Hemorrhoids decisions — 2020

The Board has found that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding the Veteran's claims for allergic rhinitis, hemorrhoids, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's service connection claims are granted for allergic rhinitis and hemorrhoids. However, his claim for obstructive sleep apnea remains pending as further development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for obesity is dismissed. The claims of service connection for CAD, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are granted to the extent that new evidence has been received supporting these claims. Other issues remain pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to new evidence being associated with his case. The RO must review this new evidence and determine if updated VA examinations or additional development are necessary for any of the disabilities on appeal.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for back pain, hemorrhoids, right knee degenerative arthritis, and left knee degenerative arthritis should be remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining service treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of bilateral hearing loss, which is remanded. The remaining conditions are now considered established as service-connected.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for migraine headaches and chronic sinusitis are dismissed as the AOJ has not issued a final rating decision regarding these issues.,Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder and other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder. Service connection for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hemorrhoids is denied as the current 20% rating adequately reflects his disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, including sleep apnea, adjustment disorder with mixed emotional features, left knee arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, lumbar spine strain, cervical spine strain, hiatal hernia, left elbow dislocation, hypertension, hemorrhoids, post laceration of the right thigh with residual scar, and right shoulder surgical scar associated with right shoulder arthritis. As a result, special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period of June 23, 2008 to February 4, 2011 was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements. For the period of February 4, 2011 to August 12, 2013, TDIU was granted due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's need for aid and attendance was not due to his service-connected disabilities, which were rated at 50%. The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence that his service-connected conditions caused his regular need for aid and assistance.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating and has been unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, including his generalized anxiety disorder with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), back disability, shoulder disability, headache disability, and hemorrhoid disability.

The Board has granted the reopening of the claim for service connection for hemorrhoids and remanded the rating for anal fissure and the etiology of the Veteran's hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for headaches. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids and whether an anal fissure is related to his hemorrhoids. The matter is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's initial compensable disability rating for hemorrhoids has been denied, and his claims of service connection for GERD and an increased rating for PTSD are remanded. His claim for TDIU is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for migraine headaches and hemorrhoids, finding no current disability due to active service. The claims of service connection for bilateral foot disability, right hip disability, and right knee disability were not readjudicated as new evidence was not submitted after the final denial in July 2018.

The Board denied increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including right knee disability, left knee disability, cervical spine disability prior to June 21, 2019, lumbar spine disability from June 21, 2019 onwards, and hemorrhoids. The appeal is based on the merits of these conditions without any presumption or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has not yet decided whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen each individual claim.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus. The other claims remain pending.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 8515.,The Veteran's hemorrhoids are currently rated as noncompensable. The VA examiner noted that the Veteran’s hemorrhoids do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding increased ratings for hemorrhoids and arthritis of the right shoulder, as well as service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.