The Veteran's allergic rhinitis has been manifested by symptoms including nasal congestion and headaches, but not polyps or at least 50 percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides. He is seeking a compensable initial rating.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.,The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran's traumatic brain injury began during active service, or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran’s reports of a fall and head injury are not credible as they appear to be directly contradicted by the contemporaneous medical evidence.,The Board concludes that the preponderance of evidence is against finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea began during active service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran has a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.
The deciding factor: The criteria for a compensable initial rating for allergic rhinitis have not been met.,The criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss have not been met.,The criteria for service connection for traumatic brain injury have not been met.,The criteria for service connection for sleep apnea have not been met.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic rhinitis, Bilateral hearing loss, Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18108865
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 18108865.
What this means for you
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error and remands the case for further development. The Veteran contends his allergic rhinitis began during service, but VA medical opinions have found no link between his current condition and service.
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