Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions, and thus service connection cannot be granted for these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic rhinitis is not manifested by greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side, and thus does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and he now has a compensable rating for his right wrist strain. His other claims are denied.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic respiratory disorder during service and concluded that the Veteran's current asthma and allergic rhinitis are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is found to have had its clinical onset during service, and thus granted service connection. The Veteran does not have a disability manifested by headaches due to disease or injury that was incurred in or aggravated by active service.

Service connection for a chronic lung disability, claimed as bronchitis and COPD, is not established.,Service connection for an upper respiratory infection is not established.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic rhinitis with sinusitis is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating as there are no incapacitating episodes of sinusitis requiring antibiotic treatment lasting four to six weeks or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by purulent discharge or crusting.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's rhinitis with sinusitis is not related to his military service and denied the claim.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete records and other issues.

The Veteran's service connection claims for plantar fasciitis with spurs, rhinitis (claimed as sneezing, dry mouth and shortness of breath), and bronchitis are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development and adjudication of his claims, including service connection for emphysema and separate rating for bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has found that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis and sinusitis did not first manifest during service or were caused by service. The claim for anxiety disorder was remanded due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's rhinitis is found to have manifested in service and has been chronic since discharge, granting service connection for the condition. Service connection for PTSD was denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected sinusitis and rhinitis with headaches is being remanded for additional development, including a new compensation and pension examination to determine the nature and extent of any current manifestations of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's sinusitis with allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating as it has not caused incapacitating episodes, more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of sinusitis characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting, required surgery, or resulted in nasal polyps.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not entitled to service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic sinusitis, rhinitis, and arthritis of multiple joints as these conditions are found to have preexisted active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence linking the current psychiatric disorder to his service, and concluded that the asthma and allergic rhinitis did not warrant higher disability evaluations.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory symptoms, including asthma and allergic rhinitis, were due to his service-connected chronic rhinitis. The VA examiner determined that the Veteran does not have asthma and attributed his dyspnea to upper airway hypersensitivity and congestion.

The Veteran's hypertension was granted service connection as it manifested to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service. The status and nature of the claims for allergic rhinitis and sinus bradycardia are unclear, with conflicting information in the record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic sinusitis was denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosed chronic sinus disorder during or after service. The Board found that the Veteran's ongoing symptoms are related to his already-service-connected allergic rhinitis.