Sinusitis decisions — 2009

The Veteran's sinusitis with allergic rhinitis is rated at 30 percent, and his diabetes mellitus is rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, sinusitis, and rhinitis prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found no current diagnosis of sinusitis and denied service connection for chronic sinusitis. Service connection was also denied for chronic back pain due to lack of evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, rated at a combined 70 percent disabling, preclude her from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment. As such, TDIU is granted.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's back disability to service or his service-connected knee disability. The claim for sinusitis was denied as there is no in-service diagnosis and no current evidence of a chronic condition.,For the respiratory disorder, the Board noted that while bronchitis has been diagnosed, it did not find any link to service or an undiagnosed illness. The loss of taste and smell were attributed to a non-service connected deviated septum.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to active service. Service connection was denied for a nose or throat condition (claimed as sinusitis) due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for the Veteran's left shoulder disorder, sinusitis, sleep apnea, nephrolithiasis with left back pain, and residuals of hyperextension injury of the right wrist. The appeal regarding these claims is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability. The Veteran's other claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, nervous stomach disorder, dizziness, nausea and vertigo, sinusitis, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims were found to lack new and material evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and assigned an effective date of November 30, 2005. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective date for polyarthropathy of multiple joints is denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for erectile dysfunction, service connection for hypoglycemia, and service connection for costochondritis. As such, these issues are dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis and emphysema, as there is no persuasive evidence of current disability or pathology attributable to these conditions. The Veteran's claims for headaches, left knee chondromalacia, right foot stress fracture, upper respiratory infections (including allergic rhinitis), neurogenic bladder, sleep apnea, and initial rating higher than 10 percent for cervical spine degenerative disc disease were also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been granted, with a 10 percent evaluation for nonallergic vasomotor rhinitis and chronic maxillary sinusitis since July 29, 2004. The claim for GERD remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current chronic sinusitis is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic sinusitis is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his current condition is related to his military service, specifically his exposure during the Gulf War.

The Board denied higher initial ratings for the service-connected left ventricular hypertrophy and sinusitis, but granted an initial noncompensable evaluation for the service-connected left varicocele.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA examinations and attempting to obtain a spousal examination report.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions. The claim for sinusitis is remanded as it requires further development.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.