Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, sleep apnea, and lumbar spine disorder due to inadequate opinions from the July 2023 VA examiner. Additional TERA exposure assessments are needed.

The Board has determined that there is not sufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection for OSA, as the Veteran's in-service sleep problems do not raise reasonable doubt that OSA was present during service. The Board also found no link between OSA and his service-connected Insomnia.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis is denied as there is no current disability. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hydrocele is also denied due to lack of evidence of atrophy or removal of both testes.,Multiple issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are remanded, including lumbosacral strain, allergic rhinitis, groin strain, convergence insufficiency, restless leg syndrome, eczematosis, serborrheic dermatitis, TBI with associated migraine headaches and PTSD, right knee strain, and GERD. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and IVDS is denied.,The Veteran's claims for higher evaluations for right lower extremity radiculopathy involving sciatic nerve and left lower extremity radiculopathy involving sciatic nerve are granted, but only effective from May 11, 2017.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a sleep disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, and left foot disorder remain pending and are remanded.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's neck condition is granted based on a motor vehicle accident during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, lower back condition with left leg condition, and respiratory condition (including obstructive sleep apnea and allergic rhinitis) due to a lack of adequate medical examination or opinion. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records, schedule the Veteran for an appropriate VA examination, and adjudicate her claim for allergic rhinitis on a direct basis and under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder are related to in-service stressors.,The Veteran's alcohol use disorder is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder. His pancreatitis is also secondary to his alcohol use disorder.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD, service connection for sleep apnea, and service connection for a right knee disorder are remanded due to the need for additional development including VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that his condition did not begin during service and is otherwise not etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, and the case is remanded to determine if it is related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in the previous decisions and a need for further examination. The Veteran's sleep apnea is being reviewed again, with consideration of his service history, asbestos exposure, other service-connected disabilities, and obesity.

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's lumbosacral strain as documented at the December 2017 VA examination. The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his lumbosacral strain prior to July 10, 2020.

The Veteran's appeal includes requests for increased ratings for various knee disabilities and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and tinnitus. Additional evidence has been received since the April 2020 statement of the case. The Board is remanding these matters to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for tinea versicolor of the trunk and chest is denied as his condition does not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied because there is no evidence that it had its onset during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for residuals of lumbosacral strain, status post-operative due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability and is not otherwise related to his active-duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and incomplete consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disability, including as due to herbicide agent exposure and toxic exposure during active service duties. The case is now pending for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims and a rating for shin splints. The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis and lumbosacral strain are not rated higher than the current levels due to lack of evidence supporting more severe disability. Service connection for cervical spine and left wrist disabilities is denied as they are not attributable to active military service or arthritis manifest within one year post-service. The claim for a headache was previously denied, but new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions, including b-cell leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and hemorrhoids, all potentially related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and TDIU claims due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was found not related to his military service, and his persistent depressive disorder did not cause or aggravate his sleep apnea.