Sinusitis decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and examination to address his claims for allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric condition, and a lung condition. The Veteran also has pending issues regarding the rating of his left breast scar and entitlement to SMC on account of anatomical loss of one breast.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, specifically non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis and sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for fibromyalgia, glaucoma, PTSD, migraine headaches secondary to sleep apnea syndrome, left ankle disorder, left foot disorder, right foot disorder, right elbow disorder, chronic sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, undiagnosed illness, medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, and right ear hearing loss have been dismissed. The Veteran's claim for glaucoma has been reopened but not granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, or hiatal hernia and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination during a period of flare up.

The Veteran's right upper extremity/shoulder disability and an upper respiratory disorder (allergic rhinitis) have been granted service connection. The rating for the left humerus painful motion has been increased to 10 percent, while a higher rating is denied from August 2, 2012. A separate 20 percent rating for left humerus limitation of flexion is granted starting July 26, 2018. The Veteran's right wrist disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of sinusitis has been granted. However, the issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis is remanded due to lack of available SSD records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's migraines are caused by his service-connected sinusitis.

The Veteran's sinusitis and allergic rhinitis were granted service connection as they are related to her active duty service.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity sciatica was granted as it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of hearing loss for VA purposes during the appeal period.,The Veteran's sinusitis and allergic rhinitis claims are both denied as they do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's tinnitus, mild left ventricular hypertrophy, and sinusitis are all found to have onset during her active duty service. Service connection is granted for these conditions. The Veteran's PTSD is also granted an increased rating.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus and chronic sinusitis are granted service connection. The Veteran's IVDS with lumbosacral strain is denied increased ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and to obtain updated VA examinations.,The Veteran has multiple issues related to his service-connected disabilities, including increased ratings for various knee disorders, shoulder strain, wrist strain, thoracic spine compression fracture, cervical spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral plantar fasciitis with first metatarsophalangeal joint degenerative arthritis, pansinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and tension headaches. Additionally, he seeks service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and right flank condition with numbness.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic sinusitis but denied service connection for a dental condition. The cervical strain claim is remanded due to the lack of an opinion on its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbar spine was denied due to lack of evidence showing a link between his current condition and military service. The claim for PTSD has been reopened, but not granted as there is no credible supporting evidence that the claimed in-service stressors occurred.,The Veteran's claims for left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, conjunctivitis, sinusitis, tinea pedis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were all denied as there is no evidence to support these conditions were incurred during or related to his military service.

The Board has decided that further development is required due to the Veteran's reported flare-ups of her sinusitis and rhinitis disabilities, which may affect their severity ratings.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions and missing VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for her low back disability, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, deviated septum with sinusitis, right wrist scar, and PTSD with depression was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any condition.

The Veteran's asthma, chronic sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis are all found to be due to service. The appeals for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran's left knee disability, sinusitis, residuals of left index and long finger surgery, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and left index and middle finger scarring are all under review.