IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2000

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for migraine headaches and denied an increased rating for irritable bowel colitis.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for a nervous stomach, now claimed as IBS. The Board also found that there is sufficient medical evidence to support a finding that the veteran's current IBS is related to his period of military service.

The veteran's service connection claim for right rib injuries due to a closed tube thoracostomy during active duty is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any incident therein.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar strain, irritable bowel syndrome, and dysplastic nevus syndrome. The veteran's lumbar strain is rated at 10 percent, his irritable bowel syndrome at 30 percent, and his dysplastic nevus syndrome remains at 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, low back disability, and squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to the left neck and multiple nodular goiter as secondary to service-connected bilateral suppurative otitis media. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome (manifest by lactose intolerance), and pes planus with plantar fasciitis are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a current disability in any of these conditions.

The Board found no well-grounded claims for service connection due to lack of medical evidence linking current disabilities to the veteran's inservice injuries.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected residuals of separation of the right ninth and tenth ribs from cartilage is not well grounded because there was no clinical or radiological evidence of traumatic arthritis. The disability does not include traumatic arthritis.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bronchial asthma, intervertebral disc syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under either the old or new rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected residuals of fractures of the right 3rd and 4th ribs, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.