The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed low back disability, foot fungus, rhinitis, sinusitis, headache disorder (claimed as secondary to service-connected ear disabilities), labyrinthitis (secondary to service-connected ear disabilities), fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, and hypertension. The veteran's anxiety neurosis and PTSD were granted a 50 percent evaluation.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of chronic low back disability or foot fungus related to service. Rhinitis was first present during the veteran's second period of service and there is no evidence it increased in severity during his third period of service. Chronic sinusitis had its onset during the veteran's second period of service. Sinus headaches are not a separate disability that is proximately due to the service-connected disability, and service connection for headaches on a secondary basis is not warranted. Migraine headaches were first present many years after the veteran's last period of service and have not been related to any period of his service. Labyrinthitis was not diagnosed. Fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to be related to the veteran's service in Southwest Asia. Hypertension had its onset during the veteran's third period of service.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, foot fungus, rhinitis, sinusitis, headache disorder, labyrinthitis (claimed as secondary to service-connected ear disabilities), fatigue (claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness), hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2002
- Citation
- 0209379
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0209379.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
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