Sinusitis decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete examination and development needs. The Veteran's respiratory conditions, including COPD, bronchiectasis, chronic bronchitis, and chronic sinusitis, are being reviewed for service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam service.

The Board has denied service connection for right hand disability and psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD. The issues of service connection for residuals of sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis (claimed as a positive PPD test), sinusitis, and gastrointestinal disabilities have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, cardiovascular disability (other than hypertension), low back disability, bilateral hip disability, OSA, COPD, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's sinusitis was granted a rating in excess of 10 percent.,Service connection for dry eye syndrome and anxiety and depression, both secondary to service-connected sinusitis, were also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including sinusitis, facial scar, and multiple fractures of the mandible with loss of teeth, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to February 22, 2017.

The Veteran's sinusitis and allergic rhinitis have been granted initial ratings of 50 percent and 30 percent, respectively.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for back disability was denied in a July 2002 decision, and this decision is final. The January 2015 rating decision again denied the claim on the merits, finding no link between the current back disability and service.,An effective date earlier than April 26, 2017 for the award of service connection for chronic sinusitis and allergic and chronic vasomotor rhinitis is not warranted. The earliest possible effective date is April 26, 2017.

The Veteran's right hip disability is rated at 10 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating.,For sinusitis, prior to May 4, 2022, the Veteran was not entitled to a compensable rating. From May 4, 2022, he did not meet the criteria for a 30 percent rating.,Allergic rhinitis is rated at 10 percent and no higher ratings are warranted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, and sinusitis disabilities due to incomplete VA examinations and lack of private treatment records. The AOJ must obtain additional evidence and schedule the Veteran for new VA examinations.

The Board has denied service connection for right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy and left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy due to lack of current diagnosis. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's left wrist disability, sinusitis, and otitis externa were all granted service connection as direct service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information in a previous VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected sinusitis. The case will be reviewed again based on all available evidence.

Service connection is granted for sinusitis, rhinitis, microcytic normochromic anemia, and obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's tuberculosis claim remains pending as it has not been fully adjudicated.

The Veteran's appeals for hypertension, right and left knee disabilities, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and sinusitis were dismissed. The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, IBS, GERD, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sinus disability pre-existed service and if it is related to exposure to fine particulate matter during service. The Veteran needs a VA examination to determine these issues.

The Board granted a 10% disability rating for sinusitis from June 13, 2018 to February 21, 2020. For the period from February 21, 2020 forward, an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent was denied.

The Veteran's sinusitis with headaches is currently rated at 50 percent effective December 6, 2022. The Board has remanded the issue of an increased rating for this condition.,For the lumbar spine disability, the Veteran was previously granted a 20% rating prior to January 7, 2014, and denied any higher ratings thereafter. The Board has also remanded this issue.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is currently rated at 40 percent from November 17, 2020. The Board has remanded the issue of an increased rating for this condition.

The Veteran's vertigo is found to have been incurred during his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,An increased rating of 20 percent, but no higher, is granted for the Veteran's left ankle disability (synovitis with lateral collateral ligament sprain).,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include major depressive disorder, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis is remanded due to the need for a new opinion regarding preexistence of the condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, Meniere's disease, sinusitis, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and bilateral pes planus. The VA examiner must consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding her alleged incidents during service and her lack of post-service treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 19, 2019, as he was found to be employed full-time and not unemployable.