GERD (acid reflux) decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and causation of his disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset in service and is not otherwise causally related to any in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for lumbosacral strain with IVDS is dismissed. A 50 percent rating, but no more, is granted for migraine headaches. Service connection is granted for bilateral pes planus and denied for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB). The issue of service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied as service connection was not established.,The previously denied claims for GERD and recurrent headaches have been reopened, but service connection was not established.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to a TDIU prior to October 14, 2018 due to insufficient information regarding his income during that period. The AOJ is instructed to verify and associate the Veteran's verified yearly income for years 2004 through 2009 with the claims file.

The Veteran's tension headaches, GERD, and right foot bunion have been granted service connection.,An initial 50 percent rating for PTSD is granted from June 1, 2016 to April 1, 2021.

The Veteran's osteopenia, gastrointestinal disability, and urinary disability are all granted as secondary to her service-connected conditions. The effective dates for these grants are September 4, 1989.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions, including left rotator cuff tendinosis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), lumbar strain disability, cervical spine strain, and right foot hammer toes. The Board has identified discrepancies in the effective dates for GERD ratings and requests additional information from VA examiners who provided opinions and examination reports.

The Veteran's appeal of an increased rating for vertigo was dismissed.,Right knee impairment, left knee impairment, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and obstructive sleep apnea were all granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding the Veteran's respiratory disability and GERD, specifically addressing whether these conditions are related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and she has been employed with income exceeding the poverty threshold. Therefore, TDIU prior to October 15, 2019 is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for GERD with esophagitis and hiatal hernia due to incomplete development of records, including VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service connection claim for rhinitis, claimed as a respiratory disorder, is granted. The remaining claims are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current gastroesophageal reflex disorder had its onset during service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen his previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions. The Veteran is now entitled to a determination on these issues.

The Veteran's request to reopen the claim of service connection for GERD has been granted. The Board has also remanded issues related to bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, a neck disability, and right shoulder disability. Additionally, the issue of an earlier effective date for the grant of a 100 percent rating for PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran should receive new VA examinations to determine whether his sleep apnea, recurrent lipomas, and GERD disabilities are related to service or service-connected conditions. The claims for these disabilities will be remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to constipation, and the right wrist scars were not painful or unstable. The TDIU claim was remanded due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's employment status.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for GERD and erectile dysfunction due to inadequate examinations. The VA is required to obtain new opinions from different examiners that consider all pertinent evidence, including the June 2014 examiner's statement about depression causing GERD and erectile dysfunction.