Sleep apnea decisions — 2016

The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae, sleep apnea (as secondary to an acquired psychiatric disorder), bilateral hearing loss, and acquired psychiatric disorder were all granted service connection. The Veteran was assigned a noncompensable disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss and is entitled to an initial schedular rating of 30 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea and erectile dysfunction are related to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral knee and ankle disabilities are denied as there is no evidence of any clinically ascertainable knee or ankle disability at the time of his separation from service.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea is denied. The Veteran has a CPAP machine, but does not have respiratory failure with cor pulmonale requiring a tracheostomy.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated during service and is not related to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 10 percent and the RO has granted service connection for this condition. The Veteran also received a higher rating of 50 percent for his PTSD from August 26, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness or as secondary to service-connected fatigue or fibromyalgia, is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are found to be aggravated by his service-connected orthopedic disabilities. He is granted increased ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection for thoracolumbar strain was granted with a 10% rating from April 1, 2003 to August 12, 2008. From August 13, 2008 onwards, the claim for an increased evaluation was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, to include obstructive sleep apnea, is denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing a relationship between any sleep disorder and active service. The Veteran's symptoms related to sleep disturbances are separately attributed to his service-connected psychiatric disability. His right ear hearing loss has been rated based on the level of impairment in acuity. The Veteran's status post decompression fasciotomy of the anteriolateral compartments of both calves have been rated based on their respective muscle groups, with separate ratings for Muscle Groups XI and XII. The Veteran's chronic tension headaches are not manifested by very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is rated at 20 percent, and his neurological manifestations of the left and right lower extremities are each rated at 10 percent. The Board finds that these ratings adequately reflect the severity of the Veteran's disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thyroid disorder (hypothyroidism) is service-connected due to its onset within one year of discharge from active duty. However, the sleep apnea was not incurred during service and is unrelated to any in-service events.

The Board finds that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to service and does not result from his service-connected PTSD. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is considered to have been incurred during his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to be incurred in active service and granted. The claims for increased evaluations of her lumbar spine and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling appropriate examinations.

The Veteran's sinusitis is found to be proximately due to his service-connected allergic rhinitis, and he has been granted service connection for this condition on a secondary basis. The claims for OSA and ED are not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea was incurred during his active duty service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's headaches are service-connected, and the other conditions have not been linked to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions.