Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

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.

The Veteran's sleep disorder is found to be due to his service-connected PTSD. The Gulf War illness claim and the secondary service connection claim for other symptoms are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. The remaining issues on appeal are referred back to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Gullian-Barre syndrome and a disability manifested by chronic cough was denied. The Board found that there is no credible evidence of residuals from Gullian-Barre syndrome, and the Veteran's chronic cough has been attributed to his sinusitis.,The Veteran's hypertension, sinusitis, and left internal carotid dissection were all rated at 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for joint pain, muscle spasm, and leg pains. Bilateral foot pains due to an undiagnosed illness are presumed incurred in active military service.

The Board has vacated the previous decision and is granting service connection for joint pain, reopening the claim based on new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and his symptoms are more likely related to non-service-connected conditions or natural aging processes.

The Veteran's joint pains, including bilateral knee and shoulder pains, are found to be due to undiagnosed illness related to his service in the Persian Gulf War. The claims for genital warts, herpes, shingles with residuals of nerve and joint pains, and broken ribs were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a connection to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the claims of service connection for neck, back, no feeling in upper left torso, bilateral hips, bilateral hands, problems due to an undiagnosed illness, breathing problems in lungs due to sarin nerve poisoning, and constant fatigue as due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for Gulf War Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or connection to service.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for joint pain due to undiagnosed illness on an extraschedular basis, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's PTSD and migraine headaches are rated appropriately, with the PTSD receiving a 70% rating for the entire appeals period. The claims to reopen for rashes due to an undiagnosed illness and hemorrhoids have been granted. Additional VA examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for acne and multiple joint and muscle pain, but denied the claims of service connection for an eye disorder and a smell disorder. The Veteran's eye disorder is attributed to known conditions, and his smell disorder is not considered due to an undiagnosed illness.