Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2000

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected rhinitis and found that his asthma warranted only a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board has granted the veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for fibromyalgia and assigned a 10 percent disability rating for allergic rhinitis. The appeal is resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism and vasomotor rhinitis are not well grounded as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for post-operative deviated nasal septum, allergic rhinitis, and Eustachian tube dysfunction. The evidence shows that the veteran had a pre-existing deviated nasal septum but developed allergic rhinitis with Eustachian tube dysfunction during his military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for allergic rhinitis effective from October 7, 1996. The veteran's contentions as to his symptoms are consistent with the medical findings during the September 1997 VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, PTSD, and bronchial asthma. The veteran's claims of service connection for these conditions were not well-grounded, and new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claims.

The Board found that the veteran's allergic rhinitis, back disability, and glaucoma were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected maxillary sinusitis with hyperesthetic rhinitis warrants a 30 percent rating, reflecting nearly constant non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis characterized by purulent discharge and occasional headaches.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from Tucson and requesting medical evidence linking the veteran's disabilities to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for postoperative excision residuals of lipomas of the right scapula with recurrence of lipoma was granted, and his effective date for a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis is set at November 1, 1996.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for sinusitis or rhinitis, finding that there was no evidence to support a plausible case.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder and found that the veteran's COPD with asthma warranted a 30% rating from March 15, 1995. The effective date of this award was not specified.

The veteran's memory loss and attention problems, skin disorders, swollen lymph nodes, hair loss, fatigue, and joint pain are all found to be related to an undiagnosed illness during his Gulf War service.

The veteran's chronic vasomotor rhinitis with sinusitis and nasal polyposis is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from September 1993. The left ankle strain with arthritic changes was increased to 20 percent from June 18, 1998.

The Board has granted a 30 percent rating for migraine headaches, finding that the veteran's headaches occur one to three times weekly and are characterized by brief neurologic deficits. The claim for service connection for sinus/rhinitis disorder and residual disability due to nasal surgery is denied as not well-grounded, and the claim for service connection for a back disability is also denied as not well-grounded.

The veteran's service-connected defective hearing and vasomotor rhinitis are currently evaluated at the noncompensable level. The Board finds no basis for an increased evaluation as his current manifestations do not warrant a higher rating under either the old or new schedular criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, a bilateral hip condition, a bilateral knee condition, and a hand disability. The tinea pedis claim was granted with an initial rating of 10 percent.

The VA has granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for the service-connected allergic bronchial asthma and increased the rating of the service-connected allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disabilities to 30 percent. The decision does not address the issue of hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for allergic rhinitis, finding that the veteran's condition did not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of an allergic disorder, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to active military service.