The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, a VA examination is needed to determine if he currently has a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied as there is no current diagnosis or established link between the condition and military service.,A VA examination is required to assess whether the Veteran has allergic rhinitis that may be related to his active duty service. The June 2015 VA opinion was based on a single bout of allergic rhinitis, which does not meet the criteria for chronic disability.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded as there are conflicting opinions regarding its relationship to military service. A new VA examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active duty service.,The claim for service connection for GERD secondary to IBS remains in dispute, with a June 2015 VA examiner concluding that there is no causal or aggravating relationship. A new VA examination and medical opinion are needed to resolve this issue.,Service connection for a headache disability is remanded as the Veteran claims his symptoms began during service but there is conflicting evidence regarding its etiology.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remains in dispute, with no clear link established between the condition and military service.
The deciding factor: The claim for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened due to new evidence indicating current symptoms of difficulty hearing. However, a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran currently meets the criteria for a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is denied as there is no established link between the condition and military service. The June 2015 VA opinion found that the Veteran does not have fibromyalgia based on lack of symmetrical tender points and other symptoms being related to other diagnoses.,A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current diagnosis of allergic rhinitis, as the previous opinion was based on a single bout which may not meet criteria for chronic disability. The June 2015 VA examiner noted that the Veteran's symptoms were likely due to a mental health condition and headaches.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded because there are conflicting opinions regarding its relationship to military service. A new VA examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his active duty service.,The claim for GERD secondary to IBS remains in dispute as a June 2015 VA examiner concluded that there is no causal or aggravating relationship between the conditions. A new VA examination and medical opinion are needed to resolve this issue.,Service connection for a headache disability is remanded because the Veteran claims his symptoms began during service but there is conflicting evidence regarding its etiology. The June 2015 VA examiner noted that the Veteran's symptoms were likely related to other diagnoses, including mental health conditions and headaches.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) remains in dispute as no clear link has been established between the condition and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, fibromyalgia, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), headache disability, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19144960
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 19144960.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for scarring, right orchiopexy and remanded the claim of asbestos exposure residuals. Other claims for service connection were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's lumbar spine pain, allergic rhinitis, and recurrent yeast infections. The claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder and left knee pain were remanded.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.