Sinusitis decisions — 2023

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including headaches, respiratory condition, sinusitis, thigh condition, ankle disabilities, shoulder disability, thumb disability, knee disability, gout, and gastrointestinal disability. The evidence does not support a finding of current diagnoses or a link to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, heart disorder, and sinusitis are being remanded due to the inadequacy of the January 2016 VA examination. The examiner did not consider the Veteran's lay reports or post-service treatment records in forming their opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected maxillary, ethmoid, and pansinusitis and allergic rhinitis conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and a new examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and sinusitis due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.,For erectile dysfunction, the Board requested an addendum opinion to clarify whether it is related to active duty or environmental exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis and bronchiectasis has been reopened, and the Board finds new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim. The issue of service connection for chronic sinusitis is also remanded due to insufficient competent medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the failure of VA to obtain his complete service treatment records and VA treatment records. The Board also directed a VA examination for each issue.

The Board has remanded the cases for further review due to a failure to provide notice of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's sinusitis claim has been granted with a 10% evaluation, but no higher. The right and left upper extremity disorders claims are still pending and need further development.,For the right and left upper extremity disorders, VA needs to provide additional medical opinions addressing whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable rating for left foot fracture, service connection for residuals of broken right foot, and service connection for respiratory disorder (asthma and COPD) were denied. Service connection for hypertension was granted on a presumptive basis based on the PACT Act. The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinus disorder (allergic rhinitis and sinusitis) was not supported by evidence linking it to Agent Orange exposure, and his claim for bilateral foot disorders is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 6, 2021, was denied. The Board granted a disability rating of 30 percent effective from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current sinusitis is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee condition and sinusitis due to new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, finding that there is no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment for sinusitis during her active duty and that any current condition is not otherwise attributable to service.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and sinusitis. Service connection for left ankle disability is remanded.

The Veteran's maxillary sinusitis is rated at a maximum of 50 percent (the highest rating) since March 20, 2017. The condition has been characterized by near constant symptoms including headaches, pain, and tenderness of affected sinuses, as well as crusting after multiple surgeries.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, low back disability, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after her active service. The Board also found that any current diagnoses are not related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to particulate matter due to her service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's asthma, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis are granted as due to Gulf War exposures.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran is presumed to have current sinusitis, which may be related to his active duty service, but there is no clear evidence of a direct link between his current sleep apnea and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his sinusitis, onychomycosis, and sleep apnea. The issues of rating excess of 10 percent for chronic maxillary sinusitis, compensable rating for onychomycosis, and service connection for sleep apnea are all remanded.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 1, 2011 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus as it is a residual of the Veteran's jaw surgery and related to his TMJ.