Sinusitis decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and traumatic brain injury, but denied service connection for hypertension. The claims for hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the submission of new evidence.

An initial compensable rating for chronic sinusitis and left ear hearing loss has been denied.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss has also been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, and sleep apnea have been denied. His claim for an increased rating for PTSD has also been denied.

The Veteran's claims for clothing allowances related to topical medications and Attends protective underwear were denied. However, the Veteran was granted a clothing allowance for using a back and abdominal brace due to her umbilical hernia disability.

The Board has denied service connection for TBI due to a lack of evidence of current disability or residuals thereof.,Service connection is remanded for respiratory disability, including sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were granted, with effective dates of October 1, 2010. The issues are related to his active duty service.

The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for OSA because the only medical opinion provided does not address whether the Veteran's sinusitis at least as likely as not aggravated his OSA beyond its natural progression.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea disorder as secondary to his service-connected rhinitis with sinusitis, finding that the weight gain after separation from service rather than the service-connected condition caused or aggravated the current sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and increased ratings has been granted, but effective dates prior to the date of receipt of claims are denied. The Veteran is also granted TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and traumatic brain injury as there was no probative medical evidence linking the current disabilities to service.

The Veteran's sinusitis has not been manifested by incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment or non-incapacitating episodes characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge. Therefore, a compensable rating is denied.,Diabetes mellitus, Type II, requires only a restricted diet and oral hypoglycemic agent but does not require insulin or regulation of activities. Thus, the current 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus remains unchanged.,The Veteran's sleep apnea has not been confirmed by VA records, and further clarification is needed regarding its nature and etiology as well as whether it is related to service-connected conditions.,TBI was added to the already service-connected PTSD without separate ratings. The issue of an initial compensable rating for TBI remains unresolved.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to exposure during Project SHAD.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle disability, ethmoid sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, and headache. The Veteran's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted since the final denial in December 2015.

The Veteran's chronic constipation, seborrheic dermatitis and tinea versicolor, right eye disability, chronic sinusitis, chronic sweating of the feet, and scars of the breasts and abdomen have been granted service connection. The Veteran's hypertension has not resulted in a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient evidence for the claims of service connection for COPD and an initial compensable rating for a lung condition. The VA will obtain additional medical records, conduct a new examination with pulmonary function tests, and provide an opinion on whether COPD is related to service or caused by the service-connected lung condition.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including rhinitis, smell disturbance, taste disturbance, asbestosis, headaches, and liver disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions began during service or were related to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and a skin disorder of the bilateral feet, including onychomycosis, need to be remanded due to failure to provide VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for a 50% rating for headaches, SMC at the housebound rate, and TDIU. The earliest factually ascertainable date for the assignment of a 50% rating for headaches is May 13, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for sinus disorder, headaches secondary to a sinus disorder, and low back disorder due to potential issues with medical records and lack of progression documentation.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial disability rating for allergic rhinitis and hypertension is denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.