Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2001

The veteran's tinnitus and actinic keratoses of the scalp are found to be related to his service. The claims for aching muscles, sleeplessness, and memory loss due to undiagnosed illnesses are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for presbyopia, residuals of corneal abrasions and an undiagnosed illness involving the eyes are denied. His claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for headaches as due to undiagnosed illness is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath are not due to an undiagnosed illness resulting from service in the Gulf War.

The Board has granted service connection for certain conditions due to an undiagnosed illness, including cervical strain, migraine headaches, periodontal disease (bleeding gums), respiratory condition, memory loss, problems with bowel movements, and psychiatric disorder. Service connection is denied for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder strain and chronic fatigue syndrome, finding no evidence of current disability or etiological link to service. The veteran's claims for these conditions were not granted based on secondary service connection due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by fatigue, but denied his claims for increased ratings for chronic sinusitis with headaches and hypertension.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not warrant an evaluation in excess of the currently assigned ratings.

The Board finds that the veteran's undiagnosed illness manifested by diarrhea, dizziness and disequilibrium, headaches, and muscle and joint pain had its onset in service during his Gulf War deployment. Service connection is granted for these symptoms.

The veteran's claimed conditions were not shown to be related to service, including his Persian Gulf War service. The RO denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including skin rashes, allergic rhinitis, heat/cold intolerance, photophobia, and high blood pressure. The veteran's claims were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran does not have a hearing loss disability in either ear, and his claims for service connection for headaches, arthritis of the fingers, wrists, elbows, and shoulders, right elbow condition, left elbow condition, right shoulder condition, and left shoulder condition are denied.

The veteran's headaches, fatigue, blood disorder (including leukocytosis), memory loss, insomnia, and loss of appetite are all found to be due to service-connected PTSD. The urinary disorder is not considered a chronic disability resulting from an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of chronic disability manifested by generalized joint pain, fatigue, cardiac impairment, memory loss and/or decreased concentration, respiratory impairment, gastrointestinal reflux disease, or colon polyps. These conditions are not service-connected as they do not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection based on exposure to Gulf War operations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's muscle twitching disability, which is not service-connected due to a specific exposure basis or presumption, does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not related to service and denied her claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a back disorder secondary to the veteran's service-connected left ankle disorder, but is unable to determine if this issue was part of an appeal regarding service connection or another issue. The initial evaluation remains at 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, finding that the appellant's pre-existing condition worsened during active duty in the Persian Gulf. The other issues remain pending and will be addressed in the remand section.

The Board has granted service connection for an organic anxiety disorder and for an undiagnosed illness manifesting as fatigue and forgetfulness. Service connection for headaches was not established.

The Board has remanded the case due to new legal requirements and additional development needed, including obtaining medical records and verifying a stressful event during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation. The issue of service connection for fatigue, breathing difficulty and numbness as due to an undiagnosed illness is pending.