Acute Respiratory Condition (claimed As Chronic Cough)

[kluender]

I'm not sure which way to go with this claim. I'd appreciate any and all help. This is how my decision reads from a request for chronic cough dated April 22, 2008:

Service connection for acute respiratory condition (claimed as chronic cough) is denied.

Copies of service treatment records provided by you showed initial treatment for complaints of coughing in March 1987. During this time, you denied having any symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, fever, sweeats or allergies. Assessment provided was a cough possibly due to allergies or a viral infection. Medication was prescribed for relief. You continued to submit complaints of coughing and the examiner assessed your condition as an upper respiratory infection. X-rays taken in July 1987 were normal. No other treatment is shown. You also noted a history of coughing for one year in duration during your retirement examination conducted on October 26, 1998. No chronic disability is shown for VA purposes. Seasonal and other acute allergic manifestations subsiding on the absence of or removal of the allergen are generally to be regarded as acute diseases, healing without residuals. The determination as to service incurrence or aggravation must be on the whole evidentiary showing.

The medical evidence provided by you to include treatment records from ____VA Medical Center were also reviewed and considered. Although treatment is shown for complaints of acute respiratory condition due to pneumonia and a sinus infection, no chronic condition is shown for VA purposes.

In our Veterans Claims Assistance Act (VCAA) letter dated April 28, 2008, we asked you to send us evidence showing your condition existed from military to present. As of this date, no additional evidence has been received relating to this fact. On June 26, 2008, we received your VCAA Notice Response indicating you had no other information or evidence to give us to substantiate your claim and that we should decide your claim as soon as possible.

Service connection may be granted for a disability which began in military service or was caused by some event or experience in service.

A disability which began in service or was caused by some event in service must be considered "chronic" before service connection can be granted. Although there is a record of treatment in service for acute respiratory condition (claimed as chronic cough), no permanent residual or chronic disability subject to service connection is shown by the service treatment records or demonstrated by evidence following service. Therefore, service connection for acute respiratory condition (claimed as chronic) as denied.

What I submitted with my claim was a list detailing 19 visits to military doctors for coughs with throat clearing beginning in 1979 thru February 2008. During some of these visits I had bronchitis, pneumonia, and I believe acute sinusitis. I provided copies of each doctor visit. I suffer from daily constant coughing and throat clearing so bad that this is the way my husband and children find me in stores. Also, when in public I constantly get stares from strangers who think I'm being rude because of constant throat clearing. The coughs also cause headaches. I've also been diagnosed with reflux for the past 3 years. A military doctory told me about 2 years ago that my cough is caused by my reflux, but I can feel constant drainage from my sinuses. My ex-allergist said 2 years ago that she didn't see any drainage and felt my cough might be caused by reflux. The problem is that I wasn't diagnosed with reflux while in the Army when all this started. I am service connected for allergic rhinitis/hives at 0%. At one time I had allergy shots. My sinus scan only shows slight abnormality. I'm not service connected for sinusitis, but my military records reflect times during doctor visits that sinusitis was suspected but ruled out.

Thanks

[kluender]

Lisinopril is really bad news if you have a cough. You should talk to the Doc about it. Its cheap so the VA likes to give it.

Thanks Pete. I'll ask my VA doctor if she can prescribe something different.

[Capt.]

Hello Klue,,,,,I do know what you are going thru and trying to get the VA to acknowledge your problem is almost impossible. Just keep complaining and have them continue to put it in the progress reports. Also please try and follow the advice I and some others have given. It is the strength in numbers of those that have gone before you that have already had to fact the VA , that this experience will help you in the long run. It also helps you to cut down on the "going down the wrong road approach" which many of us have already done. I wish you well and keep us posted on the results. God Bless, NEVER GIVE UP. C.C.