Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The claims of service connection for various conditions, including bone islands, red blood cell condition, high liver levels, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and anxiety), high muscle enzymes, joint pain, teeth loss, back and spinal degeneration, sinusitis, asthma, fungus of the feet, deformity of the toes, left foot, deformity of the toes, right foot, and sleep apnea are remanded due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding no new and material evidence that would support reopening the claim.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's low back disability, finding that his conditions existed prior to service and were not aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during active service and is not otherwise causally or etiologically related to his military service. The Board also found that the current diagnosis of OSA was less likely than not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's PTSD diagnosis and its relationship to service. The case will be returned for further examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, heart disease, GERD, and OSA as there was no evidence of a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's asthma, anxiety disorder, and sinus headaches have been granted service connection. The rating for sinus headaches has been increased to 30 percent. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied.

A separate, 30 percent rating for the side effects of medications used to treat lumbosacral strain with DDD and degenerative arthritis is granted. The initial rating for chondromalacia of the right knee remains remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected hiatal hernia with esophageal reflux and gastric ulcers, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and clarification of the Veteran's conditions, specifically regarding his sleep apnea and unspecified trauma and stressor related disorder.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, a respiratory disorder to include as due to herbicide agent exposure in service, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's current diagnoses do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded. His claims for service connection of lumbosacral strain, left knee pain, right knee pain, and degenerative arthritis of the spine are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether his service-connected hypertension aggravated it.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's service connection claims for a back condition, tinnitus, hypertension, sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations and extraschedular considerations for various service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for herpes simplex virus and tinea pedis is denied. The Board has also remanded the cases of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, a psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), and rating for tinea pedis from September 25, 2015 onwards.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for hypertension and sleep apnea, with full understanding of the consequences.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection as it began during her active duty service and there is credible evidence supporting this.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally or etiologically related to service. The Board also found that the current sleep apnea is not caused by or worsened in severity by the service-connected deviated nasal septum and right nasal obstruction.