Sinusitis Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, sinusitis, and obstructive sleep apnea as the evidence did not support a finding of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for eustachian tube dysfunction and chronic ethmoid sinusitis. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis should be remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the current severity of her symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence submitted, but did not find sufficient medical opinion linking his conditions to in-service exposure.

The Veteran's sinusitis warrants an initial rating of 30 percent, effective March 10, 1997. The Board found that the Veteran’s disability picture for sinusitis more nearly approximated the criteria for a 30 percent rating due to two to four non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, congestion, nasal discharge, and/or use of OTC medications.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records for the heart disorder and for a VA examination on whether the sinusitis symptoms are related to the service-connected condition. The Veteran is also seeking extraschedular referral for his sinusitis.

The Veteran's appeal is limited to the issue of service connection for headaches. The Board has remanded this issue due to outstanding private treatment records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic sinusitis, chronic rhinitis, headache disorder, sleep disorder/insomnia, unspecified neurological disorder, and psychiatric disorder including anxiety, depression, and nervousness due to incomplete records and need for further development.

Bilateral hearing loss and chronic/recurrent right ankle strain are granted as service-connected.,Left knee arthritis, bunion and metatarsalgia of the right foot, bronchitis, and sinusitis are granted as secondary to service-connected right knee disability.,Left foot disability is denied.,Headaches are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, knee disorder, psychiatric condition, sinusitis, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, is remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The appeal for a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The claims for increased ratings for major depressive disorder, sinusitis, GERD with irritable bowel syndrome, and migraine headaches were also denied.

The claims for service connection for a back disability, sinusitis, respiratory disability, and headache disability are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is manifested by near continuous symptoms requiring multiple procedures to manage the condition, and a rating of 50 percent has been granted.

The Veteran's thoracic spine disorder, cervicalgia, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, rhinitis, sleep apnea, hypertension, esophageal reflux, and anemia are all found to be related to service. The Veteran is also seeking increased ratings for his bilateral knees and hearing loss, which require further examination and evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: the claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis and the reduction of the rating for service-connected eczema. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is currently diagnosed, and there are in-service records indicating it occurred during his military service. For the eczema issue, a new VA examination is needed due to the lack of consideration of flare-ups.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of sinusitis and allergic rhinitis for further development due to incomplete or inaccurate factual premises in the previous VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran is requested to provide information about his medical history, including any treatment records from private physicians.

The Board has denied service connection for chronic sinusitis, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. Service connection for persistent depressive disorder is granted.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine condition, lower back condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, allergic rhinitis and asthma. The claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to pain from her service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's depression, migraine headaches, and thoracolumbar strain with IVDS are all found to be proximately due to her service-connected conditions. The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied. Other claims for increased ratings have been decided in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and a dental disability were denied as the evidence did not support that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.