Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board denied reopening the claims for service connection of right knee disability, depression, lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea. The initial ratings for left knee lateral meniscus tear and repair with arthritis and left knee instability as residual of lateral meniscus tear and repair were also denied.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the cervical spine disorder claim and granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran withdrew all his claims prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or chronic fatigue syndrome, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.,For the joint condition (claimed as Gulf War Illness) and muscle condition (claimed as due to Gulf War Illness), an addendum opinion is needed regarding whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis and sleep apnea are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service-connected nasal fracture.

The Board has decided that an additional opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the pre-existence and aggravation of sleep apnea.

The Veteran's bilateral median neuropathy is granted as secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain and right leg radiculopathy. A disability rating of 40 percent for the lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes is granted from November 14, 2012. The initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for the right leg radiculopathy remains at 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that the condition did not have onset during active service and is not otherwise related to active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea had its onset in service. The Veteran and his witnesses claim that he experienced symptoms during service, which have persisted post-service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected bronchitis and sinusitis, but needs further clarification based on additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's lumbar spine condition is currently rated as 20 percent disabling. The Board denied a higher rating, finding that the evidence did not show forward flexion to less than eighty degrees or any ankylosis. For sleep apnea and hypertension, no VA examination or opinion was provided, leading to remand.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's sleep apnea was initially present during service and continues to persist. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise, thus granting service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic low back condition, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and sleep apnea is granted. The claim for secondary service connection for headaches is also granted.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, including as aggravated by diabetes mellitus, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension. The Veteran's claim will be further developed with the provision of medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and a 100% rating for PTSD, but denied service connection for pes planus. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened, and he is granted a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis. The Board finds that additional development is needed to address his claims of upper respiratory conditions (including sinusitis) and pulmonary condition (asthma).