Asthma — all decisions

The Board denied service connection for asthma and a rating in excess of 50 percent for obstructive sleep apnea with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with restrictive component, among other issues.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 60 percent for asthma as the Veteran's FEV-1 and FVC values were normal, she did not have any asthma attacks resulting in respiratory failure, and her use of inhalational corticosteroids was not considered systemic.

The Board granted service connection for GERD, asthma, and sleep apnea based on a direct link to the Veteran's active duty service. The increased compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board remands the claims for further development and to obtain additional evidence, including VA treatment records, Vet Center records, and a TERA examination under the PACT Act.

The Board granted earlier effective dates for service connection of asthma, GERD, and dry eye syndrome from March 31, 2022, due to the Veteran's intent to file received on that date and good cause extensions allowed by the COVID-19 National Emergency. A 20 percent rating was also granted for dry eye syndrome.

The Board denied service connection for asthma and sinusitis, finding no evidence of these conditions during the Veteran's active duty or in the post-service period. The claim for acne vulgaris was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep apnea. The effective dates for asthma, PTSD, and GERD were also denied.

The Board granted the restoration of a 30 percent rating for TMJ pain and granted eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) from May 1, 2021. However, it denied increased ratings for fibromyalgia, persistent depressive disorder with anxiety disorder, bronchial asthma, shin splints, and wrist neurological symptoms.

The Board granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to hypertension and low back disability, awarded special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ, and denied service connection for various other conditions.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the disability.

The Board granted a 30 percent initial disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected asthma, effective April 11, 2023.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for asthma and remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired mental health disability, to include PTSD and alcohol abuse disorder.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for lung cancer residuals due to inadequate examination and need for a more comprehensive evaluation of all respiratory conditions.

The Board granted the restoration of a 40 percent rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease with spinal stenosis, effective May 1, 2024, due to an improper reduction in rating without following proper procedural guidelines.

The Board denied increased ratings for PTSD, TBI, migraine headaches, asthma, lumbosacral strain, right leg stress fracture of tibia with shin splints and LCL sprain, and dyshidrotic eczema. However, it granted a 50 percent rating for migraines since April 13, 2021, an earlier effective date of May 6, 2020, but no earlier, for the 70 percent rating of PTSD; an earlier effective date of April 13, 2021, but no earlier, for the grant of service connection for TBI and the 50 percent rating of migraine headaches; and an earlier effective date of May 20, 2022, but no earlier, for the 30 percent rating of asthma.

The Board remands the claim for a higher rating for asthma to schedule an adequate VA examination.

The Board granted a 10 percent initial disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected asthma, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board remands the claim for an increased rating for asthma to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, specifically the failure to provide a contemporaneous pulmonary function testing (PFT) during the June 2019 examination.

The Board denied a rating for asthma in excess of 30 percent, as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on pulmonary function tests or other treatment requirements.

The Board granted service connection for trochanteric pain syndrome of bilateral hips, bilateral ankle sprain, and patellofemoral pain syndrome of bilateral knees. The remaining claims were denied.