Sinusitis decisions — 2015

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability, sinusitis, and right foot disability due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran does not have current disabilities for which he seeks service connection.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's sinusitis and sleep apnea are due to an event or incident of his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found no current disability of the sinuses related to active service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any current bilateral elbow disability, left knee disability, left hip disability, or sinusitis that can be attributed to active service. The lumbosacral spine disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

Service connection is granted for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, as well as degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.,The Veteran's eye disorder and right thumb disorder claims are pending and require further examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's migraine headaches preexisted service and were not aggravated by service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to need for additional development and medical opinion regarding service connection for sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disability, including asthma and sinusitis, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of her current respiratory conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, reopened and service connection claims were addressed. The rating reduction of the left index finger was upheld, but a new effective date was granted for some of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis has not been shown to meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule, as it does not result in incapacitating episodes or non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and left leg sciatic nerve condition, finding that there is no evidence of a preexisting condition aggravated by active duty or otherwise related to his period of service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sinusitis warrants a 10 percent rating, but no higher, based on his symptoms of headaches, pain and crusting.

The Veteran's service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus is found to be the cause of his obstructive sleep apnea, and therefore he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing. The appeal is not about service connection and thus no rating or effective date is assigned.

The Veteran's deviated nasal septum and chronic bilateral maxillary and ethmoid sinusitis do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's sinus condition was noted on entry to service and did not undergo an increase in severity during active duty. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder, including allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, is denied.

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent for service-connected disabilities from June 1, 2004 to March 10, 2005 and 90 percent thereafter meets the threshold requirements for a TDIU. The appeal is granted.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for additional development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's eye condition. The appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current right ear hearing loss or sinusitis disabilities for VA compensation purposes. For his low back disability, the Board finds that service connection is not warranted as there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service and the medical opinion indicates it is less likely than not related to service.