Sinusitis decisions — 2025

The Board granted an increased rating of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine from February 1, 2022, and a 30 percent initial rating for chronic sinusitis (also claimed as headaches).

The Board granted service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, sinusitis, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and granted higher ratings of 40 percent each for thoracolumbar spine disability, radiculopathy in the left lower extremity, and headaches.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of allergic rhinitis and remanded the issue of a higher initial rating.

The Board remands the claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent, prior to April 16, 2019, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter, for bilateral plantar fasciitis with pes planus with scar; a rating in excess of 40 percent for degenerative disc disease thoracic back strain; a rating in excess of 30 percent for migraine headaches; a rating in excess of 30 percent for sinusitis with rhinitis; and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board granted effective dates of February 5, 2022, for the grants of a 40 percent rating for status/post lumbar spine fusion surgery and a 20 percent rating for right lower extremity (RLE) radiculopathy.

The Board granted the reinstatement of a 10 percent rating for sinusitis, denied a compensable evaluation for fractured nose with deviated nasal septum, and remanded claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent urethritis and prostatitis.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for allergic rhinitis, as the evidence did not show that the Veteran met all eligibility criteria for a grant of presumptive service connection based on the PACT Act.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, while remanding several other claims including lumbar spine disability, lower extremity radiculopathy, allergic rhinitis, nasal fracture, hemorrhoids, and insomnia.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability based upon individual unemployability due solely to PTSD was dismissed. The Board granted a 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis and denied higher ratings for sinusitis, while granting a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder with persistent depressive disorder.

The appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is dismissed, and several issues related to service connection are remanded for further development.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 10 percent disabling for chronic sinusitis due to an inadequate VA examination that does not address the Veteran's lay assertions and evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, allergic rhinitis, deviated septum and chronic sinusitis.

The Board granted service connection for a right ankle disability, denied service connection for chronic sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and remanded the claims for ratings in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disk disease, thoracolumbar spine, and impingement, right shoulder.

The Board dismissed service connection for a thyroid condition and ovarian cancer, as these conditions were already granted in a previous rating decision. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for a left shoulder condition as secondary to the service-connected right shoulder labral tear and remanded claims for service connection for left elbow, right elbow, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis conditions.

The Board granted service connection for tinea unguium and denied the claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, a dental disability (tooth #8) for compensation purposes, as well as effective dates earlier than April 6, 2023, for the grant of service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, GERD, and PTSD. The Board also denied compensable ratings for sinusitis, a rating in excess of 10 percent for rhinitis, a rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD, and a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board granted service connection for rhinitis with an effective date of August 22, 2019, and granted service connection for left and right knee disorders. The claims for service connection for other conditions were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis, but denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for insomnia disorder.

The Board granted restoration of service connection for hypogeusia and hyposmia, but denied a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis from August 10, 2022.

All appeals for service connection and effective dates were dismissed by the Veteran's attorney.