Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea likely began during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and issuing a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being reviewed again.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, neck disorder, low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus congestion (allergy syndrome), and obstructive sleep apnea were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or etiology for these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for temporary total rating due to surgical treatment and convalescence of the right knee disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability has been denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The VA is remanding the cases related to his left leg radiculopathy, right leg radiculopathy, scar associated with status-post discectomy of lumbar spine with DDD, TDIU, left knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition, and thus no basis to grant it.

The Veteran's appeal for right knee arthritis is dismissed as he withdrew his claim.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and sleep apnea are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to herbicides. Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on the Veteran's credible testimony regarding its onset during service.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The remaining issues of chronic headaches, insomnia, GERD, deviated nasal septum, chronic sinusitis, and sleep apnea are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating for unspecified insomnia disorder is granted. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 40 percent prior to July 16, 2012. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a TDIU for periods prior to September 1, 2013.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is linked to his military service, as evidenced by his reported symptoms during and after service. The Board finds that a VA examination should be conducted to determine the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have begun during his military service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including Social Security Administration (SSA) records, private treatment records, employment records, and an examination of his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations of record are inadequate to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder, as they did not address the Veteran’s contentions of direct service connection and provided negative nexus opinions. The case is therefore being remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities, service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension secondary to his major depressive disorder, as well as for a VA examination in each case.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to unavailability of VA treatment records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further action due to procedural issues and to obtain additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claim for OSA is denied. The increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain with enthesopathy are partially granted, with a 40% rating effective April 5, 2018, and separate ratings of 10% each for lumbar radiculopathy of the LLE and RLE.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU due to incomplete information, including missing SSA records and an outdated VA examination. The Veteran will need to provide these records and undergo further evaluation.