Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred in service or aggravated by his service-connected septorhinoplasty.

The Board has granted service connection for left wrist strain, lumbosacral strain, left knee strain, sinusitis, tension headaches and migraine headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome. The Veteran's current diagnoses are consistent with his reported symptoms in service.

The Veteran's clothing allowances for 2015 are granted due to her use of a back brace and skin medication for her service-connected lumbosacral strain and dermatitis, which collectively wear or tear distinct types of article of clothing.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea, a cervical spine disability, and thyroid cancer. The decision also restored the 50% rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's service connection for a sleep disability, including sleep apnea and insomnia, is denied. The Veteran's rating for residuals of a shrapnel wound of the left wrist with retained shrapnel remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding secondary service connection for ankle disorders and sleep apnea. The Veteran's left and right ankle disorders are being reviewed again, as is his claim for sleep apnea.

Service connection is granted for pseudofolliculitis barbae, but the issue of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for back pain as due to an undiagnosed illness, but denied the remaining issues of service connection for vision disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, latent tuberculosis, and sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence to decide if the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to service. The Veteran needs a VA examination and an opinion regarding his exposure to burn pits during service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, obesity, impotency, and depression due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and service connection is denied. The Board has found that a rating in excess of 10 percent for gout, left great toe and degenerative joint disease with gouty changes prior to March 24, 2016, and from March 24, 2016, but no higher, is warranted. Service connection for lumbar spine condition and sleep apnea are remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea was reopened due to new medical evidence, and service connection is granted. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected residual scars, bilateral lower quadrants, associated with laparoscopic hernia repairs is dismissed.,A 70 percent disability rating for major depressive disorder has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions render him in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability is denied. The Board found no evidence linking the current condition to active service and concluded that his symptoms are not related to any incident during service. For the left shoulder, a 30% rating effective March 8, 2013, was granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings and a need for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disease or injury. The decision also denied secondary service connection for obesity-related sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of right lobectomy for lung cancer, secondary to asbestos exposure, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, secondary to GERD, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergies, due to asbestos exposure, is remand.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has found that additional evidence is needed to determine if his sleep apnea and left shoulder disability are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various disabilities, including tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, numbness in the right hand, bilateral knee disability, left hip disability, spinal meningitis, and sleep apnea. The effective dates for these issues are not addressed as they are being remanded.