Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2013

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and clarification of the Veteran's claim regarding nasal disability, to include rhinitis. The issue remains whether service connection is warranted.

The Board has determined that the issues of entitlement to service connection for pulmonary fibrosis with oxygen dependence and sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected sinusitis are inextricably intertwined with the TDIU issue. The case is therefore being remanded for further adjudication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right thumb, residuals of left fifth finger injury, rhinitis (claimed as hay fever), and a skin disorder have been denied. The evidence does not establish new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder, claimed as sinusitis and allergic rhinitis. The claim was initially denied in 1996 but reopened due to new evidence. After multiple remands, the Board found that the Veteran's condition first manifested during his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a single VA examination to assess the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current allergic rhinitis is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, finding that there is no medical evidence or opinion linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an upper respiratory disorder, including chronic sinusitis and non-allergic rhinitis. The evidence did not show that any current sinus disability began during or was caused by his military service.

The Veteran's sinus disability, characterized by nasal obstruction and hypertrophy of the turbinates, did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation prior to January 13, 2011, or an evaluation greater than 10 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with asthmatic bronchitis, pain disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with Crohn's disease, and allergic rhinitis, have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the current level of impairment resulting from her service-connected chronic sinusitis with rhinitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his right knee disability and allergic rhinitis. The VA will provide the Veteran with a new examination to determine if his current conditions are related to service, as well as the percentage of nasal obstruction due to allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his rhino-sinus disability and whether it is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic upper respiratory disorder, including recurrent sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, is service-connected as it is related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's asthma was granted a rating of 30 percent effective June 1, 2011. The appeals for sinusitis and allergic rhinitis remain pending.

The Veteran's asthma, with allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, has been rated at 10 percent since the grant of service connection. The right eye condition remains noncompensable.

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and the need for further records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a respiratory disorder, including OSA, is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examination and consideration of new evidence. The claims for service connection, COPD, and TDIU are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation above 10 percent for seasonal allergic rhinitis with reactive airway disease, diabetes mellitus was not incurred in active duty, hyperlipidemia is a laboratory finding, joint pain as a manifestation of a separately diagnosed disability from the service-connected left ankle arthritis and cervical and thoracolumbar spine arthritis did not have its onset during active military service, a thoracic spine disability representing a separately diagnosed disability from the service-connected thoracolumbar spine arthritis was not incurred in active duty, obstructive sleep apnea did not have its onset during active military service and is not etiologically related to, or otherwise worsened beyond its natural clinical progression by, service-connected seasonal allergic rhinitis with reactive airway disease. The claims for tuberculosis, a corneal abrasion of the right eye, and CTS of the left wrist were denied as well.