Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and requests for additional development. The Veteran's respiratory disability, including allergic rhinitis or hay fever, is presumed to have been caused by in-service exposure to an herbicide agent while serving in Vietnam.

The Board has found that additional development is needed for the issues on appeal, including obtaining outstanding records and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's service-connected conditions of sinusitis, major depressive disorder, chondromalacia patella, right knee, and chronic lumbosacral strain/sprain are still under review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed sinus condition that originated in service or is otherwise etiologically related to his active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a sinus condition is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, but his service connection claim for chronic allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinus condition) was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for kidney stones was denied in July 2015, and the claim has been reopened due to new evidence. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.,Service connection for IBS was granted in July 2015 with an effective date of November 19, 2014. The Veteran's appeal regarding the effective date is dismissed as untimely.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, major depressive disorder, and rhinitis have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.