Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as his conditions are not related to his military service or due to exposure to Gulf War Syndrome. His current disabilities, such as obesity and hypertension, do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's undiagnosed illness involving neurological signs and symptoms of the bilateral lower extremities is presumed to be related to service. His skin condition is not considered a presumptive illness.

The Veteran's IBS is granted as a presumptive disability due to his service in the Southwest Asia Theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. His GERD, acid reflux or hiatal hernia claim is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for an undiagnosed illness (involving joints) and granted it. The low back disorder is also considered, but no rating assigned as there was no final denial of this issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none met the criteria for disability or were related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining her service records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current skin disorder. The AOJ will also continue efforts to locate her service records until it is reasonably certain that such records do not exist or that further efforts would be futile.

The Board found that the Veteran's osteoarthritis of the hips, shoulders, and knees did not have a nexus to his active service. The evidence does not establish a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic arthritis of the knees, undiagnosed illness characterized by fatigue, sleep disturbance and memory loss, hiatal hernia with esophageal reflux, and muscle contraction headaches are all rated at their respective disability levels. The increased ratings for the knee conditions and the hiatal hernia have been granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for development of additional evidence, including obtaining records of treatment at a local emergency department and Boise VAMC. The Veteran is to have a new VA examination to determine current manifestations of his digestive system disorder.

The Veteran's Bell's palsy is found to have arisen within one year of his release from active duty, and thus service connection for residuals of Bell's palsy is granted. The claim for an undiagnosed illness as a result of Southwest Asia Theater of Operations service remains pending.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed disability of the urinary tract that is due to an undiagnosed illness or other medically unexplained chronic multi symptom illness.,The Veteran does not have objectively exhibited signs or symptoms of unspecified joint pain as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multi symptom illness.,The Veteran's GERD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.,The Veteran does not have objectively exhibited signs or symptoms of numbness and tingling of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, or right upper extremity as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness, a medically unexplained chronic multi symptom illness, or that are otherwise attributable to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds no evidence of total occupational and social impairment. The claims for headaches, fatigue, and joint pain have been reopened due to new and material evidence.

The Veteran's undiagnosed illness was granted effective May 15, 1998 and increased to 60% in September 2007. The Board found that the Veteran became unemployable due to his service-connected undiagnosed illness on May 25, 2004.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed seizure disability or undiagnosed illness.

The Board denied service connection for a skin condition, as the Veteran's current skin condition is not related to his active military service.,The Board also denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition, finding that the Veteran does not have an undiagnosed illness and that his current conditions are not related to his service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a fatigue condition, including chronic fatigue syndrome or as due to an undiagnosed illness, which may be related to service on any basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for numbness of the hands, psoriasis, a lower extremity disability, an undiagnosed respiratory disorder, and diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's memory loss is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness, but diabetes mellitus, bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, thoracolumbar spine arthritis, hypertension, bilateral leg disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are not attributable to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's memory loss is presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness. Diabetes mellitus, bilateral foot and ankle disabilities, thoracolumbar spine arthritis, hypertension, bilateral leg disability, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction are not attributable to service or a service-connected condition.