Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for testosterone deficiency, right ear hearing loss disability, hypertension, and sleep apnea syndrome are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Board has vacated the portion of its September 10, 2019 decision that denied entitlement to service connection for heart disorder, OSA, right knee disorder, and migraine headaches. The issues are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for chronic motion sickness, sleep apnea, and chronic athlete’s foot. The Veteran's claim of PTSD was also denied.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is stayed due to the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there was no communication from the Veteran between the November 2013 rating decision and March 30, 2015 when he filed a petition to reopen his previously denied claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a lumbosacral spine disorder and a fungal disorder of the right hand is dismissed. The effective date of December 23, 2013 for service connection for GERD associated with chronic sinusitis is granted. The appeals for rating in excess of 10 percent for chronic sinusitis and sinus headaches associated with chronic sinusitis and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to an incorrect legal standard provided to the medical examiners, and because other potential theories need to be considered. Specifically, the Court held that a service-connected disability can cause incremental increase in impairment of earning capacity from a nonservice-connected disorder, regardless of permanence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, gastritis, vision disability, sleep apnea, and hypertension have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,A new effective date of earlier than July 9, 2010, for service connection for coronary artery disease is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has sleep apnea that manifested in service or is otherwise causally related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder and stayed adjudication of the lung disorder claim due to VA's stay on cases affected by the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination findings regarding the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, specifically lack of estimates for range of motion during flare-ups.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for his degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine and for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. Additional development is needed, including obtaining updated VA treatment records, scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination, and providing him with a formal TDIU Application form.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for major depressive disorder, sleep apnea, and cholecystectomy scar (gallbladder removal) have been denied.,There is no effective date prior to April 22, 2015 assigned for these grants of service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be related to his active duty service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension due to insufficient opinions regarding direct service connection, exposure to herbicide agents, and secondary service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service, specifically his deployment in Southeast Asia where he was exposed to burn pits and vehicle fumes. The examiner needs to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Board has determined that the September 12, 2002 rating decision denying service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was based on clear and unmistakable error. As a result, the decision is revised to grant service connection for obstructive sleep apnea effective January 1, 2003.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding no evidence of in-service symptoms or a link to active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and sleep apnea due to exposure to burn pits. The VA will conduct examinations and gather additional evidence to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for a perforated left eardrum is dismissed. The petition to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a skin disability, including psoriasis and rosacea of the face and elbows.