Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2016

The Board found no evidence of a right knee disability, back disability, or joint disability (other than as due to an undiagnosed illness) during service. The Veteran's tinnitus began after service and is not linked to military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, an eye disorder claimed as the result of an undiagnosed illness, a sleep disorder claimed as the result of an undiagnosed illness, and hearing loss. The appeals are therefore remanded.

The Veteran's stomach disability, including symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and blood in stool, is being remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to his service in the Gulf War. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for undiagnosed right and left knee joint pain, as well as bilateral hip degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's symptoms of knee and hip pain have been found to be due to a qualifying chronic disability related to his service in the Southwest Asia Theater.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for upper and lower gastrointestinal disorders, including as due to an undiagnosed illness, and unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (including IBS), including as due to an undiagnosed illness, were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or any link between the Veteran's military service and his claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for migraine headaches, undiagnosed illness involving a skin rash, and tingling of the fingers. The Veteran's claims were not granted as there was no current disability found by VA examiners.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain with fibromyalgia, chronic headaches, a disorder manifested by difficulty breathing (undiagnosed illness), and acid reflux (GERD) due to new evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and undiagnosed diarrhea are service connected due to their onset during service in the Gulf War Theater of Operations.

The Board has granted service connection for exercise-induced asthma and presumptive service connection for a skin disorder characterized by undiagnosed illness, both of which are deemed to have begun during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and blurred vision as due to an undiagnosed illness were all denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of these conditions during his service or at any time thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a higher disability rating for his psychiatric disabilities has been withdrawn. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed disability manifested by fatigue, hypertension, or dermatitis/eczema (claimed as skin irritation on the legs and arms). His headaches are service connected as tension headaches.

The Board has expanded the Veteran's current claim to include entitlement to service connection as due to an undiagnosed illness based on Gulf War service. The case is REMANDED for further development, including a respiratory VA examination and a Persian Gulf War examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's pulmonary disorder is related to his service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's leukopenia, neutropenia, and dyslipidemia are laboratory findings without underlying or resulting disability. The Board finds that these conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection as they are not considered disabilities.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service connected as it was not incurred during his active duty. The Board finds that the Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome, which he contends is due to undiagnosed illness, has been granted service connection.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is presumed to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as his service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and his undiagnosed illness is rated at 20 percent. The combined rating of 80 percent does not meet the criteria for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for refractive error is dismissed as he has withdrawn his request for this matter.

The Board finds that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disabilities, including GAD and Depressive Disorder NOS, are related to his service-connected traumatic brain injury (TBI). The heart murmur noted at service separation is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. Cold sores have been diagnosed since service and are attributed to herpes simplex type 1. Service connection has been established for psoriasis, but no service connection has been granted for psoriatic arthritis.

The Veteran's service connection for GAD and Depressive Disorder NOS, as well as psoriasis, has been granted. The heart murmur noted at service separation is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. Service connection for cold sores/herpes, peripheral vestibular disorder, cervical spine disorder, bilateral knee disorder, joint pain in the hips, knees, elbows, fingers, toes, neck, and spine (claimed as due to Gulf War illness), muscle pain in the neck and upper and lower back (claimed as due to Gulf War illness), chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disorder claimed as due to Gulf War illness, and sleep disturbances claimed as due to Gulf War illness have also been granted. The 60 percent disability rating for seborrheic dermatitis has been restored.