Sleep apnea decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, migraine headaches, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service in Iraq.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left shoulder injury secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease has been withdrawn.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease and joint disease of his lumbosacral spine, as well as a compensable disability rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain. The Board found that these conditions did not have onset during active service or were caused by his service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate has been denied as he does not meet the criteria for this benefit.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of brain tumor, sleep apnea, and a right hip disability were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have these conditions during service or within many years thereafter, and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board has ordered a remand for an additional examination and opinion to determine if the Veteran's current sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by his service-connected GERD.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate examination reports and other issues.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a supplemental opinion from a VA medical examiner regarding the Veteran's claimed sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pleurisy and right ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found no current disability of pleurisy, but determined that the Veteran had a current disability of right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, characterized by degenerative disc disease and radiculopathy, is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The appellant seeks nonservice-connected pension benefits due to unemployability caused by various medical conditions. The case is remanded for further examination and rating of his disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his VA treatment records and readjudication.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and sleep apnea, finding no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service. The Veteran's current symptoms were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to active service. The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine was granted a 10 percent evaluation prior to June 24, 2009 and denied any higher rating since that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not due to any event or injury during service, and it was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and the claim of residuals of circumcision. The Veteran's current low back disability is not considered to have had its onset during service, nor was it found to be related to an injury or disease in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development of his claim, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a neurological examination.