Sinusitis decisions — 2020

The Veteran's sinusitis is granted service connection. The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted a 40% rating prior to January 5, 2017 and denied for higher ratings thereafter. The Veteran's cervical spine strain is denied for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and a lack of substantial compliance with previous remands. The Veteran's sinus condition is being reviewed for potential service connection.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis has worsened since his last VA examination, and a new medical evaluation is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer and allergic rhinitis (chronic sinusitis) due to incomplete development. The cases will be reviewed again with additional opinions from medical experts.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, including failure to schedule VA examinations as requested by the Veteran.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and plantar fasciitis/pes planus, finding no evidence of current diagnoses or treatment. The appeal is REMANDED for further examinations to determine the severity of other conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, as well as hypertension. The Veteran's service records show in-service allergies which may be related to his current conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 4, 2009. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to May 29, 2012 and on a schedular basis thereafter.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD and MDD), but denied service connection for CFS. The rating assigned is 30% for the acquired psychiatric disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis, claimed as chronic sinusitis, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and traumatic brain injury also claimed as depression is denied.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities since March 1, 2014. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU have been met from this date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to the lack of a VA examination addressing the relationship between his immune, joint, sinus, pulmonary, psychiatric, and hypertension disabilities and active service. The Veteran is also required to provide information about any private healthcare providers who have treated him for these conditions.

The Board has granted the readjudication of the claim for service connection for arthritis of the left knee due to new and relevant evidence. The claims for dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, chronic maxillary sinusitis, and hemorrhoids remain pending as they were not successfully reopened.

The Veteran's initial rating for chronic allergic rhinitis with recurrent sinusitis was denied, but a separate 10 percent rating was granted for chronic sinusitis from October 21, 2008 and a 30 percent rating was assigned effective January 29, 2020.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sinusitis began during service and has persisted since then, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as not related to service.,Service connection for chronic frontal and maxillary sinusitis has been granted with a rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for sinus headaches is denied. The Board found that the earliest date of receipt of a claim was July 1, 2019.

The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at a maximum of 50 percent prior to July 22, 2019. Since then, the rating has been denied as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher ratings.,For rhinitis, the Veteran was previously denied a compensable rating and now remains in denial with no higher ratings being granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and gynecological disorders, including uterine fibroids and heavy menstrual periods. The issues have been remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether these conditions pre-existed her active service or were aggravated by it.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for earaches and an increased rating for allergic rhinitis with chronic rhinosinusitis are being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, a VA examination, and medical opinions regarding her symptoms and diagnoses.