Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, and other specific trauma and stressor-related disorder are granted. Service connection is also established for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, right leg disability, cellulitis, telangiectasia, photoaging, sebaceous hyperplasia, actinic keratosis, and herpes. An effective date earlier than July 22, 2015 for left lower leg laceration with infection and drainage is denied.

Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. A separate 30 percent rating for impaired rectal sphincter control is granted, effective June 5, 2018. An effective date of September 1, 2008 for the award of a compensable rating for internal hemorrhoids with pruritus ani is granted. Service connection for pulmonary fibrosis is remanded due to lack of exposure information.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board has remanded for further examination regarding service connection for COPD and sleep apnea. The issues of service connection for COPD and sleep apnea are also remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims related to PTSD, cervical strain, sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, and tension headaches. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess his current disability levels.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and medical opinion regarding his sleep apnea, including whether it was incurred in service or caused by his PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed to the development and aggravation of his obstructive sleep apnea.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran’s prostate disorder, claimed as prostate distress with six to ten pads per day, to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and higher ratings for his shoulder disabilities and pes planus. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service disease or injury leading to current disability, and that any current disability is not related to military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for eye disorders, left hand trigger finger disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiac disorder, and hypertension. The appeals are all denied as there is no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to February 2, 2015, and from that date. The case is now before the Board for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected unspecified anxiety disorder. The examiner will need to provide an opinion on this issue.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the inextricability of his service connection claims, and he has additional disabilities that may affect his employment. The case will be returned for further adjudication.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical examination and records review, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is secondary to her service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to missing medical records from a private sleep center, which may contain information about the Veteran's sleep apnea and hypertension.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to her military service. The claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected gastroesophageal reflux disease (hiatal hernia with reflux esophagitis). The VA examiner found that there was no causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy have been granted. The appeals for service connection for these conditions are all secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to exposure to loud noises during active duty.

The Veteran's initial claim for sleep apnea was denied in July 2007, but he filed a new application to reopen his claim on December 15, 2010. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an initial rating higher than 50 percent for sleep apnea.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered at least equally severe as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder with posttraumatic stress disorder (psychiatric disability). The private physician concluded that the Veteran's psychiatric disability aggravates his sleep apnea.