Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's service-connected chronic rhinitis is productive of greater than fifty percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side, warranting a 10% disability rating.

The Veteran's sinusitis is currently rated at 30 percent for the period prior to February 15, 2012, and a compensable rating (30 percent) thereafter.,The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, and a sleep disorder. The claim for an increased rating for major depressive disorder with schizoaffective disorder remains pending.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings on all three issues: irritable bowel syndrome, lumbar spine disability, and allergic rhinitis. As a result, the Board dismisses these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic sinusitis, increased rating for headaches, and initial disability rating for asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory disorders did not pre-exist service and are not otherwise related to service or his service-connected PTSD. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claims for low back disability, allergic rhinitis, and inguinal hernia were denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination and additional medical records. The goal of the examination is to gather information about the severity of his sinus disability and allergic rhinitis, including the frequency of incapacitating episodes.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder and hypertension are service-connected, with the initial disability rating for residuals of colon cancer being granted at a 40 percent level.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of claims.

The Veteran's OSA is found to be aggravated by his service-connected sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, thus granting service connection for OSA on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's sinus disorder has not caused incapacitating episodes or non-incapacitating episodes characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge. The deviated nasal septum with rhinitis did not cause blockage of greater than 50 percent of each nasal passage or total blockage of at least one nasal passage prior to June 10, 2009. Since then, the evidence does not indicate the presence of nasal polyps related to the deviated septum and rhinitis.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction secondary to a psychiatric disability and tinea pedis, have been granted. The initial rating assigned is 30 percent for dyssomnia.

The Board finds that the Veteran's son, D.T., is not entitled to recognition as a helpless child of the Veteran due to his permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining age 18. The evidence does not establish that D.T.'s ADHD and other conditions render him permanently incapable of self-support.

The Veteran's nasal fracture with deviated septum and rhinitis resulted in a compensable rating of 10 percent effective March 11, 2013. Prior to this date, the disability was not service-connected.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is not shown to have greater than 50 percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides, nor complete obstruction on one side during the period on appeal. Therefore, the criteria for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis have not been met.

The Board has granted service connection for a deviated nasal septum as secondary to a healed fracture of the bridge of the nose. The issue of chronic rhinitis with Eustachian tube dysfunction is remanded due to conflicting medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including updated employment and educational history, VA treatment records, and a comprehensive examination to determine the severity of her service-connected disabilities and their impact on her employability.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for April 27, 2013 treatment at Florida Hospital Flagler are denied as the services were not rendered in an emergency that would have been hazardous to his health.