Sinusitis decisions — 2025

The Board granted a 10 percent evaluation for rhinitis with laryngopharyngeal reflux and denied service connection for sinusitis.

The Veteran withdrew the appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected sinusitis.

The Board dismissed the claims for service connection for dermatophytosis or tinea pedis with tinea unguium and sinusitis as they were not filed within one year of the AOJ's issuance of notice. The claims for lead poisoning and mesothelioma were denied due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for earlier effective dates of the awards of service connection for allergic rhinitis and chronic maxillary sinusitis.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 9, 2017, for service connection for adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood. The Board also granted a rating of 10 percent for chronic sinusitis but denied a higher rating and a total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, GERD, hypertension, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, tinnitus, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period. The claim for headaches was dismissed as moot.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including left knee pain, right knee pain, low back pain, sleep apnea, sinusitis, and eye allergies. The initial rating for allergic rhinitis was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hemorrhoids. It granted a 20 percent rating for mild degenerative changes of the right ankle with small osteophytic spurs from both malleoli.

The Board remands the claim for an initial compensable disability rating for sinusitis to ensure that due process is followed and there is a complete record upon which to decide the issues on appeal.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for neuropathy/nerve damage of the right upper extremity, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, and sinusitis due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding missing service treatment records.

The Board denied a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis and service connection for sleep apnea.

The Board denied an increased disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected rhinitis, finding that the criteria for a compensable rating were not met prior to October 12, 2020, and that a 10 percent rating was appropriate from that date.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis based on the Veteran's symptoms of seven or more non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis in the past 12 months, chronic nasal congestion and drainage, difficulty breathing through nasal passages, purulent discharge, and nausea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for chronic maxillary sinusitis as there was no evidence of incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment or non-incapacitating episodes characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.

The Board denied service connection for lumbosacral strain and myofascitis, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine (claimed as bulging disc C3-C4 and C5-C6), an increased rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and allergic rhinitis. The Board also denied earlier effective dates for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral ear disorder and remanded the remaining issues for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his service connection claims for sinusitis and benign prostatic hyperplasia before the Board, choosing to pursue them through Higher-Level Review with the AOJ.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis and maxillary sinusitis based on the evidence of record.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for rhinitis and anxiety disorder due to inadequate medical opinions and a need for additional evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for chronic bronchitis and chronic sinusitis, but remanded the claims for service connection for pleuritis and non-allergic rhinitis.