Hemorrhoids decisions — 2014

The Board found no credible evidence that the Veteran's allergies worsened during service, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and issuing a Statement of the Case (SOC) for the initial compensable evaluation claim.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal disorders, including Crohn's disease and IBS. The issue of entitlement to service connection for gastrointestinal disorder other than IBS and Crohn's disease is remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a stomach disorder, including psychophysiological GI reaction and granted a TDIU. The claims for increased ratings for major depressive disorder with anxiety disorder, NOS, and hemorrhoids and anal fissure are remanded due to the Veteran's timely notice of disagreement.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids were found to be related to his service, and he is now entitled to a noncompensable rating for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and to obtain medical records. The claims include initial rating claims for various skin conditions, hair loss, hemorrhoids, and toe deformities, as well as a claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's left ankle strain is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board has found that the disability picture nearly resembles marked limitation of motion, warranting a higher rating.,Service connection for right ankle disorder, hemorrhoids, low back disorder, cervical spine disorder, sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, and migraines are remanded to the AOJ.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of right carpal tunnel syndrome and left carpal tunnel syndrome were granted. The claim for an initial evaluation higher than 20 percent for right ankle sprain was denied, as well as the claim for a higher rating for hemorrhoids. Service connection for skin cancer on the right ear was established.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids and granted it, finding that new evidence submitted since the last denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the underlying claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cervical spine and hand conditions, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids was denied as his condition is no more than moderate in nature.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hemorrhoids, a heart disorder including a murmur, and a bilateral foot disorder have been granted.

The Veteran's initial ratings for hemorrhoids prior to May 24, 2007 were denied as the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. For the period since May 24, 2007, her claim for an increased rating was also denied due to lack of evidence showing persistent bleeding or fissures.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the inextricability of the pending increased rating and service connection claims. The RO/AMC will adjudicate these claims before considering the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when considered alone and in combination with his non-service connected conditions, do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's initial rating of 10% for vertigo has been increased to 30%. The rating is based on the current level of disability, which includes occasional dizziness and ataxic gait (staggering).

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of medical nexus opinion regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer contributed to his death by causing or aggravating a psychiatric disorder, which in turn caused his suicide.

The Veteran's IBS is characterized by alternating diarrhea and constipation with more or less constant abdominal pain, warranting a 30 percent rating.,While the Veteran has reported occasional rectal bleeding due to hemorrhoids, there is no evidence of persistent bleeding or secondary anemia. Therefore, his service-connected hemorrhoids do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.