Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2018

The appeal for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is dismissed. Service connection is granted for Dupuytren’s Contracture, bilateral knee chondromalacia patella, and tinnitus. The claim for deviated nasal septum, rhinitis, and sinusitis is remanded.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent disability rating for shortness of breath secondary to the service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability and a 10 percent disability rating for allergic rhinitis, both effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied service connection for left and right knee conditions, tinnitus, and allergic rhinitis. Service connection was granted for PTSD with a rating of 50%.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for allergic rhinitis and hypothyroidism have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in December 2017.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disabilities. The claims for bilateral wrist disability, breathing disability (including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis), vision loss disability, cervical spine disability, dizziness, sleep disability, degenerative arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, lower extremities, elbow disability, scoliosis, and traumatic brain injury are remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for allergic rhinitis and found that new evidence supports a reopening. However, it denied the claim as there is no direct causal relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and bronchitis as these conditions are found to be aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to new evidence received after May 2018. The SSOC will address these matters.

The Veteran's 30 percent rating for rhinitis with polyps is restored as of May 1, 2015.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not service-connected and was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected condition.,Degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine was not rated higher than 10 percent prior to May 17, 2018. From May 17, 2018 onwards, it warrants a rating of at least 40 percent.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for hearing loss is granted. Service connection for low back disability, allergic rhinitis, tinnitus, sleep apnea, hypertension, and ED are denied.

The claim for service connection of allergic rhinitis has been reopened. The lung disability and hearing loss claims are denied, and the Veteran is being remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for cervical dysplasia and remanded the issues of service connection for allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left arm disability, headaches, and rhinitis due to conflicting evidence. The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for her left knee patella femoral syndrome and left ankle Achilles' tendonitis are denied as there is no current disability found.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service treatment records are incomplete and requests for these records have not been completed. The Veteran is also requested to provide any additional medical records from private providers, including Dr. Baldwin.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, bilateral ear disability, and sinus condition/allergic rhinitis due to inadequate examination reports. The claims are being returned for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with associated peripheral neuropathy, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, finding that the conditions first manifested in service and are related to service exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for both allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, finding that the Veteran's conditions were caused by pesticide spray exposure during his National Guard service in 1994.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and vernal/atopic conjunctivitis, finding that the conditions first manifested in service. The Veteran's eye disability is also considered as part of this decision.