Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a bilateral hand condition are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records prior to April 2010 and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability, peripheral neuropathy of the legs and arms, and diabetes mellitus have all been rated at their maximum allowable ratings.

The Veteran's service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbosacral spine with low back strain is currently rated at 10 percent, and his adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood is rated at 30 percent. The Board has granted a higher rating for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, PTSD, chronic pain disorder, and other neurological disorders. The decision is based on the lack of evidence supporting a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's low back disability was granted an increased evaluation of 40 percent effective November 13, 2013. He also received a separate rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity associated with his service-connected low back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left and right knee disorders. The Veteran's hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, migraine headaches, right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, right foot disorder, myopia, swelling of the left testicle, and tinea versicolor are all found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is found to be service-connected as it began during active duty and was aggravated by an in-service accident. The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is remanded for issuance of a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes was granted a 20 percent evaluation effective April 12, 2010. The claim for higher evaluations prior to that date remains on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his low back disability and fibromyalgia, and obtaining a VA opinion regarding the relationship between his bilateral plantar fasciitis and service-connected fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back disorder is not related to her active military service and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a disability manifested by spoon nails, to include as secondary to anemia, was denied. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a disability manifested by spoon nails. The issue of service connection for sleep apnea remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Northern Rockies Neurosurgeons and requesting an addendum VA medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea and ischemic heart disease are related to his military service, while bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected asthma, hypertension, and allergic rhinitis. The effective date for the lumbar spine disability remains April 3, 2008 due to lack of prior communication regarding this condition before that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and VA medical records.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD, service connection for OSA and GERD secondary to PTSD, as well as the reopening of her back disorder claim were all denied by the Board.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was initially rated at 10 percent from November 8, 2008 to February 23, 2011. From February 24, 2011, the rating was increased to 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions, including sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder, irritability, memory loss, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, headaches, and hypertension.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was rated at 40 percent disabling effective August 11, 2015. She also has separate 10 percent ratings for radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities.

The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability, including his Barrett's esophagus with GERD and PTSD.