The Board has determined that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis/sinusitis is not service-connected as it pre-existed his military service and was not aggravated by service.
The deciding factor: The evidence clearly shows that the Veteran had a history of allergic rhinitis prior to his military service, which he reported worsening during service. The examiner found no clear and unmistakable evidence that the condition was aggravated beyond its natural progression by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic Rhinitis/Sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2018
- Citation
- 1800019
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,196 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 1800019.
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
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, as he is currently employed part-time and earns income above the poverty threshold for one person.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including MAI, allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, renal cyst, and muscle weakness (related to myasthenia gravis), have been denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.,The Board also found no evidence to support the Veteran's claim of residuals of frostbite on his left foot. As such, service connection for this issue is also denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis/sinusitis is rated at 10 percent since January 14, 2005 to May 6, 2008 and at 30 percent since May 7, 2008.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.