Sinusitis decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for her right maxillary sinusitis and service connection for migraine headaches, as secondary to her service-connected sinusitis due to additional development being required.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder, anxiety, and depression), and lumbar spine osteoarthritis. The criteria for direct service connection have been met in all cases.

The Veteran's sinusitis is granted service connection, and his left and right knee strains are denied initial ratings in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and the Board has remanded these issues to obtain medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions provided are inadequate and requires additional remands for addendum opinions regarding whether the Veteran's disabilities are aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disability, COPD with asthma, or tobacco use disorders.

The Veteran's neck disability appeal has been withdrawn and dismissed.,Claims for service connection for right eye glaucoma and left eye glaucoma have been reopened due to new evidence submitted since the September 2015 rating decision.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at 10 percent prior to February 13, 2019 and greater than 30 percent thereafter. The claim for a higher rating remains pending.,The Veteran's GERD is currently rated at 10 percent. A higher rating is not warranted based on the current evidence.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim requires additional medical examination to determine its relationship to service.,Service connection for PTSD is remanded due to inadequate VA examination in April 2019.,Service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy greater than 10 percent are both remanded.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left eye glaucoma secondary to service-connected disabilities must be remanded due to inadequate VA examination in November 2018.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's sinus conditions and their relationship to service-connected traumatic deviated nasal septum status post septoplasty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of nexus opinion for the Veteran's claimed allergic rhinitis. A new VA examination and/or opinion is required.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and review of additional VA treatment records. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to respond before the appeal is returned to the AOJ.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic sinusitis, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), all associated with herbicide exposure.,Service connection was also granted for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett's esophagus, both secondary to service-connected sinusitis.

The Veteran's service-connected Wegener's granulomatosis is found to be at least as likely as not the cause of his diagnosed kidney condition, respiratory condition (COPD), and sinusitis.,Service connection for Wegener's granulomatosis has been granted.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and kidney stones. The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is rated at 50% from October 1, 2021.,Service connection for tinnitus was established as it was related to hazardous noise exposure during active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied for low back, right hip, left hip, right knee, left knee, bilateral pes planus, and bilateral sinusitis. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a lung disability, psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, GERD at 30 percent, fibromyalgia at 40 percent, and sinusitis at 10 percent. The appeals for these conditions are granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence linking his current OSA to his military service or to his service-connected chronic rhinosinusitis.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disabilities and their relation to service, particularly asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for sarcoidosis, sinusitis, and GERD due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The AOJ will need to review these claims again and provide a new rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, to include as secondary to her service-connected allergic sinusitis/rhinitis, diabetes mellitus, and/or steroids taken for treatment of asthma, is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis due to exposure to particulate matter in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of entitlement to an effective date earlier than November 8, 2013, for the award of service connection for right knee strain. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD due to MST) is granted. The issues of rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus and left foot plantar fasciitis, service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, service connection for left arm bicep tendonitis, service connection for left knee strain, service connection for sinusitis, service connection for sleep apnea, and finding of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are all remanded.