Sinusitis decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and sinusitis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding presumptive exposure under the PACT Act.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's chronic sinusitis. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if his current symptoms are related to his in-service nose injury.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current diagnosis of sinusitis, IBS, migraine headaches, urinary incontinence, or RUE radiculopathy. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.,Service connection for urinary incontinence and RUE radiculopathy are remanded as there may be additional evidence that could support the claims.

The appellant has withdrawn their appeal for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to sinusitis, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for fatigue, sleep apnea, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis have been denied as the submitted evidence is not new and relevant.,For left knee strain and lumbosacral strain (previously claimed as lumbar condition), the claims are remanded due to insufficient nexus opinions.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for TDIU, increased rating for allergic rhinitis, and service connection for a right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the Veteran was not in marginal employment with a protected environment, thus his claim for TDIU could not be granted earlier than October 20, 2017. For the allergic rhinitis claim, the evidence did not show polyps, which is required for a higher rating. Regarding the right knee disability, the Board found that there was no causal relationship between the condition and service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected allergic rhinitis has been denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board has denied service connection for left, right knee conditions and lower back condition. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis are remanded due to the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, as well as pansinusitis and rhinitis, were granted service connection effective from September 23, 2019.,Pansinusitis and rhinitis are presumed to be related to the Veteran's military service in Kuwait.

The Board has denied service connection for sinusitis and right lower extremity DVT, but has remanded the issues of service connection for right and left foot plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's asthma, chronic bronchitis, and sinusitis are granted under the PACT Act. However, service connection for these conditions prior to August 10, 2022 is remanded due to lack of evidence supporting direct causation.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis, finding that the Veteran's exposure to fine particulate matter during his service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations warrants a presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the severity, frequency, and duration of his PTSD symptoms did not more closely approximate a higher rating than 50 percent. For sinusitis, the Board noted there was no evidence of incapacitating episodes or near constant sinusitis requiring bed rest and treatment by a physician. For allergic rhinitis, there is no specific rating assigned as it does not meet the criteria for any particular disability code.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic sinusitis, finding that his symptoms began during his active service and have persisted since. The decision is based on the Veteran's lay statements and medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to duty-to-assist errors and a need for further examination, particularly regarding the Veteran's service connection claim for sinus disorder. The examiner is instructed to consider the Veteran's exposure to burn pits during his service in the Persian Gulf War.

The Veteran's appeal of the proposed decrease in disability rating for lumbosacral strain from 40% to 20% has been dismissed. The Board also remanded cases regarding increased ratings for chronic sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, as well as TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's somatic symptom disorder, radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, tinnitus, allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinus condition), carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, gastroenteritis, hemorrhoids, iliopsoas tendinitis of the right hip, irritable bowel syndrome, left ankle condition, left flatfoot, left knee condition, right ankle condition, right flatfoot, right knee, sleep apnea, and varicose veins of both lower extremities are all granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinus condition), carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, gastroenteritis, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and varicose veins of both lower extremities are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection claims have been remanded due to the need for further examination or evidence in several cases. The left knee strain claim remains denied, as does all other individual conditions except for those related to service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic maxillary sinusitis are being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of extraschedular factors.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including evaluations for various disabilities and service connection claims.