Sleep apnea decisions — 2016

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been received to support the claim. The Veteran's current back disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylosis with disk protrusion and right leg sciatica are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds no basis to grant higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues include service connection for various respiratory and immune system conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the dates of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA in 1986, and to obtain a VA examination for psychiatric disorders. The appellant's claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and records from SSA. The Veteran will also be provided with VA medical examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions.

The Veteran's vascular disorder of the bilateral lower extremities has been granted service connection. The Veteran's ventral hernia, status post ventral herniorrhapy with residual scarring, and his obstructive sleep apnea have also been granted service connection.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with degenerative changes, lumbar spine hypertrophic osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome (right upper extremity), carpal tunnel syndrome (left upper extremity), and erectile dysfunction associated with PTSD have all been denied. The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than May 6, 2014, for the grant of service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome (right upper extremity) and left upper extremity, as well as his claim for special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ have also been denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for ulcers in the ileum (claimed as abdominal pain with Crohn's disease, irritable colon syndrome, or ulcerative colitis) and sleep apnea have all been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea, hepatitis, and lymphedema are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides. As such, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and low back disabilities are related to her service-connected bilateral pes planus, and thus granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea and whether it is related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying his claimed stressors. He is also seeking an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and records. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea and skin disability are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the April 2005 rating decision that denied the claim. The evidence considered at that time did not establish a diagnosis of sleep apnea during service or show it was incurred therein.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's reactive airway disease is rated at 30 percent effective October 25, 2013. His musculoskeletal strain of the lumbosacral spine remains rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's ACL deficiency of the left knee is rated at 10 percent from January 2, 2007 to March 13, 2007.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be related to his service-connected tonsillar hypertrophy, and the claim for direct service connection is granted.,There is no evidence of a current GERD disability or that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claim for service connection for GERD is denied.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with bilateral wrist pain since his military service, and this condition is found to be directly related to an in-service injury. The claim for direct service connection for a bilateral wrist disability is granted.

The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of a chronic disability manifested by chest pain or left rib contusion, and the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is at least in part due to his service-connected coronary artery disease, and thus grants service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for a video conference hearing at the RO in accordance with the Veteran's request.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.