Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a potential error in service connection. The Veteran's OSA is being reviewed for possible connections to his service, specifically exposure to burn pits, as well as aggravation by his service-connected spinal stenosis and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to in-service acoustic trauma and the current disability manifested within one year of separation. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as aggravated by the service-connected depressive disorder is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder, and thus grants service connection for OSA as secondary to PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient competent medical evidence and a need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted with an effective date of January 16, 2018.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to service-connected disabilities, including considering whether obesity caused by service-connected disabilities may have contributed to OSA development.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for vertigo. The claims for service connection for right elbow/arm condition and sleep apnea were denied, as was the TDIU rating.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because his Notice of Disagreement (NOD) did not identify a valid rating decision under the Appeals Modernization Act.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with DDD is granted a disability rating of 40 percent, effective July 8, 2016.,Service connection for left and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy is denied prior to September 28, 2017.,Service connection for depressive disorder is granted from May 10, 2016.

The Veteran's claim for a right thumb disability was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.,Service connection for OSA was granted based on the opinion linking it to service, despite an initial denial in 2019.,Left ear hearing loss was not found due to lack of current disability meeting VA criteria.,Right ear hearing loss was granted as noise exposure is conceded and there are STRs documenting threshold shifts.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obstructive sleep apnea are being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error in the prior decision. The Board requires an examination to determine if his bilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome caused or aggravated his weight gain, which is believed to have contributed to his development of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability necessitates his need for regular aid and assistance of another individual to assist in bathing, preparing meals, tending to hygiene needs, and managing medication. The Board has granted special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea had its onset during service and grants direct service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or aggravated his obesity, and if so, whether this would have resulted in sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for a new VA sleep apnea examination and medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's OSA was caused by his service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War, from August 2, 1990 to July 31, 1991.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's OSA and service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his OSA, which was diagnosed during active duty but not treated or noted in service records.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's self-reported symptoms and his wife's observations are sufficient to raise a reasonable doubt in favor of the claim. The exposure to burn pits during military service is conceded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left ankle injury residuals with degenerative arthritis, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's current back disability is related to service and the Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain.

The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Diabetes Mellitus type II, with Hypertension, Erectile Dysfunction and Bilateral Eye Diabetic Retinopathy. The decision is based on two private opinions that support a causal relationship between the service-connected conditions and the development of OSA.