The Veteran's reactive airway disease was first manifested during service and is considered to be related to service. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current low back disability, which may have been caused by his in-service urinary tract infection. A VA examination is needed to determine the likely etiology of any current cervical spine disability.
The deciding factor: The examiner found that there was insufficient objective evidence to diagnose reactive airway disease at the time of the January 2006 VA examination, but noted a history of reactive airway disease during service and post-service treatment. The Veteran's low back pain in service is considered related to his urinary tract infection. A VA examination is needed to determine if any current cervical spine disability is related to service or pre-existing conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Reactive airway disease, Low back disability (lumbar spine and cervical spine), Gastrointestinal disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 7, 2011
- Citation
- 1121909
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1121909.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in the duty to assist and insufficient opinions regarding service connection for a gastrointestinal disability. The Veteran's symptoms include epigastric burning, regurgitation, nausea without vomiting, persistently recurrent epigastric distress, reflux, substernal pain, sleep disturbance caused by esophageal reflux, diarrhea, dysphagia, Barrett's esophagus, and esophagitis.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for mild tricuspid regurgitation, bilateral knee strain, and shoulder strains are being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.,Specifically, the AOJ should obtain a new or addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for major depressive disorder was denied, and service connection claims for respiratory and gastrointestinal disabilities were also denied.
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