GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and review of his treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals, status post sigmoid colectomy and colocolostomy, to include incisional hernia surgeries, are rated at a maximum 100 percent rating. The Veteran's service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with hiatal hernia is rated at a 60 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, headaches, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety), a gastrointestinal disability (including gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)), and insomnia due to outstanding records from service treatment and personnel records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the Veteran's GERD and its relationship to service. The Veteran is presumed to have been in sound condition upon entry into military service, but his GERD may be related to a pre-existing condition or tropical sprue syndrome during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to insufficient evidence or procedural errors. The conditions of interest include dental issues, hallux valgus of the feet, pseudofolliculitis barbae, right ankle condition, varicocele condition, low back condition, left knee condition, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headache condition, acquired psychiatric disorder, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the cases of peripheral vascular disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and diabetes mellitus for further development.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of a lumbar spine disorder, GERD, and granted an effective date of May 6, 2013 for a 60% rating for Hepatitis C. The claims were otherwise denied.

The Board denied service connection for chemical sensitivity disorder and hot flashes, both claimed as due to exposure to various chemicals in service.,Service connection was also denied for gastroesophageal reflux disease with acid reflux (claimed as secondary to service-connected asthma).

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for a right knee disability was denied as there is no current diagnosis of such.,Service connection for hypertension was denied due to lack of evidence showing it began during or within one year after service.,Service connection for GERD was denied because there is no evidence linking it to service, and the preponderance of the evidence indicates it did not arise until years after service.,Service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity radiculopathy was denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence supporting such a condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including GERD, is dismissed because the RO granted service connection for gastric erosions secondary to his service-connected bilateral patellofemoral syndrome and assigned a 60% rating effective February 26, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected PTSD, as well as claims for various other disabilities. The Board has determined that further development is necessary due to the need for updated medical examinations and opinions regarding the severity of PTSD and the etiology of asthma.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as secondary to his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease and/or doudenal ulcer, is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the claims for left shoulder/arm pain, liver mass, right ear hearing loss disability, back disability, shin splints, right knee disability, sleep apnea, GERD, and PTSD. However, service connection is not granted for any of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for GERD and major depression, recurrent, with anxiety features as the evidence did not establish a nexus to service.

The Veteran's hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and opiate-induced mood disorder are all rated based on their current severity.,The Veteran’s patellofemoral syndrome with degenerative changes of the left knee, right knee, and cervical spine require further examination to determine appropriate ratings.

The Veteran's right hallux valgus, right knee instability, left knee dislocated semilunar cartilage, and GERD conditions have been granted service connection. The Veteran is also awarded a 30 percent rating for his GERD.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are granted service connection. However, GERD is not related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances related to prednisone, voice amplifier, and service-connected duodenal ulcer with GERD were denied. The claim for a left ankle stabilizer was granted.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for GERD, finding that a VA examination is needed to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused by or permanently worsened by medications prescribed for his service-connected psychiatric, low back, hypertension, knee, hyperhidrosis, or heart disorders.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for left knee disability and hiatal hernia and GERD, but denied both claims as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.