GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an incomplete review of the Veteran's medical records and a need for a new opinion regarding his hiatal hernia.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction due to their association with the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claims of entitlement to service connection for other conditions are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's GERD is related to service or his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine if his GERD was caused by military service, and if it is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for Vitamin D deficiency is denied because it is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes.,Periodontal disease (gingivitis) is not considered a compensable disability, and the Veteran's claim must be denied.,The Veteran's vertigo is rated as 10 percent disabling based on occasional dizziness. A higher rating of 30 percent is not warranted due to lack of evidence of staggering.,Tinnitus in the left ear is currently assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum available under Diagnostic Code 6260.,The Veteran's exercise-induced asthma does not meet the criteria for a compensable initial rating based on his PFT results and medication use.,Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is rated as noncompensable due to lack of specific diagnostic codes, with GERD being rated by analogy under Diagnostic Code 7399-7346.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions has been granted. The specific conditions include low back strain, hearing loss, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), and residuals of exposure to tuberculosis disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examinations. The issues include left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, PTSD, sleep apnea, and hiatal hernia with GERD and esophagitis.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for depression has been reopened and is granted. The issues of service connection for neck condition, heart condition, GERD, and acquired psychiatric disorder are also addressed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the service connection claims, as there are limited VA treatment records from the relevant time period. The Veteran's disabilities have been treated at the Leavenworth VA Medical Center since 2001.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his hiatal hernia, GERD, and sinus conditions.

The Veteran's urethral disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected scar on the tip of his penis. The gastrointestinal disorder claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has denied all service connection claims and increased rating claims for various conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a sliding hiatal hernia with associated gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with noncardiac chest pain.

The Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Claims for increased ratings for lumbar spine disorder, left knee condition, right ankle disability, GERD, migraine headaches, and acquired psychiatric disorder were also denied.

The Veteran's GERD has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher disability evaluation, and his TDIU claim was denied as he remained employed on full-time basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was denied in December 2002 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer was denied in December 2006 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence relates to an unestablished fact (a link between a current disability and an in-service injury) necessary to support the claim, so it is new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right foot bone chip fracture was denied in March 2003 and reopened in September 2015. The evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to support the claim, so it is not new and material.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral eye disability was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease was denied in this decision. The evidence does not show that the current disability is proximately due or aggravated by a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicides and unit records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for various conditions, including joint pain, bilateral hearing loss, right foot disability, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, GERD, plantar fasciitis of the left heel, headache, and acquired psychiatric disability. The effective date is not specified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims related to his service-connected conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, gastrointestinal disorders, urological disorders, prostate disorders, anterior cruciate ligament nerve disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The issues include determining whether these conditions are service connected and assigning appropriate disability ratings.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, irritable bowel syndrome, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease/Barrett’s Syndrome, and back condition are granted as service-connected due to in-service combat noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for various service-connected disabilities, including lumbar osteoarthritis and degenerative disc disease, myocardial infarction, hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and GERD. The Veteran is also being asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain his treatment records from private facilities and a VA examination.

The Veteran's GERD was rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that this rating is appropriate based on his symptoms of epigastric distress with pyrosis, reflux, regurgitation, sleep disturbance caused by esophageal reflux. The Veteran did not have significant weight loss or anemia.