Sinusitis Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence linking his current OSA to his military service or to his service-connected chronic rhinosinusitis.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's respiratory disabilities and their relation to service, particularly asbestos exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for sarcoidosis, sinusitis, and GERD due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The AOJ will need to review these claims again and provide a new rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches, to include as secondary to her service-connected allergic sinusitis/rhinitis, diabetes mellitus, and/or steroids taken for treatment of asthma, is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis due to exposure to particulate matter in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of entitlement to an effective date earlier than November 8, 2013, for the award of service connection for right knee strain. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD due to MST) is granted. The issues of rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral pes planus and left foot plantar fasciitis, service connection for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, service connection for left arm bicep tendonitis, service connection for left knee strain, service connection for sinusitis, service connection for sleep apnea, and finding of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are all remanded.

The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at 10 percent, and he was granted a 30 percent rating for his service-connected rhinitis. The Board found that the Veteran had diagnoses of both sinusitis and rhinitis with overlapping symptoms but separately rated him under Diagnostic Code 6522 for rhinitis.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal with the grant of a combined 100 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for rhinitis was dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of his appeal.,The effective date prior to June 24, 2015, for the grant of service connection for other specified phobia disorder is denied because new and material evidence did not require readjudication by the AOJ.

The Board has denied service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy. Service connection for sinusitis is remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion is inadequate and remands for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion to address whether the Veteran's allergic rhinitis pre-existed service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including migraines and total abdominal hysterectomy, have rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU based on the severity of her migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for chronic sinusitis is denied as the highest available rating (50%) has been granted and there are no other applicable diagnostic codes under which this disability may be rated.

Your service-connected sinusitis and associated hoarseness have rendered you unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 21, 2008.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for sinusitis, tonsilitis, right ankle condition, bilateral pes planus, left shin splints, and right shin splints/tendonitis due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service exposure to chemicals and his ongoing symptoms.

The Board denied earlier effective dates for various service-connected disabilities, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the original rating decisions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gastritis, left and right knee disabilities, sinusitis with headaches, left foot scar, and adjustment disorder with anxiety are not supported by evidence of a current disability. The issues have been remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for sinusitis was denied. The claims for increased ratings of IBS, allergic rhinitis, left eye erosion syndrome with residual corneal abrasion, and lumbosacral strain with DJD and IVDS were also denied. The Veteran's radiculopathy conditions (right lower extremity, left lower extremity, right upper extremity, left upper extremity) were rated at 20 percent prior to May 29, 2013, but not higher after that date. His cervical spine conditions and thoracic spine surgical scar were also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for recurrent maxillary sinusitis with headaches is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the January 2022 VA examination. The examiner did not consider symptoms from the period before September 2012, and there are no updated VA treatment records covering this time frame.

The Veteran's sinusitis and allergic rhinitis are presumed to be related to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.