Sinusitis Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's request for a compensable rating for his service-connected allergic rhinitis (claimed as sinusitis) from March 7, 2018 to January 9, 2019 due to lack of evidence of greater than 50 percent obstruction of nasal passages on both sides or complete obstruction on one side.

The Veteran's sinusitis is found to have started during his active service and has continued since then, granting the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions are being remanded due to the need for a Statement of the Case and further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for prostate cancer was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disability and his active duty service.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for sinusitis prior to June 24, 2015 was denied because he did not experience any incapacitating or non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for sinusitis on and after June 24, 2015 was denied as the evidence does not show that his symptoms met the criteria for a 50% disability rating due to chronic osteomyelitis or near constant sinusitis with purulent discharge.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for asthma prior to October 26, 2015 was denied because he did not meet the criteria for a 60% disability rating based on his FEV-1 and FEV-1/FVC levels.

The Board has granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for the low back disability and remanded issues regarding service connection for bilateral foot skin disability, sinusitis, TMJ, and headaches.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's lower back condition, sinusitis, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for sinusitis, asthma, and allergies due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's dates of service and medical history.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for a determination on whether it is related to his military service or secondary to PTSD. His respiratory and skin disorders are also remanded, with the need for an addendum opinion regarding their onset in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues except service connection for sinusitis, which was dismissed. The remaining appeals were also dismissed as the Veteran expressed satisfaction with his current combined disability rating.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions including cervical spine disability, chronic sinusitis, left hip disability, diverticulitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and endometriosis. The reasons given were that the disabilities did not have their onset in service or are not etiologically related to an in-service disease or injury.

The Veteran's neurological residuals of a right cranial nerve injury had its onset in service and is granted. The left knee, right knee, back, chronic sciatic nerve pain condition, cataracts, chronic sinusitis, hypertension (high blood pressure), and psychiatric condition (PTSD) are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for a separate 10 percent rating for his painful left inguinal herniorrhaphy scar was granted. The appeal for a disability rating greater than 10 percent for his service-connected allergic rhinitis was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to February 1, 2015, for the start of payment of disability compensation based on his service-connected disabilities. The effective date of the grants of service connection was January 1, 2015, but actual payment began on February 1, 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including refractive error of the eyes, right ear hearing loss, sinusitis, gastric ulcers, periodic limb movement syndrome (restless leg syndrome), and radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, have all been denied. The Board found that there was no current disability for each condition as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, allergies, a headache disability, and a respiratory disability (to include latent Tuberculosis) have all been denied as they are not supported by evidence showing service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's respiratory disability (allergic rhinitis) and skin cancer were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The hearing loss and tinnitus issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, IBS, hypertension, and low back disability have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims.,For sinusitis, the claim was previously denied due to lack of in-service diagnosis or treatment. The new evidence does not provide a clear link between current symptoms and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a sinus disability and thus not meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and a nasal condition, to include a sinus condition and allergic rhinitis due to insufficient consideration of relevant evidence in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD, and his combined disability rating is sufficient to grant a TDIU prior to August 3, 2017.