The Veteran's service-connected GERD is rated at 30 percent, and the Board denied his claims for increased evaluation and service connection for shortness of breath, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, and sleep disturbance due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active duty or undiagnosed illnesses.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that any of the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his military service or an undiagnosed illness. The Board found no objective indications of chronic disability for shortness of breath, headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, and sleep disturbance.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Shortness of Breath, Headaches, Muscle Pain, Joint Pain, Sleep Disturbance
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- September 30, 2016
- Citation
- 1639232
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 1639232.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is granted a 70% rating, effective July 15, 2024. The Veteran's GERD remains at a 10% rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to PTSD, but his headaches are denied due to lack of service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 70 percent rating prior to July 29, 2024. The GERD rating remains at 30 percent disabled but no higher.
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