Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and GERD are not related to service, while his right knee strain and left knee MCL strain were resolved in-service. The Board also found no evidence of an undiagnosed illness under Persian Gulf War criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of COPD, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition. The claim for OSA is remanded as there was inadequate rationale provided in the VA examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, which he asserts had its onset during his most recent period of active duty. The Board finds that a remand is necessary to obtain another medical opinion regarding the etiology of the condition.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a sleep disorder, to include obstructive sleep apnea. The Board has determined that another remand is required due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of his current sleep disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his neck disorder and lumbosacral strain. The claims will be reconsidered in light of Correia v. McDonald (2016).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete opinions and need for clarification on theories of service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his active service, including whether any are related to exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, and the Board finds that it meets the criteria for service connection.,There is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's allergic rhinitis to his military service. However, the examiner opined that the condition may be related to exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination, including SSA records and VA treatment records. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, and TDIU are all part of this appeal.

The Veteran is granted a 40 percent rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative joint disease, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy are each rated at 20 percent, but no more, effective since August 25, 2017. Bilateral hearing loss is not compensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development to obtain medical opinions and to ensure that all relevant evidence is considered in determining service connection for sleep apnea and a disability rating for pilonidal cyst.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including foot disability, rheumatoid arthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, respiratory disorder, and diabetes mellitus (Type II), have been denied as the evidence does not establish a link between these conditions and her military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right hip bursitis is service-connected, as it had onset during a period of active duty. The claim for sleep apnea secondary to hypertension and/or left ventricular hypertrophy remains pending.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is etiologically linked to his service-connected cervical stenosis, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his military service, including his time in Desert Storm.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted service connection as it began during active duty. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any other compensable basis.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of injury to the nose with deviated septum is found to aggravate his current sleep apnea, which was previously denied. The Board finds that the Veteran has a disability manifested by loss of peripheral vision and grants service connection for this condition as secondary to his service-connected residuals of injury to the nose with deviated septum. Service connection is also granted for cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's eczema. The issues on appeal are related to service connection for sleep apnea and rating in excess of 30 percent for eczema.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate examination and instructions regarding the theory of aggravation.