Chronic bronchitis — all decisions

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for bronchial asthma and chronic bronchitis, finding that the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bronchitis, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to service. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was denied as final due to lack of a chronic disability present in or after service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for neuritis, chest and back pain was denied. The claim for a 30 percent rating for chronic bronchitis with history of tuberculosis infection with disease, inactive, was granted. The claim for a compensable disability rating for duodenal ulcer was denied.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bronchitis and status post coccidioidomycosis do not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The veteran's COPD, asthma, and bronchitis are found to have been incurred in service due to carbon tetrachloride exposure. The veteran's kidney cancer is also found to be related to his service exposure to carbon tetrachloride.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death was due to AIDS, which developed decades after service. There is no evidence linking his current conditions to service or any service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis and an increased evaluation for degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease of the back at T11-T12 were granted. The RO is instructed to obtain updated medical records from the veteran's private family doctor.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his period of active service.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the veteran's right shoulder tendonitis and left thumb degenerative joint disease, but denied his claims for increased ratings for other conditions. The veteran is currently rated 10% for allergic rhinitis with sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and the need to identify private doctors who treated the veteran's pulmonary problems.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, specifically chronic bronchitis. However, after reviewing all available medical records, including VA and private treatment records, the Board determined there was no evidence linking any current respiratory disability to service or any incident during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for sarcoidosis, refractive error (claimed as poor eyesight), asthma, bronchitis, bursitis of the left shoulder, mood disorder due to sarcoidosis and depression, rash, and hypertension are not established by the evidence of record. The conditions were either not caused by service or have no relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic bronchitis does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code. The current 60 percent disability rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's respiratory disorder is not due to disease or injury incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection. The initial rating for tinnitus remains at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for emphysema, bronchitis, anemia, and heart disorder based on radiation exposure during service. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of emphysema.

The veteran's claims for gastrointestinal, respiratory (bronchitis), and low back disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his National Guard service records.

The veteran is seeking service connection for COPD with emphysema and acute bronchitis. The VA has conceded that the veteran had asbestos exposure while serving as a fireman in service. However, additional development is needed to determine if this exposure is related to his current respiratory disability.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including gastrointestinal disorder, bronchitis, pleurisy/chest pains, bilateral hearing loss, and a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), finding that these conditions were not related to the veteran's active service.