Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the remaining claims on appeal can be decided. The Veteran's psychiatric disability may be related to his active service, and a VA examination should be scheduled for this purpose.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sinus problems, claimed as sinusitis, rhinitis, and sleep apnea due to conflicting evidence regarding diagnoses and their relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine, left shoulder, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, lymphatic cancer of the neck, oropharyngeal or tonsil cancer, and hypertension are all remanded due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran is also required to undergo a new VA examination to evaluate his acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and insomnia).

The Veteran's sinus disability, diagnosed as allergic rhinitis, is granted service connection. His right eye disability is denied. The Veteran's back disability is granted a rating of 10 percent prior to September 16, 2018 and 60 percent since then.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent evaluation for allergic rhinitis is granted. The claim for an increased rating for chronic sinusitis is remanded.

The Veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate, thus denying a nonservice-connected pension.

The Board has decided that the initial evaluations for chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis with a deviated septum should be remanded due to lack of VA treatment records and an outdated examination.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and sarcoidosis, but denied for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's cause of death due to sarcoidosis is also confirmed.,The claim for asthma remains pending as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating determinations due to incomplete records from Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital, a need for additional VA medical opinions regarding headaches and prostate cancer/kidney disabilities, and an issue with secondary service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis prior to February 11, 2015. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis is granted from November 15, 2016 forward. The issues of service connection for sinusitis and headaches are remanded due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis with sinusitis, finding that there is no causal relationship between the two conditions.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected, with the onset likely during active duty.,Service connection for a left shoulder disorder secondary to right shoulder strain is denied.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis due to insufficient reasons and bases in the previous decision, specifically failing to consider the ameliorative effects of medication on the Veteran's symptoms.

The Veteran's interocular fragments in both crystalline lenses and allergic rhinitis were denied as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Board has remanded three issues for further development: service connection for a stomach disorder, service connection for rhinitis, and service connection for knots over various parts of the entire body. The Veteran's claims are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for liver damage, AC joint arthritis of the left shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left wrist, degenerative disease of the left knee, degenerative changes of the right knee, chronic cervical strain with radiculopathy/neuropathy, lumbar strain, allergic rhinitis, and PTSD have all been denied. The Veteran's claim for prurigo is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis and denied an increased rating for type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was not related to his military service, and the criteria for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus were not met.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from October 25, 2016 to September 28, 2017. TDIU is granted for this period. The issue of service connection for dizziness/vertigo as a residual of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is remanded.

The Veteran's initial claim for allergic rhinitis was denied, and his claim for coronary artery disease under the 1151 statute was also denied. The Board found that there was no new evidence received since the August 2010 rating decision to reopen the service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss.