GERD (acid reflux) Board decisions

The Veteran's digestive disability, characterized by abdominal pain and distension, constipation, diarrhea, fecal leakage, mucus and blood in stools, incomplete evacuation, indigestion, nausea, gas, and bloating, is currently rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 7319 for irritable colon syndrome. The Veteran argues that this rating does not adequately compensate for her overall disability picture.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical records and need for additional examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from maintaining full-time employment during the entire appeal period.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for GERD. The VA examiner found it less likely as not that the GERD was incurred in or caused by the digestive condition and bitter tasting vomit during service. However, due to the insufficient evidence documented during military service, there are no evidence of a persistent digestive condition related to GERD.

The Veteran is seeking to establish service connection for GERD, which he claims was caused by his service-connected PTSD. The Board has ordered additional development as the opinion on direct service connection is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GERD and hiatal hernia are not related to his service, including as due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding his lumbar spine and gastrointestinal disorders.

The Veteran's duodenitis and duodenal ulcer with GERD have been rated as 40 percent disabling since October 2000. The Board finds that the current rating appropriately reflects the Veteran's disability level.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his claimed disabilities are related to his active service and whether the onychomycosis, left big toe, is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals regarding the increased disability ratings for pain disorder and GERD.

The Veteran's skin disorder, GERD/hiatal hernia, IBS/diverticulitis, sleep apnea, and hypertension are not shown to be related to service or due to herbicide agent exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current GERD disability is not related to his in-service dental injury and fractured jawbone, thus denying service connection for GERD.

The Veteran's GERD is not service-connected as there is no evidence of its onset during or immediately after his military service, and the medical opinion found it unrelated to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because the Veteran did not report or seek treatment for hearing loss until many years post-service. The VA examiner opined that the current hearing loss is less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disability, lumbar disability other than service-connected lumbar strain, bilateral hip disability, residuals of dysentery including GERD and IBS, chronic skin infections, and chronic vaginal infections have been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's IBS and GERD are not caused or aggravated by her service-connected chronic rhinosinusitis, thus denying these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for CAD, service connection for obstructive lung disease and GERD. The claim for service connection for CAD was granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicidal agents (PACT Act).

The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of an atrial septal defect, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted as the Board finds that his enlarged heart and its complications are a superimposed injury on his congenital atrial septal defect.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to January 24, 2013 or in excess of 60 percent from that date.

The Veteran's GERD with esophagitis and hiatal hernia was not manifested by material weight loss, hematemesis or melena with moderate anemia, which would warrant a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic code. The current disability level does not meet the criteria for a 60 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship with his military service.