Sinusitis decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected low back disability and an opinion on whether he is unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD is etiologically related to service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, sinusitis, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus disorders. The RO/AMC will obtain service treatment records from his period of active duty in the United States Army from January to June 1978, verify his periods of reserve service, and schedule him for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a link between his current conditions and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for GERD, but found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of service connection for sinusitis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic sinusitis and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension and sinusitis have been granted service connection, but the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals on the issues of service connection for sinusitis and an increased initial evaluation for migraine headaches. The claims for service connection for dyshidrosis of bilateral feet, a neurological disorder of the left hand (claimed as left palm nerve condition), TMJ, and bruxism were denied due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for sinusitis, a skin disability, a breathing disability, headaches and an eye disability in an April 2011 letter. As such, these claims are dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and an initial rating higher than 10 percent for right ankle sprain due to a lack of evidence establishing a causal relationship between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's allergy disorder was incurred in active service and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for this condition. The criteria for a TDIU rating have also been met, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and bronchitis have been granted. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending. The claim for a compensable rating for hypoglycemia has not been addressed.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, a left knee disorder, and right wrist and sinusitis disabilities. The decision also addressed her TDIU claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the initial ratings for chronic sinusitis, residuals of mycoplasma pneumonia associated with chronic sinusitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The appeal for an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is referred to the AOJ.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and rhinosinusitis, as well as his service connection claims, were denied by the Board. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently suffer from sinusitis or epistaxis, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied. The initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and increased initial rating for cervical spine disability have also been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for facial burns, pseudofolliculitis barbae, sinusitis, carpal tunnel syndrome (cervical radiculopathy), skin pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis with bone spurs of the right shoulder, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for hemorrhoids. The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's rhinosinusitis with a left deviated nasal septum does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO. The issues include reopening his claim of service connection for sterility and various other conditions.