GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's gastroesophageal disorder and remanded the issue of earlier effective date for TDIU prior to September 6, 2019.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD on a presumptive basis due to exposure in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War era.,Service connection was denied for hair loss, hiatal hernia, sleep apnea, and IBS as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to unspecified anxiety disorder, along with initial ratings for ankle and knee impairments. The Veteran's claims are now considered under a previous docket.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for the left foot fourth metatarsal fracture, and service connection for herniated liver incarcerated surgery, left foot tendon, broken left hand, bilateral foot skin condition, stomach surgery, OSA, and GERD disabilities has been dismissed.,Service connection is granted for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than January 28, 2016, for the award of service connection for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis, right knee osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss and GERD have been dismissed.,Effective January 28, 2016, an initial rating of 30 percent for GERD has been granted.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obstructive sleep apnea, sleep hypopnea.,The Board also dismissed the claim of service connection for gastroenteritis. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current diagnosis of gastroenteritis during the pendency of the claim.

The Board has determined that there have been issues with the development of records and opinions related to the Veteran's claims for service connection. The GERD, OSA, headaches, and BXO claims are all remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to assist the Veteran with his claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing notice regarding military sexual trauma. The claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is related to his service, specifically participation in Toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA). The VA examination and medical opinion provided were deemed inadequate for rating purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for insomnia disorder is granted. The claims for GERD, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy, essential tremor, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder) are all remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD is granted as the evidence is in approximate balance regarding whether it was caused by medication taken for his service-connected bilateral early onset peripheral neuropathy.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for basal cell carcinoma is denied as there is no persuasive evidence that it manifested during service or within one year thereafter, and the available medical opinions do not support a link to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and evaluation due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, GERD, and IBS.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prior to April 15, 2011 did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for unspecified anxiety disorder and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) as secondary to the former are granted. The initial ratings of 20 percent, but no greater, for left ankle strain and right ankle strain are also granted. However, the claim for an increased rating for right knee impairment is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of GERD was granted effective August 31, 2019. An earlier effective date is also granted for the grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.

The Veteran's GERD, back disorder, and shin splints are granted as service-connected. The Board found the evidence at least in equipoise that these conditions had their onset during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and duty-to-assist errors. The claims will be reconsidered with new evidence and evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and a gastrointestinal disorder other than GERD (gastric ulcer) have been granted. The appeals for increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability are denied. The appeal regarding bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea is remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional medical opinions to determine if the Veteran's disabilities are related to his service-connected conditions or if they were caused by other factors. The claims will be returned after further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) did not have its onset during service or for many years thereafter, and is not causally related to an in-service disease or injury. The evidence does not support a finding of exposure to environmental hazards such as non-ionizing radiation, coolanol, freon, or methyl ethyl ketone that could cause GERD.