Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including compliance with VCAA requirements.

The veteran's service records show a diagnosis of dermatitis in 1986, but no current evidence of the condition. The Board finds that there is no competent evidence linking her current symptoms to her military service.,Service medical records noted upper respiratory infections in 1982 and 1988, but post-service records do not show any current conditions related to these issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current chronic inflammation of the nasal cavities, including the sinuses, is not related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review, including providing VCAA notice and considering new evidence. The veteran's claims for service connection for germ cell cancer and rhinitis are being considered on a mixed basis due to some issues being granted while others were denied.

The Board has determined that no new and material evidence was received to reopen the previously denied claims for service connection for asthma and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis but denied reopening of the claim for sinusitis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, eustachian tube dysfunction, and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. The evaluations assigned were found to be appropriate based on the medical evidence provided.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected adjustment disorder with anxious mood, rhinitis, and tinnitus. The veteran was assigned a 10 percent evaluation for his service-connected tinnitus but not for his other conditions.

The Board has granted initial ratings of 30 percent for allergic sinusitis with headaches and 10 percent for rhinitis, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic rhinitis, a condition previously diagnosed during service, is service-connected. The decision also acknowledges the presence of sinusitis but finds insufficient evidence to support a current diagnosis.

The Board found that the veteran's current allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis were not incurred in service, as there is no medical evidence showing a nexus between his military service and these conditions. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for chronic nasal congestion, including sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, as well as an eye disability (previously characterized as optic neuritis), are granted. The veteran is also granted a zero percent rating for her service-connected seborrheic dermatitis.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected chronic atrophic rhinitis, finding that it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on Diagnostic Code 6513 or 6522.

The veteran's service-connected seasonal allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis have been granted. However, his claims for right lateral epicondylitis and residuals of a right thumb injury are denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis and an upper and middle back disability were denied. The claim for increased rating for depression was granted with a 50% initial disability rating.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of hypertension, post-operative residuals of benign prostatic hypertrophy, allergic rhinitis, and thrombophlebitis were denied. The preponderance of the evidence did not support higher ratings under the applicable criteria.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for duodenal ulcer with hiatal hernia and chronic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rhinitis, multilevel degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and a full thickness supraspinatus tear of the left shoulder were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a deviated nasal septum and denied service connection for this condition. The other claims were also denied.