The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is not compensable as there are no polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not incurred during service and is not related to any in-service injury, event, or disease. The condition began many years after separation from active duty.,Obstructive sleep apnea was not diagnosed during service and the Veteran did not have a CPAP machine prescribed for this condition while on active duty.,Diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability. The Veteran does not meet the requirement of presumed herbicide exposure as per 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).,Bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.,Bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is not considered to be proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated beyond its natural progression by service-connected disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's allergic rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as there are no polyps or significant nasal obstruction.,There is no evidence that bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome began during active service or was related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The condition first appeared many years after separation from active duty.,The Veteran did not have obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed during service and there is no record of a CPAP machine being prescribed for this condition while on active duty.,There is no evidence that the Veteran's diabetic nephropathy with hypertension began during active service or was related to an in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran does not meet the requirement of presumed herbicide exposure as per 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).,There is no evidence that bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy began during active service or was related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,There is no evidence that bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy began during active service or was related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Allergic rhinitis, Bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, Obstructive sleep apnea, Diabetic nephropathy with hypertension, Bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (secondary to diabetes mellitus type II), Bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (secondary to diabetes mellitus type II)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2019
- Citation
- A19003271
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,432 · Granted: 29% (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 A19003271.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to February 5, 2024, for a 10 percent evaluation of allergic rhinitis was denied. The Veteran also appealed for a higher rating for his allergic rhinitis and this was denied as well.,The Veteran's PTSD with TBI claim is remanded due to inadequate medical examinations.
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