Sinusitis decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to obtain VA treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sinusitis and headaches are related to his service-connected asthma.,Service connection for hypertension is not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis and nasal polyps), and tension headaches (claimed as migraine headaches) are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's sinusitis and allergic rhinitis have been granted service connection. The issues regarding PTSD ratings remain pending.

The Veteran's asthmatic allergic bronchitis has required daily inhalational or oral bronchodilator therapy, meeting the criteria for a 60 percent disability rating. Her sinusitis is not rated separately as it does not meet the criteria for chronic frontal sinusitis with involvement of two or more adjacent cranial nerves.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all issues related to the initial evaluations for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, a scar of the dorsum of the left hand, and chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied, but his reduction in disability rating from 30% to 0% for chronic sinusitis with allergic rhinitis was granted. The appeal is mixed as it includes both a denial and a grant of benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected paravertebral myositis required convalescence beyond September 30, 2008, and thus denied extension of his temporary total disability rating (TTR).

The Veteran's service-connected seasonal allergic rhinitis/sinusitis was rated at 10 percent before February 11, 2008 and increased to 30 percent effective February 11, 2008.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, low back disability, right hip ileopsoas tendinitis, and left hip ileopsoas tendinitis. The Veteran's symptoms have been present since her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder, headache disorder, sinusitis, gastroenteritis, upper back disability, and low back disability. The appeals were based on direct evidence of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions of chronic bronchial asthma, chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, chronic laryngitis, and chronic pharyngitis were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's sinusitis with headaches is productive of three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year, warranting a 10 percent disability rating for the period prior to March 15, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected sinusitis is not manifested by three or more incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge. Therefore, the criteria for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent are not met.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and SSA records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and provide a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling examinations, and readjudicating his claims.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claims for service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and sinusitis based on new evidence related to herbicide exposure. The claim is now considered for merits.

The Board has determined that additional information is needed regarding the Veteran's service dates and to schedule him for a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, onset and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for benefits based on his dependent child's continued education at an approved educational institution from her 18th birthday was denied due to the failure to submit timely notice of such attendance.