IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2003

The Board found that the cause of death, G.I. hemorrhage due to or as the consequence of peptic ulcer disease, was not caused by service or a service-connected disability and therefore denied service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including low back, left hip, ribs, and neck injuries, are not service-connected.

The Board finds that the veteran's stomach disorders were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for his stomach disorders.

The case is being remanded for further development, including pulmonary and general medical examinations to assess the veteran's service-connected conditions and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has determined that the veteran's gastrointestinal disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the submission of new evidence after a previous decision.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current psychiatric, gastrointestinal, or cardiovascular conditions to service. The acquired psychiatric disorder is not considered service-connected due to lack of medical evidence connecting it to service. Residuals from colon cancer surgery and irritable bowel syndrome are also not linked to service. Hypertension was not shown to be related to service either.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to incomplete examinations and compliance with VCAA requirements.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an upper gastrointestinal bulb disorder, chronic prostatitis, residuals of a bladder injury, flat feet, hypertension, rupture and strain of the left testicle, residuals of muscle strain and cartilage injury of the stomach, heart and chest, hiatal hernia, left leg and groin disability (to include varicose veins), and residuals of broken ribs.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected gastrointestinal disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection for rhinitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and residuals of a concussion were denied as there is no competent medical evidence of current diagnoses or links to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current back disability is related to a motor vehicle accident during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The claim of residuals of injuries of the ribs was denied as there is no evidence of such injury in service or post-service. The claim of disability of the left foot remains pending.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including a VA orthopedic examination for knee disabilities. The issues of reopening the claim for digestive system conditions and increasing the evaluation for degenerative joint disease of the knees are remanded to the RO.

The veteran's service connection for right patellar tendonitis is granted. The other issues of increased disability ratings are not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected gastrointestinal disability, currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome as a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness due to the veteran's Gulf War Service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome with psychogenic vomiting, finding that the evidence did not show more than occasional episodes of abdominal distress.

The veteran's service connection claim for seasonal allergic rhinitis was granted. The claims of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and mood swings and memory loss are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, residuals of a left wrist injury, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Service connection was denied for degenerative arthritis of the left hip, groin pull (claimed as groin disorder), arthritis (excluding left wrist and right foot), and skin rash classified as chronic, recurrent dermatitis mostly affecting the groin and lower abdomen.

The Board found that the veteran's intestinal adhesions are related to his military service, and granted his claim for service connection.