Sinusitis Board decisions

The claims for service connection and TDIU are being remanded due to incomplete information, inadequate medical opinions, and the need for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and conducting an examination to determine if the appellant is housebound or requires aid and attendance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current sinusitis and therefore, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Veteran's sinusitis is rated at 30 percent, but his sleep apnea claim for service connection was denied. The decision is mixed as it granted one issue and denied another.

The Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for otitis media/externa and sinusitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from various sources.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left knee disorder due to his withdrawal of such claim. The VA found that sinusitis is not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The VA determined that the appellant does not have independent living needs and found that the requested items are desirable but not necessary for him to maintain maximum independence in daily living.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete examination and insufficient consideration of the Veteran's assertions regarding his in-service symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right elbow disorder that is related to his military service. The evidence shows an in-service injury, but no chronic disability was shown at separation and there are no records of ongoing symptoms or treatment for many years after service.

The Veteran's sinusitis allergic rhinitis is rated at 30% since the entire appeal period. The Veteran's benign prostatic hyperplasia was granted a 20% rating from January 16, 2008 to June 18, 2008 and a 40% rating since then.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, posttraumatic stress disorder, and others, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that he is entitled to a TDIU rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current respiratory disorders, including sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and deviated septum, are not related to his service. The preponderance of evidence indicates no chronic respiratory disorder during service and no nexus between current conditions and service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, and at the time of his death he was in receipt of compensation for service-connected disability that did not meet the legal requirements for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for residuals of a nasal fracture and chronic frontal sinusitis were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to address the medical matters presented by his claim of service connection for sleep apnea, including whether it is at least as likely as not that his sleep apnea was caused or aggravated by his service-connected sinusitis or rhinitis.

The Veteran's sinusitis did not manifest during service and is not related to any in-service event. It was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,Hypertension was not manifested during service, nor within one year of separation from service. The Veteran does not have current hypertension.,There is no evidence of myocardial infarction during service and the Veteran does not currently have a heart disability to include myocardial infarction.,Gastroesophageal reflux disease did not manifest during service and is not related to any in-service event. It was not caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosed gastric ulcer.,The Veteran does not have a current liver disability.,Service connection for kidney disorder (calculi of the kidney) cannot be established as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis and it is not related to any in-service event. The claim has been reopened but remains denied.,There is no evidence of bronchial asthma or allergies during service, nor are they currently diagnosed. The claims have been reopened but remain denied.,Service connection for allergies and asthma cannot be established as there is no evidence of a medical nexus between the conditions and a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, as he had been receiving a total disability rating based on individual unemployability for over ten years prior to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to an apparent deficiency in a previous VA examination and the need for a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's sinusitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a sternum fracture, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted.