Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his gastrointestinal disorder (other than GERD) had its onset in service or is otherwise related to service, as well as whether it was caused by or aggravated by PTSD and/or medications for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a lumbosacral spine disorder as secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, finding that the preponderance of evidence does not support such a connection.

The Board has denied service connection for sleep apnea, hair loss, and Bell's palsy. The claims for right and left foot disorders, right and left shin splints, and low back disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and thyroid disorder/Grave's Disease due to a lack of a VA examination, particularly under the presumptive provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not incurred in or related to service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of inner ear condition, headaches and dizziness, sleep apnea, and residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The Board dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is remanded for further examination and opinion as the Board finds that a VA examination is warranted given the evidence presented.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current sleep apnea is related to his service, specifically a medical experiment he participated in at Brooks Air Force Base.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome with degenerative arthritis of the spine and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to outstanding VA and private treatment records that need to be obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Obstructive sleep apnea and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims. The Board has remanded the issues regarding positional obstructive sleep apnea and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Board denied service connection for fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastrointestinal disability. The Veteran's symptoms were found to be related to his PTSD and untreated sleep disorders.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for PTSD is denied, and his claim of service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to PTSD, is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 22, 2015, for additional VA compensation benefits is denied. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,Service connection claims for a low back condition, hysterectomy, migraine headaches, PTSD, and hypertension remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for neck pain, chest pain with breathing difficulty, sleep apnea, and bilateral knee disorder have been granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's service connection for tinnitus was granted effective June 26, 2013.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The case is remanded for further action on the initial rating for psychiatric disorder and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), finding that there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or functional impairment affecting his earning capacity, and that OSA is more likely caused by obesity after service rather than in-service snoring.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, granted the claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, and dismissed the claim for hypertension.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, hiatal hernia, and seizure disorder have been granted. The Veteran's fibromyalgia, chronic URIs, OSA, and diabetes mellitus are remanded for further examination.