GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for GERD. The case will be returned to the Board after completion of the requested actions.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD and IBS, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's symptoms of GERD and IBS have been present since his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for several issues, including initial compensable rating for atopic dermatitis and service connection for PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder and moderate alcohol use disorder, sleep disturbances, chronic headaches, keratitis/corneal ulcer, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, enlarged cervical right side submandibular lymph node, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and muscle and joint pain (unspecified).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for jaw pain, gout, headaches, GERD, and tinnitus due to lack of sufficient evidence establishing a nexus between these conditions and military service. The Veteran is competent to report observable symptoms during service and post-service.

The Board has remanded three issues: service connection for GERD as secondary to PTSD, service connection for a nasal injury, and service connection for sinusitis. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for hypertension, acid reflux disease, and COPD as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's GERD is currently rated as 10 percent, but the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to less severe symptoms.

The Board has denied service connection for anxiety and mood swings, PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, heart disorder, erectile dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sinusitis and rhinitis, right eye cataracts, left eye cataracts, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The Board found no in-service psychological injury or event leading to the current disabilities.

The Veteran's hiatal hernia is granted an initial rating of 10 percent.,Service connection for bilateral flat feet is denied.

The Veteran's gastroesophageal reflux disease is granted as secondary to his service-connected left hip arthritis and bursitis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability and gastrointestinal disorder, including GERD and chronic constipation. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's colitis and diverticulitis, GERD with a hiatal hernia and reflux esophagitis, chronic sinusitis, and left epididymitis with scrotal and testicle pain are all granted service connection. An initial 60 percent rating is assigned for pseudofolliculitis since July 26, 2012.

The Veteran withdrew his claim for service connection for GERD, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including costochondritis, hiatal hernia with GERD and gallbladder polyp, tibia impairment of the right knee, left ulnar neuropathy, thoracic outlet syndrome, left neuralgia of the median nerve, left neuralgia of the upper radicular nerve, gastric ulcer, and chronic cholecystitis. The remand includes obtaining VA treatment records, scheduling examinations to assess current severity, and conducting TERA examinations as required by the PACT Act.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of GERD and Barrett's disease, as well as determining whether esophageal cancer was proximately due or aggravated by these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach condition is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the previous medical opinion. The Board requires an updated opinion from a clinician that identifies all diagnosed stomach conditions present since March 2017 and provides an opinion on whether these conditions are related to his time in active duty.

The Board has remanded the claim for a higher rating for PTSD due to additional development, including obtaining medical opinions on whether gastrointestinal and liver conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, Parkinson's Disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, and diabetes mellitus due to incomplete VA treatment records and insufficient opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board dismissed all issues of appeal due to the appellant's death.

The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer as secondary to service-connected prostatitis, but denied claims for Parkinson's disease and diabetes mellitus type II based on herbicide agent exposure and/or radiation exposure. The claim for hernia and its residuals was remanded.