Sinusitis Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered her unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of January 27, 2011, and an effective date for the TDIU award was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis but dismissed the claim of service connection for hypertension due to a lack of timely appeal.

The Veteran's left and right wrist disabilities have been granted initial ratings of 10% each, effective November 15, 2010. The Veteran's sinusitis has not met the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is rated at 50%.,An initial rating in excess of 10% for left and right wrist disabilities prior to November 24, 2014, and an initial rating in excess of 10% thereafter has been denied.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left eye dry eye syndrome, maxillary sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis have been granted. The Veteran is also remanded for further rating determinations on the issues of service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for vertigo and initial compensable disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and headaches. The appeal is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for chronic sinusitis with allergic rhinitis and hypertension due to the need for updated medical records and additional examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a disorder of the spine, residuals of rope burn, chronic sinusitis, athlete’s foot, and disorders of the bilateral feet and hands due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for sinusitis status post-surgery, so the issue is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected conditions, including migraine headaches, respiratory disability (sinusitis), right shoulder disability, left hand and finger anesthesia, left little finger fracture, left thumb fracture, and cervical spine spondylosis with degenerative disc disease.

The Board has denied service connection for Crohn’s disease and remanded the issues of service connection for loss of smell and chronic sinusitis due to lack of a statement of the case.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and effective dates for the service-connected scar (nose) were denied. The Board found no evidence of disfigurement or instability in the nose scar that would warrant higher ratings prior to March 13, 2017 or thereafter. Service connection was also denied for asbestosis, diabetes mellitus, type II, lumbar spine disorder, right-leg and left-leg disorders, sinusitis, and skin disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder was denied, but reopened due to new evidence. The Board found no current disability and the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury.,Service connection for sinusitis was also denied as there was no evidence showing it began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergies has been reopened and granted. The claims for headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, muscle pain, and fibromyalgia are remanded due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression, anxiety, and PTSD), chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, hypothyroidism, and valvular heart disease are all remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and the need for a medical examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's headaches.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis due to lack of evidence showing a current disability. The claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss claim. The sinusitis claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is rated as noncompensably disabling prior to February 16, 2018 and 30 percent disabling thereafter. The Board granted a higher initial rating of 30 percent for the Veteran’s chronic sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection has been reopened and granted for cataracts due to diabetes mellitus. The Board also found that the Veteran's headache disability is related to his active service, but remanded other issues including sinusitis, emphysema, COPD, gallbladder condition, Crohn’s disease, pancreatitis, acid reflux, stroke residuals, arthritis, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar and cervical spine, diabetic retinopathy, tinnitus, hypertension, peripheral vascular/arterial disease (PVD/PAD) of both lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction.