Sleep apnea decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected hiatal hernia with esophageal reflux and gastric ulcers, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and clarification of the Veteran's conditions, specifically regarding his sleep apnea and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, a respiratory disorder to include as due to herbicide agent exposure in service, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded. His claims for service connection of lumbosacral strain, left knee pain, right knee pain, and degenerative arthritis of the spine are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether his service-connected hypertension aggravated it.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for a back condition, tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations and extraschedular considerations for various service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for herpes simplex virus and tinea pedis is denied. The Board has also remanded the cases of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), and rating for tinea pedis from September 25, 2015 onwards.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for hypertension and sleep apnea, with full understanding of the consequences.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection as it began during her active duty service and there is credible evidence supporting this.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally or etiologically related to service. The Board also found that the current sleep apnea is not caused by or worsened in severity by the service-connected deviated nasal septum and right nasal obstruction.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of chronic fatigue syndrome is granted. Service connection for this condition is also granted. The claims for low back condition, peripheral neuropathy (left lower extremity), and sleep disturbances are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic headache disability, chronic upper respiratory infections, and sleep apnea (claimed as inability to breathe), finding that there is no current diagnosis of these conditions and that they are not related to service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left foot disability, ovarian cyst, sinusitis, arthritis, abdominal pain, chest pain, low back disability with radiculopathy of the lower extremities, sleep apnea, neuroma of the left foot, fibromyalgia, diabetes mellitus, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and anemia. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's OSA and depressive disorder, as well as to clarify the nature and severity of his service-connected OSTSRD. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disorder and sleep disorder (including sleep apnea and insomnia) due to lack of cooperation during previous VA examinations. The case is now being sent back for further examination.

The Veteran's headaches and sleep apnea are found to be related to his active service.,The Veteran's fatigue is a symptom of his PTSD and sleep apnea, not a separate disability for compensation purposes.

The Veteran's claim for chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia disorder, and sleep apnea is denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for insomnia disorder is denied because the evidence does not establish a link between the condition and service. The Veteran’s insomnia is found to be related to his Gulf War exposure but not directly caused by it.