Chronic bronchitis — all decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic bronchitis is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of issues related to SMC at the housebound rate and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic allergic rhinitis with recurrent sinusitis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's COPD may be related to his service-connected pulmonary hypertension and is requesting additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal of his March and September 2014 rating decisions that denied service connection for respiratory conditions (claimed as asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, and respiratory infections) and vasovagal syncope due to the VA Form 9 substantive appeal being untimely filed.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tendonitis/bursitis of the left shoulder was dismissed. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a respiratory condition (claimed as asthma and bronchitis), and GERD were remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to unresolved issues regarding his exposure to toxic chemicals during service and verification of his reserve service. The claims include service connection for bronchitis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems secondary to sleep apnea, a right shoulder disability, and reopening of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), and gout claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (zero percent) since September 2014.,The Veteran's OSA with bronchitis has been rated at 50 percent since November 24, 2015. The claim for a higher rating is denied.,Prior to November 24, 2015, the Veteran's bronchitis was rated as noncompensable (zero percent).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the nature and severity of his service-connected chronic bronchitis, including distinguishing between service-connected chronic bronchitis and current COPD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical services received at WMCH due to lack of immediate medical attention being required, as his symptoms were not acute and he did not have any demonstrated acute symptomatology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis is granted. The claim of service connection for a respiratory disability, to include bronchitis (on the merits), is remanded.

The Veteran's right knee disability, including degenerative joint disease of the right knee, is granted as service-connected. Other conditions are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, chronic bronchitis, and dyspnea is granted. The claims for deviated nasal septum, rhinitis or sinusitis disability, and edema disability are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's lung disease, chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia are related to his military service, specifically exposure to asbestos. The claims for these conditions are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis, left foot plantar fasciitis, and a respiratory condition (bronchitis) based on the evidence showing these conditions are at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims regarding his respiratory conditions, including COPD and its secondary effects. The appeal will be remanded to allow for additional evidence collection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemicals in service and its relation to his current respiratory condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such severity to preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability due to brucellosis, or any other claimed conditions. The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any diagnosis of brucellosis and post-service medical records are silent for such a condition.,There is no evidence linking the Veteran’s diagnosed respiratory disorder (to include bronchitis) to his active duty service. The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current chronic respiratory disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were reopened for sleep apnea, but denied for bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, and bilateral foot condition. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded to determine if it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's PTSD caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbosacral strain, left hip strain, allergic rhinitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic bronchitis, and pneumonia due to inadequate rationale in the VA examinations used by the July 2017 decision.