Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder is granted. The claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating from August 5, 2015, and in excess of 10 percent from August 26, 2021, for allergic rhinitis is denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU effective from July 1, 2018, is granted.

The Veteran's sinusitis is presumed to be due to exposure to particulate matter during service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations. The Veteran's hemorrhoids, anemia, allergic rhinitis, and hypertension are presumed to be related to exposure to particulate matter during service.,The Veteran's pterygium may be related to exposure to ultraviolet radiation and particulate matter during service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and rating of various conditions has been denied. The Board found no evidence to support the claims for bilateral hearing loss, plantar fasciitis, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, glaucoma, cataracts, or allergic rhinitis.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and remanded the issue of an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis.,Service connection was established for sinusitis, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's IBS and chronic rhinitis/sinusitis have been granted service connection due to exposure to burn pits during qualifying periods of active duty. The thoracic spine disability, hemorrhoids, and direct service connection for these conditions are still pending.,Further development is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of the Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability and his hemorrhoids.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and rhinosinusitis. Service connection was denied for left shoulder arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, left knee osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in September 2022 were inadequate and did not comply with the remand directives. Therefore, the claims for service connection are being remanded again to obtain new medical opinions.

The Veteran's hypertension, OSA, respiratory disabilities including vasomotor rhinitis, pansinusitis, and bronchitis are found to be related to service. The heart arrythmia is not considered a disease or disability for VA purposes.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have sinusitis, but he currently has allergic rhinitis. The claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and to consider his exposure in Gulf War service.

The Veteran is granted effective dates of January 28, 2004 for the grant of service connection for right knee strain, left knee strain, osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, cervical spine disability, and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for pneumonia has been dismissed as the claim was recharacterized and granted in a previous rating decision.,Service connection for heart arrhythmia is denied. The Board found that there is no persuasive weight of evidence to support the Veteran's contention that his current condition is related to military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a respiratory disorder, including COPD, was denied as there is no current diagnosis of COPD.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis and nephrolithiasis were also denied due to lack of evidence supporting the required disability picture.

The Board has granted a nonstaged initial rating of 10 percent for the Veteran's rhinitis, effective from the date of service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further development, including obtaining private treatment records from Lake City Community Hospital Clinics related to sinusitis.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral neuropathy of the legs, and TDIU are being remanded as there is insufficient information regarding his military service in Vietnam.,The Veteran's appeals for chronic sinusitis, cervical spine disability, bilateral arm radiculopathy, and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's appeal for TDIU prior to January 15, 2020 is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other claims that require further development.,,,

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and other issues are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 10 percent from January 25, 2013 to December 23, 2019. A rating in excess of 10 percent for the entire appeal period is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's nasal disabilities, including deviated nasal septum, chronic sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis, are related to his service. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were incurred or had their onset during his active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, specifically missing sinus x-rays from Shands Hospital in 2015. The Veteran's service connection for rhinitis and sinusitis is being reviewed.

The Board has found insufficient medical evidence of record to determine the severity of the Veteran's rhinitis and sinusitis throughout the entire appeal period. The issues of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for rhinitis, a compensable disability rating prior to February 28, 2021, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter, for sinusitis, and entitlement to TDIU are REMANDED.