Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2018

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for service connection for joint pain, joint swelling, lumbar strain, chronic fatigue syndrome, skin rashes, and headaches have been denied. The petition to reopen the claim of service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder has been granted.,Service connection was established for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) with a 30% disability rating effective January 30, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical arthritis and remanded the issues of sleep condition (undiagnosed illness) due to active duty service.

The claims for joint pain and respiratory condition were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted, while the claim for obstructive sleep apnea was reopened.,An increased rating in excess of 20 percent for right knee disabilities is denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and remands several issues for further action.

Service connection granted for right and left knee disabilities.,Service connection granted for right wrist disability due to Gulf War exposure.,Remanded for further examination and evaluation of right shoulder post rotator cuff injury and bilateral ankle fracture residuals.,Remanded for initial rating in excess of 10 percent for thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease, as well as separate evaluation for neurological bladder disability.,Service connection granted for right shoulder post rotator cuff injury.,Service connection granted for bilateral ankle fracture residuals.,Separate evaluation requested for neurogenic bladder disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach disorder is granted, but the claims for brucellosis and Coxiella burnetti are denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of increased ratings for right and left ulnar neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical spine, right knee, left knee, Gulf War illness, and traumatic brain injury with migraine headaches due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for left hip and left ankle disabilities have been granted. The Board has also remanded several issues including service connection for thyroid cancer, breast mass, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, sleep apnea, hypertension, digestive disorder, respiratory condition, upper back/neck disability, migraine headaches, and others.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence in the VA examination provided in June 2014, which did not adequately assess the Veteran's respiratory issue and ignored his lay statements of exposure to burn pits. The examiner is asked to provide a more comprehensive opinion on whether the Veteran’s reported respiratory or breathing issues are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, but the issue remains remanded due to additional development needed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gynecological disorder is dismissed as there are no remaining questions of law or fact involving this issue.

The Board denied service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, as well as chronic bronchitis due to an undiagnosed illness. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent evidence of current disability or a link between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, shin splints, shoulder disorders, frostbite, psychiatric conditions, traumatic brain injury, headaches, wrist, hip, ankle, knee, elbow, little finger, plantar fasciitis, joint pain, back pain, neck pain, erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, skin disorder, and eye problems.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.

The appeal for a TDIU is dismissed as the Veteran's claim has been fully granted. The increased rating claim for undiagnosed illness manifested by psychiatric symptomatology remains unresolved.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected and is not caused or aggravated by her service-connected lymphedema or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).,Since June 5, 2015, the Veteran has a left leg disability rated at 20 percent. The right leg disability remains rated at 20 percent.,The Veteran's undiagnosed illness is not rated in excess of 10 percent as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a failure to schedule VA examinations. The issues include cervical spine, right ankle, respiratory disability (undiagnosed illness), and left wrist cyst.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen her service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, claiming it as a presumptive illness and an undiagnosed illness. The evidence submitted since the last denial did not provide sufficient material evidence to substantiate these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to military noise exposure.,Service connection for an undiagnosed Gulf War illness manifested by IBS is also denied because the Veteran does not have or has never had any objective indications of such an illness.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The lung condition and heart condition have both been remanded for further development.