Allergic rhinitis Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's allergic rhinitis originated during her active duty, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's death was not caused by a disability incurred in or aggravated by service, nor did service-connected disability cause or contribute to his death. The criteria for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35 have also not been met.

The Board granted service connection for residuals of nasal surgery and increased the initial rating for headaches to 50 percent. The claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids and varicose veins were denied.

The Board found no current diagnoses for the claimed conditions and concluded that service connection was not established for a right kidney disorder, low blood pressure, vasomotor rhinitis, ulcers, or lupus. The veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a cyst of the scrotum, prostatitis, rhinitis, headaches, nerve condition and muscle twitching, psychiatric disability, skin rash, joint and muscle pain, and digestive problems. The appeal is considered 'denied' as all issues were denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and allergic rhinitis. The residuals of a tonsillectomy are also denied as there is no evidence of symptomatology attributable to this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sinusitis with sinus headaches and acute rhinitis does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6513.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, and a deviated nasal septum due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to her active service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and several skin disorders. The appeals were reopened on new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis. The issue of service connection for residuals, implant, first metatarsophalangeal joint of the left foot remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board found that the veteran does not have chronic bacterial rhinitis or Wegener's granulomatosis. The evidence did not support service connection for either condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings and to reopen service connection claims are not clear enough, and thus remanded for further development.

The Board has found that the veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service and arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The chronic respiratory disability (sinusitis and rhinitis) claim is remanded for further development.

The veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, effective October 4, 2000, resulted in a combined disability rating of 80 percent. The RO determined that the veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, effective October 4, 2000.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his service connection claims and increased rating claim.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to conflicting diagnoses and inadequate evidence regarding the onset of his claimed conditions during service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for seasonal allergic rhinitis and sinusitis were denied as the evidence did not show that her conditions warranted a higher rating.

The veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is manifested by subjective complaints of sneezing, headaches, non-incapacitating sinusitis, coughing, and hoarseness for several months each year. The need for continuous use of medications but only occasional episodes of upper respiratory tract infection have been objectively confirmed during the initial evaluation period.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic rhinitis/sinusitis does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent, as there was no evidence of polyps or incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment. The deviated nasal septum was diagnosed but not confirmed by CT scan.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for a compensable initial evaluation for a service-connected seasonal allergic rhinitis disorder. The remaining issues of increased evaluations for costochondritis, right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, left knee patellofemoral pain syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are pending.