Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical records and need for further examinations.

The Board has remanded both issues for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and providing the Veteran with VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected allergic rhinitis and septal deviation, as well as his bilateral toenail onychomycosis. The Veteran also challenges the adequacy of the last VA examination conducted in August 2012.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to an inadequate addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed sinus condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and determine if there are any new or material issues related to his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's myofascial lumbar syndrome is service connected, but denied a compensable rating for his allergic rhinitis from May 10, 2008.

The Veteran is granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, but his right ear hearing loss claim is denied. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis and a benign intradermal nevus (left eyelid) are also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's Meniere's syndrome is rated at 60 percent disabling, effective from the date of the decision. The Board found that her symptoms most closely approximated attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring one to four times a month.

The Veteran's current diagnosed bilateral shin splints are found to have their inception during service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for left and right leg shin splints.,For his recurrent sinusitis and seasonal allergic rhinitis, the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that these conditions had their onset during active duty from June 2002 to June 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a rhino-sinus disability, erectile dysfunction, and psychiatric disorder. The decision found no nexus between the current disabilities and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or in-service incurrences that could be related to the claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection and assigned initial ratings for the Veteran's right foot disability, left elbow tendonitis, and vertigo. The rating for Freiberg infraction of the right foot remains at 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and VA treatment records. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to determine his current diagnoses related to allergic rhinitis and heart disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for a chronic respiratory disorder, finding that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim. The Veteran's symptoms are attributed to known clinical diagnoses of allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, and it is at least as likely as not that her chronic respiratory disorder had its onset during military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and consideration of the medical records from Fort Leonard Wood submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran is currently in receipt of SMC at the rate equal to subsection (m) based on the loss of use of both legs due to service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities with additional disability (service-connected bronchial asthma) independently ratable as 100 percent disabling from August 20, 2009. The Veteran's claims for higher levels of SMC under 38 C.F.R. � 3.350(f)(3) and 38 U.S.C.A. � 1114(o) have been denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for allergic rhinitis was denied, but he was granted service connection for his acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive type) as being secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's chronic rhinitis with sinusitis is not productive of nasal polyps, greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides, complete obstruction on one side, incapacitating episodes, three-six non-incapacitating episodes per year, or headaches, pain, or purulent discharge or crusting due to sinusitis. Therefore, a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for further development. The issues include rating his anxiety and depressive disorder, increased hearing loss disability, left ear hearing loss, cervical spine, lumbar spine, right knee, ischemic heart disease, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted an effective date of March 1, 2007 for the grant of service connection for bronchial asthma, resolving a doubt in favor of the Veteran.