Allergic rhinitis Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a sinus condition and residuals of vasculitis, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as it is caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected sinusitis, rhinitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 10 percent, effective September 23, 2024. The Board found that the evidence supported this rating as it did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on nasal polyps.

The Veteran's widow is not entitled to DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because he was never rated as totally disabled, and his only service-connected disability did not meet the ten-year requirement.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted service connection. The issues of increased ratings for right ring finger disability, left ear growth disability, and swollen lymph node disability are withdrawn. Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted with a 10% rating. Service connection for hyperhidrosis is granted with a 30% rating.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's rhinitis, finding that his disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Board has granted a 10 percent initial disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected rhinitis, finding that his symptoms more nearly approximated greater than 50 percent obstruction of both nasal passages on both sides.

The Board has denied service connection for left foot pain, right foot pain, right knee strain, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the record.

The Veteran's initial claim for non-allergic rhinitis was denied, and the claims for chronic sinusitis and a bilateral foot condition (claimed as fallen arches) were remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an extension of time to file a Board Appeal request regarding the April 18, 2024 rating decision that granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, rhinitis, and migraines and denied service connection for a left knee strain. The appeal was dismissed as untimely.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a service-connected condition resulting in allergic rhinitis, residual scars of the left shoulder, bilateral tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as adjustment disorder), a cervical and cervicothoracic region pain disorder, radicular pain of the right upper extremity, or chronic sinusitis. The Veteran's hearing loss disability claim was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable disability ratings for chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and tension headaches have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a 10% or higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for chronic allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and chronic eustachian tube dysfunction with vertigo have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for any of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction with vertigo was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for glaucoma, bilateral foot disability, and sleep apnea were denied. The claim for allergic rhinitis was granted with a 10% rating assigned effective June 21, 2022 (the date of the supplemental claim). The claim for costochondritis with subluxations of the costochondral joints was granted.

The Veteran's claim for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing and an earlier effective date for SMC at the housebound rate has been denied. The Veteran does not meet the specific legal criteria required to establish eligibility for these benefits.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for allergic rhinitis and lumbar spine degenerative disc disease with strain residuals is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's sinusitis was granted a 30 percent evaluation, effective from the date of claim (September 8, 2020).,An effective date prior to April 12, 2023 for the grant of a 30 percent evaluation for rhinitis is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to missing VA records and unsuccessful attempts to retrieve private treatment records. The Veteran is advised to submit any available private information.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's respiratory disability existed prior to service and was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's prescribed topical skin medication, triamcinolone cream, caused irreparable damage to his clothing and the Board granted a clothing allowance for 2020 based on this.