Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes or a cardiac disability, including coronary artery disease. Therefore, service connection is denied for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the provided VA examination is inadequate and additional evidence is needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's claims for service connection. The Veteran will be asked to provide information about any private treatment he received, and a new VA examination will be scheduled.

The Veteran's right hand/wrist disability is not service-connected as it pre-existed his active duty and was not aggravated by service.,Fibromyalgia, respiratory disorder (COPD/Emphysema), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or due to service. OSA is also not service-connected as it pre-existed his active duty and was not aggravated by service.,Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is service-connected as it first manifested after the Veteran's second period of service.

The Board has remanded the appeal for additional development due to issues related to service connection and a rating for lumbosacral strain, as well as a claim of entitlement to service connection for ruptured Achilles tendon.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it is directly related to the Veteran's active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and special monthly compensation were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to clarify the current severity and manifestations of the appellant's service-connected skin condition, tinea cruris, tinea pedis with onychomycosis. The issues of service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea remain pending.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be proximately caused by his service-connected right papilloma. The Board finds the evidence does not support a grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic sinusitis on a secondary basis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset during service or is otherwise related to his service-connected PTSD. The VA examiner provided opinions against these claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for higher ratings for his lumbosacral strain with DDD and IVDS, as well as associated left and right lower extremity radiculopathies, was denied. The effective date of the increased rating for lumbosacral strain is November 3, 2016.,The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset during service and is not related to his service-connected PTSD. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his low back and right knee disabilities have been remanded by the Board due to additional development being required.

The Board has remanded the claim due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service, including exposure to burn pits in Iraq. The VA examiner concluded that it is less likely than not that the Veteran's sleep apnea was incurred during service or as a result of an in-service disease, event, or injury.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and insomnia, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding their onset during service. The Veteran's statements of symptoms and his wife's observations are considered credible.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his lumbosacral strain with wedging of the thoracic vertebrae is being remanded due to inadequate examination and development needs.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his allergic rhinitis, determine the nature and etiology of any sleep apnea and deviated septum, and ascertain whether service connection should be granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of morbid obesity, sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation with history of acute congestive heart failure, and hypertension as secondary to residuals of a left knee injury with arthritis. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active duty.

The Veteran's current low back disability, including chronic vertebral osteophytosis with lumbosacral disc derangement, was incurred in service and the Board grants his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's lumbosacral degenerative disc disease is rated at 40 percent, and her radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is rated at 20 percent. The Board has granted a higher rating for the radiculopathy.