Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and a respiratory disability, to include bronchitis and atopic rhinitis, was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was not found to meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation before February 12, 2010 and has not met the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent since that date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's allergic rhinitis is related to service. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claim for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran had chronic symptoms of these conditions during active duty, which are now shown to be related to his military service. For asthma, a VA examination is needed to determine if it was present in service or due to his other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, Celiac disease, allergic rhinitis, immune deficiency, peripheral neuropathy, muscle disability, and skin disability. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis and sinusitis have been rated at 10 percent since July 26, 2006. The most recent VA examination did not show greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.

The Board has determined that the appeal is premature and remands for further action, including adjudication of the appellant's request to be substituted as the claimant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for allergic rhinitis and bilateral pes planus, as well as his claim for a TDIU based on these conditions, were denied by the RO. The Board found that the current evaluations adequately reflect the severity of the disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for CVID (hypogammaglobulinemia) and bronchiectasis with vasomotor rhinitis and maxillary sinusitis prior to December 29, 2008 were denied.

The Board has restored the Veteran's original 10 percent rating for peptic ulcer disease, and denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, nasal/sinus disorder, and hiatal hernia with reflux esophagitis. The claim for an increased rating for peptic ulcer disease is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for chronic allergic rhinitis with residuals of a deviated septum has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal at the July 2013 Board hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition or its manifestations during service, and the current conditions are not linked to service.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 0 percent, and the evidence does not show that her condition warrants a higher rating.

The Veteran's asthma and other service-connected conditions have not been found to warrant an extraschedular rating or a TDIU prior to October 25, 2006. The VA examinations and clinical records do not indicate that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and address the underlying conditions of his respiratory disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted service connection for arthritis of multiple joints and rhinitis, assigned initial noncompensable disability ratings to the Veteran's migraine headaches, lumbar strain, bilateral knee strains, bilateral ankle strains, hypertension, and anxiety disorder (NOS), and increased the rating for migraine headaches since May 14, 2013.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a bilateral eye disability, hay fever, cellulitis of the face and fungus infection of the left foot. The Veteran's current assertions as to continuity of symptomatology since service raises a question as to whether his current disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been withdrawn. The compensable disability rating for deviated nasal septum and rhinitis is denied. The claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened, but the criteria for service connection are not met. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea remains denied.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is found to be related to service, and his erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to a service-connected condition. The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's lumbar spine arthritis, continuous body aches and joint pains, gastrointestinal disorder, migraine headaches, skin rash, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis are related to service.