The claim of entitlement to service connection for Gulf War Syndrome is reopened. The claims of increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and dyspnea on exertion, due to an undiagnosed illness are remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence has been received that relates to the unestablished fact of whether the Veteran's symptoms may be considered a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness related to his Gulf War service. Additionally, new VA examinations are needed for both hearing loss and dyspnea on exertion due to an undiagnosed illness.
- Claimed conditions
- headaches, memory loss, allergies, upper respiratory issues, fatigue, hair loss, joint pain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18127602
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 18127602.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
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