Sinusitis decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sciatica and allergic rhinitis due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back disability, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches due to their potential connection to service in the Gulf War theater of operations. The VA is required to provide a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and dizzy spells/vertigo due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's exposure to pesticides in Korea is being investigated further.

The Board has remanded the claims for high cholesterol, PTSD, left carpal tunnel syndrome, scar from cesarean sections, hysterectomy, left oophorectomy, tinnitus, pelvic pain after childbirth, right shoulder dislocation, rhinitis and sinusitis (claimed as allergies), bilateral plantar fasciitis, hypertension, eczema, lumbar spine arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and severe alopecia (claimed as cicatrical scarring alopecia) for additional development to verify service records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic maxillary sinusitis, erosive esophagitis, and stomach cancer due to exposure to D1-2 Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DOP). The VA is instructed to obtain all relevant records and schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory, skin, allergic rhinitis, and neurological disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.

An effective date of March 16, 2009, for the grant of service connection for sinusitis is granted.,An effective date prior to April 22, 2013, for the grant of service connection for traumatic brain injury (TBI) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including MAI, allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, renal cyst, and muscle weakness (related to myasthenia gravis), have been denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's combined disability rating from July 11, 2012, through August 8, 2017, was accurately assigned as 80 percent due to the service-connected conditions. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings on neck disability, right knee disorder, PTSD, sinusitis, and hypertension are in need of further development due to the possibility of worsening since his last VA examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is intertwined with these rating claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, sinusitis with congestion (claimed as secondary to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The appeals were based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is not compensable as there are no polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred during service and is not related to any in-service injury, event, or disease. The condition began many years after separation from active duty.,Obstructive sleep apnea was not diagnosed during service and the Veteran did not have a CPAP machine prescribed for this condition while on active duty.,Diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability. The Veteran does not meet the requirement of presumed herbicide exposure as per 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).,Bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.,Bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis due to new and material evidence. The claim for erectile dysfunction remains denied as there is no direct or secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the evidence does not establish a link between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. Service connection is therefore denied.,Service connection was denied for hypothyroidism as there is no evidence of its onset during service or within one year thereafter. The Veteran's claim for residuals of squamous cell carcinoma has also been denied due to lack of a diagnosis in service or soon after discharge.,The Veteran's Peyronie’s disease claim remains pending, with the Board finding that current evidence does not support a diagnosis in service or shortly after separation from active duty.,Service connection was denied for allergic rhinitis as there is no evidence of obstruction meeting the criteria set forth in VA's rating schedule. The Veteran's request for an increased disability rating remains pending.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis has not been rated higher than zero percent due to lack of nasal obstruction or polyps.,Service connection for sinusitis was denied in December 2008 and the claim is now reopened.

The Board has denied service connection for urethral/bladder problems and granted restoration of ratings for allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis. The decision also found that the reduction in disability ratings from 10 percent to noncompensable was improper.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis was denied as there is no new and material evidence to support the claim.,Service connection for pelvic tilt condition, GERD, and pes planus were all denied as they are not related to any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the issue of a higher rating for xerosis with pruritis. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition and sinusitis due to insufficient evidence of record.