GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's GERD symptoms and their impact on his health.

The Veteran's GERD was granted a 10 percent rating prior to May 10, 2022 and a 30 percent rating beginning on that date.,A 10 percent rating for hypertension was granted prior to January 14, 2019. No higher rating is warranted after that date.,The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent rating effective from May 10, 2022.,No higher ratings are warranted for either GERD or hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including DDD of the lumbar spine, bilateral knee osteoarthritis, GERD, and bilateral lower extremities radiculopathy, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since August 4, 2011. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions addressing whether his GERD and IBS conditions are proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected asthma disability.

The Board denied SMC based on the need for aid and attendance, finding that her functional impairments were not solely caused by service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed headache, IBS, and GERD disabilities. The Board also denied service connection for his left knee, right heel, and right ankle disabilities as secondary to service-connected PTSD, scar of the right ankle, tinnitus, and/or other conditions. No rating was assigned.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for depression, memory loss, lumbar spine disability, plantar fasciitis, and GERD due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The VA must obtain any relevant medical records and conduct examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the terms of its previous remand instructions. Further remand is necessary to obtain all VA treatment records from 1999 to the present and to verify the Veteran's alleged service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including blurry vision in his right eye, a left elbow scar, IBS, GERD, bilateral knee and arm conditions, joint and muscle condition, paresthesia (claimed as neuropathy), and balance issues. The claims are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development on issues related to service connection and initial ratings for his diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The claim for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the issue of a higher rating remains denied.

The Veteran was granted an earlier effective date of January 28, 2005 for the award of Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's GERD is granted service connection as it was aggravated by aspirin used for his service-connected headaches. The claims for right ankle, bilateral hip disabilities, and acquired psychiatric disability are denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing VA examinations and insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for GERD due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation while in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding whether the Veteran's digestive disorder, including chronic diarrhea and/or loose stools, is related to his service. The examiner must address if the Veteran currently has a digestive disorder or a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness manifested by diarrhea and/or loose stools, and if so, whether it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals of service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, hypertension, gastrointestinal condition (hiatal hernia and acid reflux), arthritis of the upper extremities, and left ankle condition have been dismissed as moot due to the grant of these conditions in a prior rating decision. The appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has also been dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD and GERD due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's conditions, specifically focusing on the impact of his symptoms prior to his divorce and the inconsistency in his reported chest pain.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, acid reflux, and heart disorder (hypertensive heart disease) are granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder. The Veteran is also granted a TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and OSA, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's OSA was aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's right fourth finger fracture is currently rated noncompensably disabling, as the disability does not meet criteria for a compensable rating.,For GERD prior to November 15, 2019, the Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable rating. The Board found no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher evaluation.,Beginning November 15, 2019, the Veteran's GERD is rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board noted that while the Veteran has infrequent episodes of epigastric distress and vomiting, these do not meet criteria for a higher rating.,For migraine headaches prior to November 15, 2019, the Veteran was granted an initial noncompensable rating. The Board found no evidence of prostrating attacks warranting a higher evaluation.