Sinusitis Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate his service connection claims for a psychiatric disorder, including dysthymic disorder, and allergic rhinitis.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from November 2000 to August 2001 is granted as he meets the schedular criteria and there is probative evidence of his unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have current symptoms resulting from an in-service head injury and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board is remanding the case to determine if the Veteran's service-connected pansinusitis with bilateral nasal polyps contributed substantially or materially to his death, which was caused by respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive lung disease and pneumonia.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and reopening a claim of chronic upper respiratory infection (sinusitis) are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder with agoraphobia and depressive symptoms is currently rated at 50 percent, effective September 6, 2008. The evidence shows that the Veteran experienced moderate impairment in social and occupational functioning prior to this date.

The Board found that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis was not incurred in service and denied his claim. The right elbow tendonitis issue is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and right hip disability were denied. The claim for an initial increased rating for allergic rhinitis was granted with a 30% evaluation effective May 7, 2007.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis was previously denied in January 1989. New evidence submitted since then does not provide a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sinusitis or IBS, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The claims for increased evaluations for right shoulder bursitis and GERD were also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the service member's hypertension, which he had during his lifetime and prior to death, was related to his active service or any service-connected disability. The appellant must provide additional medical opinions on this issue.

The Board found that the Veteran's rhinitis and bronchitis are not related to his active duty service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for allergic rhinitis was dismissed due to his failure to respond within one year to a request for private treatment records, which were deemed essential for the proper adjudication of his claim.

The Veteran's chronic allergic rhinitis has not been manifested by, in the absence of polyps, greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side. Therefore, an initial compensable disability rating for allergic rhinitis is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, a right ankle disability, rhinitis, left inguinal hernia, and epigastric hernia. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for maxillary sinusitis as there is no current diagnosis of chronic maxillary sinusitis.

The Board denied service connection for a vascular disability, tinnitus, and rhinitis. The Veteran's current conditions were not related to his military service.

The Board found that the submitted evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and thus, the claim may not be reopened.

The Veteran's sinusitis with vasomotor rhinitis and allergic rhinitis is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis. The Board found that he did not meet criteria for a higher rating due to lack of incapacitating episodes or surgeries.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for chronic sinusitis was granted, and he was awarded service connection for depression and sleep apnea (claimed as sleep problems) due to an undiagnosed illness related to his Gulf War service. The low back disorder claim is pending.