpal tunnel syndrome), left wrist disorder (including carpal tunnel syndrome), left knee disorder (secondary to service-connected disabilities), and left calf disorder (secondary to service-connected disabilities) have been granted. The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia has also been granted, but the Board has remanded it due to a lack of VA examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable disability rating for colon polyps was denied, and his request for SMC at the housebound rate prior to January 18, 2012 and from May 1, 2012 through February 7, 2017 was also denied.

The Veteran's GERD is not shown to have been productive of persistently recurrent epigastric distress with dysphagia, pyrosis, and regurgitation, accompanied by substernal or arm or shoulder pain, productive of considerable impairment of health. Therefore, an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for GERD is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service. The examiner needs to consider weight gain and obesity during service, as well as his complaints of snoring, fatigue, and apneic episodes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development and examination. The effective date of service connection for GERD remains January 31, 2018, as the earliest communication that may reasonably be interpreted as a valid claim was received on this date. For his depressive disorder, an increased rating beyond 50 percent is pending. His left hip disabilities remain at their current assigned ratings.

The Veteran's cause of death was service-connected, and DIC benefits were awarded. The appellant's claim for a survivor's pension is dismissed as moot because the DIC benefits are greater.

The Veteran's service connection for septal telangiectasis is granted. Service connection for a dental condition for compensation purposes is denied. Increased ratings are granted for prostatitis, GERD with diverticulitis, hemorrhoids with hematochezia, and scars status post-staphylococcus infection prior to July 27, 2016. The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, a right leg disability (claimed as right leg being longer than the left leg), occipital neuralgia, vision loss secondary to TBI residuals, and a dental condition for treatment purposes are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for migraine headaches and GERD with hiatal hernia and dyspepsia have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, as the VA medical opinions indicate he can maintain employment with some accommodations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disorder and residuals of right thumb/hand injury have been granted. A temporary total disability rating is also granted for the period from June 18, 2013 to July 18, 2013 due to left inguinal herniorrhaphy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD was reopened and granted as it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected anxiety.

The Veteran's stomach problems, including GERD, may be related to his service due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Board has ordered a VA examination and requested additional medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, gastroesophageal disorder, and heart disorder are all granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70 percent rating, effective October 11, 2019. Service connection for GERD and the lower extremity conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claims for GERD, right shoulder strain, and PTSD were all granted. The claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for acid reflux. The issue of entitlement to service connection for numbness of the bilateral lower extremities is also remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.