Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for urticaria pigmentosa and assigned a 30 percent disability rating, effective October 18, 2011. The Veteran's heart murmur is not currently found to be present, and the claim remains on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate examination and the need for further development of his TBI residuals, including sleep apnea and sensory neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance of another person, nor does he require assistance in attending to the ordinary hazards of daily living. The Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to grant special monthly pension based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for neck and low back conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low back disability. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of any claimed back disability, as well as whether it is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea secondary to service-connected tinnitus are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her service-connected lumbar spine disability was denied, as the evidence did not show ankylosis or other criteria warranting a higher rating. Separate ratings for lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea was not incurred in service and is not otherwise attributable to a disease or injury sustained therein. The Board finds that the Veteran's sleep apnea did not result from his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder or diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a videoconference hearing and the issuance of an SOC on the issues of service connection for PTSD, lumbosacral spine disorder, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a back disability and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been received to support the claim. The Veteran's current back disabilities are related to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral spondylosis with disk protrusion and right leg sciatica are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds no basis to grant higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. The issues include service connection for various respiratory and immune system conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the dates of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA in 1986, and to obtain a VA examination for psychiatric disorders. The appellant's claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and records from SSA. The Veteran will also be provided with VA medical examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed conditions.

The Veteran's vascular disorder of the bilateral lower extremities has been granted service connection. The Veteran's ventral hernia, status post ventral herniorrhapy with residual scarring, and his obstructive sleep apnea have also been granted service connection.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis with degenerative changes, lumbar spine hypertrophic osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome (right upper extremity), carpal tunnel syndrome (left upper extremity), and erectile dysfunction associated with PTSD have all been denied. The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than May 6, 2014, for the grant of service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome (right upper extremity) and left upper extremity, as well as his claim for special monthly compensation for loss of use of a creative organ have also been denied. The Veteran's claims for service connection for ulcers in the ileum (claimed as abdominal pain with Crohn's disease, irritable colon syndrome, or ulcerative colitis) and sleep apnea have all been granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea, hepatitis, and lymphedema are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides. As such, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee and low back disabilities are related to her service-connected bilateral pes planus, and thus granted service connection for these conditions.