Sinusitis decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service connection claim for allergic rhinitis is denied because there is no evidence of the condition during his military service and no competent medical opinion supports a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate these claims due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings have been denied. The Board found that the criteria for an earlier effective date were not met, as the effective date assigned was the day following discharge from service. For other issues, no higher rating could be assigned based on current evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis or allergic rhinitis, and mononucleosis. The evidence did not support his assertions of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation of 30 percent for migraine headaches has been granted.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis was denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The Veteran’s current diagnosis is considered transitory and not related to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and chronic sinusitis (previously claimed as sinus congestion), finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service, including his presumed Otto fuel exposure. Service connection was also granted for sinus congestion based on new evidence submitted since the last denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to conflicting diagnoses and lack of exposure information. Further examinations are needed to determine the current severity of his allergic rhinitis, as well as whether any gastrointestinal reflux disease, elbow bursitis, or dermatitis are related to active service.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial compensable rating for right maxillary sinusitis, service connection for a right eye condition (secondary to service-connected right maxillary sinusitis), and service connection for a neck condition and left knee condition due to non-compliance with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for allergic rhinitis was dismissed. The petition to reopen his previously denied claim for a back disability is granted, and the issues of service connection for a back disability, right lumbar radiculopathy, left lumbar radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis are remanded.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for sinusitis prior to July 15, 2015 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment or more than three non-incapacitating episodes with headaches, pain, and purulent discharge.,For the period beginning July 15, 2015 to December 20, 2016, a separate compensable rating for allergic rhinitis was granted. The Board found that the Veteran had seven or more non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis with headaches, pain, and purulent discharge over the past twelve months.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for allergic rhinitis is being remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding his in-service exposure and complaints.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his prostatitis, tinnitus, gout, sinusitis, hypertension, and degenerative arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the lack of a nexus opinion linking his current conditions to his period of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The claims for service connection have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them. The Veteran's conditions are not presumed due to exposure to herbicides or other specific in-service events.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for allergic rhinitis is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The examiner must assess the current degree of nasal passage obstruction and determine if the Veteran’s history of 'right nasal papilloma' and 'left nasal fibrous papule and hyperplastic sebaceous gland' results in greater than 50 percent obstruction on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and migraine headaches have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions, and the evidence does not support a finding that they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development of medical evidence, including obtaining treatment records and providing an opinion regarding the etiology of the claimed conditions.