Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headaches, a right knee disability, and a left knee disability due to inadequate VA examinations in January 2018.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased disability evaluations for obstructive sleep apnea with asthma and major depressive disorder with anxiety, both currently rated at 50% and 70%, respectively. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain is granted a 40% rating, and the hearing loss issue is remanded for further evaluation. The TDIU determination is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right Achilles tendon injury, diabetes mellitus, fatigue, bilateral hearing loss, heart disorder (tachycardia), post-traumatic migraine headaches, sleep apnea, and vasovagal near-syncope, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Board has determined that the VA examination provided in September 2016 was inadequate for addressing the Veteran's direct theory of entitlement, which is related to service. The case is therefore being remanded for a new examination and opinion.

The Board has granted the appellant's application to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for a low back disability and has also granted him service connection for this condition. The appeal regarding service connection for a ganglion cyst in the right wrist is remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted as the evidence supports a finding that his symptoms began during active military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome has been granted, and the appeal is dismissed as moot.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if sleep apnea began during service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for OSA, finding that the disability first manifested on November 2, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new and material evidence having been received, but further examination is needed to determine if his acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, and sleep apnea are related to his time in service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis of the spine, IVDS, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis is rated at 20 percent prior to July 13, 2015, and at 40 percent since that date.,An initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for depressive disorder was granted from May 9, 2018 to September 10, 2018. A higher rating is denied as of September 10, 2018.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU have been remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations, treatment records review, and retrospective medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for pulmonary fibrosis. The cases of atrial fibrillation and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain and service connection for a bilateral knee condition are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for sleep apnea, as it relates to both diabetes mellitus type 2 and PTSD. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether there is a direct link between the Veteran's in-service snoring problems and current sleep apnea, as well as whether the sleep apnea is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 or PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II has been withdrawn.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD is denied.,Service connection for a thyroid disorder (including hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis) as secondary to PTSD is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that his symptoms of loud snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep are related to his current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea. The decision is based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and left ear hearing loss due to a lack of recent medical evidence and an opinion on whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's clothing allowance for the calendar year 2017 for a back brace is granted due to wear and tear on his clothes caused by using a back brace.