Sinusitis decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a right leg disorder, claimed as a leg length discrepancy, or bilateral mastalgia. The service connection for sinusitis is also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee, bilateral wrist conditions, and bursitis of the hip are not service-connected. The sinusitis claim is pending as it requires further evidence.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining additional service medical records and providing notice of the standards related to reopening previously denied claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, finding that there is no current evidence of chronic sinusitis and noting that any episodes in service were acute and transitory.

The VA denied a higher initial rating for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, which was previously rated at 10 percent since August 9, 1994. The veteran's condition has been evaluated under the revised criteria since October 7, 1996.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to conflicting opinions on the nature and extent of the veteran's service-connected conditions, including his heart problems. The issues include determining which symptoms are related to his service-connected disabilities and how they affect his ability to work.

The Board has ordered the case to be remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the relationship between any current sinus condition and the veteran's service in the military.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches and hernia residuals, render him unable to work due to their severity.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a hearing before the Board at the RO due to his missed scheduled hearing. The issues on appeal include service connection for various conditions and reopening of a previously denied claim.

The Board found no current bilateral knee disorder, denied service connection for allergic conjunctivitis and atopic dermatitis on allergen exposure, but granted service connection for allergic rhinitis. The veteran's hearing loss is rated as zero percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sinusitis, which was initially granted in September 28, 1998, does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent since then. The evidence shows no more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year of headaches, pain, and purulent discharge, without incapacitating episodes or chronic osteomyelitis.

The Board found that the veteran has sufficient bilateral hearing loss to be considered a disability and determined it is as likely as not due to acoustic trauma in service. For sinusitis, the Board noted evidence of chronic sinusitis but no incapacitating episodes or significant treatment required by antibiotics. The claims were remanded for further development.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected chronic maxillary sinusitis is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and further development of the medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, as his combined rating is at least 70% but does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have chronic sinusitis or a chronic respiratory disorder, and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, finding no evidence that his current condition is related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis, finding that the evidence did not show initial onset of the condition during service or aggravation by a pre-existing condition.

The veteran's bronchial asthma is rated at 60 percent, gastroesophageal reflux at 10 percent, and allergic rhinitis remains noncompensable.