What is Reactive Airway Disease?

Veterans can obtain VA disability compensation for asthma-like symptoms linked to their military service.

Summary

• RAD describes a set of respiratory symptoms like wheezing and chronic cough caused by bronchial inflammation but lacks a clear cause, complicating veterans’ claims for VA benefits.
• Veterans with RAD may qualify for VA disability benefits, such as financial compensation and Aid and Attendance benefits.
• RAD may serve as a placeholder for eventual diagnoses like asthma or COPD in veterans.
• Common in-service causes of Reactive Airway Disease include exposure to toxic substances, infections, and climate conditions.
• The VA may deny disability claims for RAD due to its non-specific nature, but VetLaw helps veterans secure VA benefits for service-connected disabilities like RAD.

Respiratory issues are a common product of active duty military service, and Reactive Airway Disease is no exception. Veterans who do not meet the criteria for a specific respiratory condition but still experience difficulty breathing normally may be labeled as suffering from Reactive Airway Disease (RAD).

By labeling a veteran’s respiratory condition as Reactive Airway Disease, a medical provider essentially acknowledges that the veteran’s symptoms exist, but stops short of attributing them to a particular cause.

This can interfere with the veteran’s ability to establish that their RAD diagnosis is a service-connected disability, which is crucial to obtaining VA benefits. Don’t be deterred from accessing the disability compensation you have earned by a VA denial.

At VetLaw, our veterans disability claims lawyers have handled countless VA claims for asthma, bronchitis, COPD, and other respiratory conditions. We are ready to put that experience to work for you.

For a more personalized assessment of your VA disability claim, schedule a free consultation with us by calling (855) 636-9260 or filling out a contact form.

Defining and Diagnosing Reactive Airway Disease Symptoms

Reactive Airway Disease refers to a broad collection of respiratory symptoms that can be directly attributed to the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, but the underlying cause remains unclear. A Reactive Airway Disease label functions as a stand-in for the actual diagnosis.

RAD is Characterized by Chronic Respiratory Issues

Veterans who present a medical history of the following RAD symptoms may have service-connected Reactive Airway Disease:

• Feeling like your chest is constricted
• Struggling to breathe normally
• A chronic, wet cough
• Wheezing when you breathe

Obviously, these symptoms can have a devastating impact on your ability to lead an active lifestyle. In more serious cases, veterans with RAD may struggle to climb stairs, lift their child, walk more than a short distance, or manage basic household tasks independently.

VA disability benefits can offer financial compensation, including Aid and Attendance benefits, commensurate with your level of disability due to Reactive Airway Disease. This can help cover the costs of Reactive Airway Disease treatment.

Building a Diagnosis for Reactive Airway Disease

If you have exhibited abnormal breathing, a cough that produces phlegm, or other symptoms of RAD for some time, your doctor may begin administering treatment for Reactive Airway Disease related to your military service.

Before arriving at this conclusion, they will likely want to measure the severity of your respiratory issues. In addition to listening to your lungs and reviewing medical images, your healthcare provider may perform a pulmonary function test.

A spirometry test assesses your breathing problems based on multiple criteria and generates more quantitative results. Notably, the test provides a score for your Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV-1).

This described how much air you can exhale in a second. The significance of this is that an FEV-1 score is one of the metrics that the VA determines ratings for Reactive Airway Disease, using the Ratings Schedule for asthma.

So, you can use your FEV-1 score as medical evidence of your disability in your VA claim. This may help you secure an accurate disability rating and benefits.

How a RAD Diagnosis Can Lead to a Confirmed Diagnosis for Other Respiratory Conditions

In most cases, the healthcare provider will also attempt to determine the actual basis of the veteran’s Reactive Airway Disease symptoms. The methods they employ will depend on the suspected cause of your RAD symptoms.

Your medical records and military service records can help point them in the right direction. For instance, if your healthcare provider believes your Reactive Airway Disease stems from a disproportionate immune system response to an allergen, they may order a skin prick test and a blood test.

However, if you tell them that you were a firefighter in the military, they may adjust their approach based on your likely exposure to toxic AFFF firefighting foam. In the meantime, you can still receive benefits for Reactive Airway Disease while you await an upgrade to an official and accurate diagnosis.

What Causes Veterans to Develop Reactive Airway Disease?

Identifying a singular cause for a condition that, by its nature, is not technically an official diagnosis and does not have a known cause is complicated. However, we do know that many RAD symptoms overlap with other chronic respiratory conditions connected to military service.

Typically, veterans are eventually diagnosed with asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, chronic bronchitis, or other breathing-related disabilities. Major causes of these service-connected lung conditions include:

Infections

Military personnel can develop a bacterial or viral infection in their respiratory systems following toxic exposure. An acute injury or illness, or surgery, can also be the source of a respiratory infection.

Consequently, this can compromise their ability to breathe without difficulty. They may also experience other Reactive Airway Disease symptoms that mirror asthma symptoms or other lung diseases.

Irritants

The respiratory system can be sensitive to foreign particulate matter. In individuals with allergies, inhaling specific particulates can produce an excessive inflammatory response (or a severe allergic reaction), even if the irritant itself is not typically considered toxic.

When the bronchial tubes are inflamed due to allergy-causing substances, this restricts the amount of air that can enter or exit the lungs. Additionally, exposure to airborne particulate matter that does contain harmful pollutants or other contaminants can repeatedly trigger RAD symptoms.

This may inflict damage on the respiratory system over time. For example, smoke from toxic burn pits and oil well fires are closely linked to asthma and breathing problems in military personnel and veterans.

Climate

Temperature and humidity can play a role in triggering a respiratory response in a veteran with RAD. RAD symptoms may appear when the veteran inhales cold air because the temperature of the air causes the bronchi to tighten and limit airflow.

According to the American Lung Association, hot air can have a similar effect. Also, there tend to be higher levels of airborne pollutants in warmer months, which can trigger a respiratory reaction.

Additionally, certain conditions may exacerbate RAD or cause a flare-up of symptoms. For example, standard aspects of military service like physical exertion can place an excessive demand on the respiratory system. Consequently, this can result in RAD symptoms like chest tightness.

Act on Your VA Reactive Airway Disease Claim Denial With the Help of VetLaw

One of the risks of seeking VA benefits for Reactive Airway Disease is that the VA may push back on your veterans disability claim by arguing that you failed to provide a formal diagnosis, as the label is meant to temporarily fill in for a respiratory condition diagnosis like asthma.

At VetLaw, we are experts at leveraging medical evidence to help veterans combat VA denials. We consistently and effectively secure VA disability benefits for veterans with chronic respiratory conditions like RAD, asthma, and COPD.

Call (855) 636-9260 or submit a contact form today to set up a free consultation with our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the VA recognize Reactive Airway Disease as a service-connected disability?

The VA does not provide a Diagnostic Code specific to Reactive Airway Disease as of 2024. However, the VA does allow ratings for RAD under the schedule for asthma, given the similarity of the symptoms.

What are the VA ratings for Reactive Airway Disease?

Veterans can receive a VA rating of 10%, 30%, 60%, or 100% for Reactive Airway Disease under the Diagnostic Code for Asthma. If you eventually obtain an asthma diagnosis, the VA will still evaluate you by these criteria.

How is RAD different from reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)?

It is a common mistake to confuse Reactive Airway Disease and Reactive Airways Dysfunction Syndrome as the same condition. However, RADS is generally an acute reaction to an irritant. Think of RADS as an episode and RAD as an ongoing response.