Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder is denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed condition.,Direct service connection for alcohol dependence is denied due to the Veteran's own willful misconduct.,Service connection for skin disorder (undiagnosed illness) is denied as there is no objective evidence of signs or symptoms.,Service connection for left lower extremity numbness and right lower extremity numbness (undiagnosed illness) are denied as there is no objective evidence of signs or symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to various symptoms and disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, and an undiagnosed Gulf War illness due to lack of a current diagnosis in the record.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and an undiagnosed illness have been denied.,His bilateral hearing loss has also been denied, with the noncompensable rating remaining unchanged throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic venous stasis vascular disease in both legs, and ankle sores due to undiagnosed illness, have resulted in an inability to dress or undress himself, keep himself clean and presentable, feed himself without assistance, attend to the wants of nature on a regular basis, and protect himself from daily hazards. The Veteran needs aid and attendance for these reasons.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic allergic rhinitis, an undiagnosed illness manifested by gastrointestinal symptoms, rotator cuff strain and arthritis of the acromioclavicular joint of the left shoulder, and hypertension have all been granted. The initial rating for hypertension is set at 10 percent.

The Veteran's left eye disability is not service connected as it was not caused or aggravated by military service or a service-connected condition.,Service connection for diarrhea of unknown etiology has been granted due to the Veteran being a Persian Gulf Veteran and meeting criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by no more than Level I hearing impairment in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating.,Entitlement to service connection for residuals of cervical spine fusion at C4-5 and lumbosacral spine fusion at L4-5, as well as neuropathy of the right leg associated with these conditions, is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, undiagnosed illness resulting in numbness of arms, fatigue, headaches, sleeping difficulties, joint and muscle pain, low back disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for hyperlipidemia, Gulf War Syndrome with unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (including manifestations of headaches, muscle aches, joint aches, and fatigue), and renal calculus are being remanded due to incomplete development. The Veteran will need to provide additional medical evidence or undergo further examinations.

The Board has granted the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for degenerative changes, left knee with Baker’s cyst; chronic left ankle disability; seborrheic dermatitis (claimed as a skin condition due to undiagnosed illness); and hypothyroidism. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for recurrent fatigue and GERD were denied. The Veteran was granted an initial disability rating of 50 percent for PTSD with major depressive disorder prior to September 19, 2012, a 100 percent rating from June 1, 2016 onward, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claims for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, erectile dysfunction, skin condition as due to undiagnosed illness, obstructive sleep apnea, left foot hallux valgus, right foot hallux valgus, low back condition, hypertension, and right shoulder condition.,However, some of these issues have been remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder condition and a disability manifested by tightness in the chest, finding no evidence of an etiological relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep disturbances, which may be due to an undiagnosed illness, are service connected. The decision is based on the evidence being at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's condition manifested during or within one year of separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for stress incontinence, Gulf War syndrome, and varicose veins. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, GERD, heart disability, elbow disabilities, sinusitis, nasal allergies, hemorrhoids, and gum disease are all granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, except for reopening a claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a wart on the right arm, leptospirosis, obstructive sleep apnea, and acute renal failure have all been denied as they are not considered to be related to Gulf War illness or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea had onset during active duty service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for a sinus disorder secondary to Gulf War exposure remains unresolved.