IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2017

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia have been granted service connection as they are considered qualifying chronic disabilities under the provisions of the Persian Gulf Veterans' Act.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus in February 2008. The current appeal is about a hiatal hernia, back disability (lumbar spine arthritis), and bowel disability (irritable bowel syndrome and rectal bleeding). These claims are currently being evaluated.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and reopened the claim for a skin disorder. The Veteran's right wrist, hearing loss, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal disorder (GERD and/or hiatal hernia), and psychological disorder other than PTSD have been found to be related to service.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected depression, effective from when the claim was filed.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection has been withdrawn. The Board finds that a higher rating for PTSD is not warranted prior to August 5, 2015, but the current 70 percent rating from that date is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of whether his employment qualifies as a protected work environment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted any new evaluations or service connections.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied as the maximum schedular rating is already assigned.

The Board has reopened the issue of entitlement to service connection for IBS and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been submitted. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a right ankle disability, residuals of low back injury, right lower extremity sciatica, sinusitis, rhinitis, IBS, and GERD. The decision also addressed reopening of his claim for service connection for asbestos exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service connected as there is no evidence of its onset within one year after service discharge and the medical opinions do not support a finding that it was caused or aggravated by service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome warrants a 30 percent rating due to frequent diarrhea.,The Veteran's eye condition does not warrant a compensable rating as his visual acuity is at worst 20/40 in both eyes, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6001.,The Veteran's undiagnosed disorder warrants a higher than 40 percent rating based on the severity of symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety. The remaining claims are dismissed due to withdrawal of appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain gainful employment beginning in October 1996, and the Board has granted an effective date of October 7, 1996 for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the TDIU claim due to incomplete information and need for additional development, including an addendum opinion considering the Veteran's current enrollment in a vocational rehabilitation program.

The Veteran's service-connected status post fractured ribs and right pubic bone disabilities have been rated at 10 percent each, with no higher ratings granted. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either condition.

The Board denied service connection for gastrointestinal disorder, including gastritis, gastroesophogeal reflux disorder (GERD), and irritable bowel syndrome.,The Board also denied service connection for low back disability. The Veteran's current lower back conditions are attributed to her service-connected knee disabilities.

The Veteran's IBS and lumbar strain with minimal scoliosis were denied extraschedular disability ratings. The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to November 11, 2015.