Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2019

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for sinusitis, sinus headaches, and allergic rhinitis due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis and eczematoid dermatitis are being remanded for further evaluation due to the passage of time since their last examinations.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on both issues, and the Board has dismissed them.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for sleep apnea and denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis with allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis, claimed as sinusitis, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and that any diagnosed conditions are not related to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to new evidence received since his last Statement of the Case. The Veteran is requested to provide information about any recent medical care providers and updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is rated at 30 percent, but no higher. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise regarding the presence of nasal polyps and granted a higher rating.

The Veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease is no longer being appealed for an increased rating.,A higher initial rating of 40 percent has been granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy.,Service connection for residuals of a nose injury and sinusitis (secondary to allergic rhinitis) have been reopened, but not yet established as service-connected.,Service connection for residuals of a right pinkie finger injury has been reopened, but not yet established as service-connected. Service connection for sinusitis (secondary to allergic rhinitis) has also been reopened and is presumed based on the secondary relationship to service-connected allergic rhinitis.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis has been granted, with sinusitis being granted as secondary to allergic rhinitis.,The Veteran's right pinkie finger injury residuals are not yet established as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the Veteran's allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a failure to readjudicate them after additional VA examination and treatment records were added to his file.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection for a tracheal windpipe condition is denied due to lack of evidence of such condition during or recent to his military service.

The Board denied reopening the claims for service connection for right foot pain and allergic rhinitis due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected granulomatous rhinitis is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination to assess the current severity of his disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a compensable rating for his service-connected allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis) from March 7, 2018 to January 9, 2019 due to lack of evidence of greater than 50 percent obstruction of nasal passages on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for a determination on whether it is related to his military service or secondary to PTSD. His respiratory and skin disorders are also remanded, with the need for an addendum opinion regarding their onset in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeal for a separate 10 percent rating for his painful left inguinal herniorrhaphy scar was granted. The appeal for a disability rating greater than 10 percent for his service-connected allergic rhinitis was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to February 1, 2015, for the start of payment of disability compensation based on his service-connected disabilities. The effective date of the grants of service connection was January 1, 2015, but actual payment began on February 1, 2015.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's respiratory disability (allergic rhinitis) and skin cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The hearing loss and tinnitus issues are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a sinus disability and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and a nasal condition, to include a sinus condition and allergic rhinitis due to insufficient consideration of relevant evidence in previous VA examinations.