Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is not service-connected, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability and back disability are granted service connection, but the right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome, athlete’s foot, diabetes, right elbow strain, left elbow strain, arthritis throughout the body, hearing loss, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and tinnitus claims remain pending.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left and right carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as his hypertension, were denied. The Veteran was granted a 100% disability rating for asthma with COPD and OSA effective September 4, 1998.,The issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to August 3, 2015 is dismissed as moot due to the grant of an earlier effective date for the award of a TDIU.

The Veteran's right knee osteoarthritis changes status post arthroscopic repair is rated at 10 percent, and the Veteran has a separate evaluation of 10 percent for right knee instability. The Veteran’s tinnitus is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling.,For his cervical spine conditions, the Veteran has been granted evaluations in excess of 20 percent from February 5, 2015. His lumbar spine condition remains at a 20 percent evaluation prior to February 5, 2015 and is rated as 40 percent disabling after that date.,The Veteran's progressive muscle atrophy associated with spondylosis with degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine has been remanded for further review. His sleep apnea remains at a 50 percent evaluation, and his radiculopathy conditions have also been remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea, specifically whether it is related to service exposure to burn pits.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for neck disability, numbness in fingers, and sleep apnea due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of evidence. The Veteran's assertions about ergonomic conditions during military service are considered.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The initial rating of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain prior to May 23, 2017 is granted. A separate rating of 10 percent for associated LLE radiculopathy prior to June 13, 2013 and a higher rating of 20 percent from June 13, 2013 to May 23, 2017 is denied. The Veteran's claim for PTSD is granted with a rating of 50 percent effective before May 23, 2017. The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 13, 2014 is granted.

The Board found no current disabilities of the bilateral shoulder, cervical spine, or right knee. The Veteran's reported traumatic brain injury and sleep apnea were not supported by evidence in service records or post-service treatment notes.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his period of active service and is linked to his reported symptoms and weight gain in service.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, a skin disability (including basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell skin cancer, and actinic keratosis), and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The decision is based on direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including DM II, vision loss, sleep apnea, ED, ingrown toenails, third degree burns, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The reasons given include a lack of in-service occurrence or injury related to these conditions, as well as insufficient evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or any other valid theory of entitlement.

The Board has determined that further medical examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any current left elbow condition, residuals of a broken nose, sleep apnea, and esophagus condition. The claims are being remanded for these examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, obstructive sleep apnea, and peripheral vestibular disease. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are also being evaluated further.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the claims for a respiratory condition, lumbar spine disability, left and right ankle disabilities, bilateral pes planus, left hip disability (secondary to service-connected disability), right knee disability (secondary to service-connected disability), and sleep apnea. These issues will be addressed in further proceedings.

The Board has granted reopening of the claims for service connection for hypertension, sleep/respiratory disability (sleep apnea), and kidney disease. However, diabetes mellitus and tinnitus were not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for sleep apnea was dismissed. The Board has also remanded the issues of rating lumbar strain, left leg disability (stress fracture), anxiety and depression, and TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his lumbar spine disability, as he does not have loss of use of one or more lower extremities.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was denied as there is no evidence that his forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine was limited to 30 degrees or less at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his service, including any exposure to asbestos, dust, smoke, fumes, and dry ice. The decision also requires an examination to determine if the Veteran's PTSD is aggravating his sleep apnea.