The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. Service connection is denied.,Service connection for Raynaud's disease as secondary to fibromyalgia is not granted.,Service connection for chronic rhinitis is not granted.,Service connection for neuropathy, right upper extremity as secondary to fibromyalgia is not granted.,Service connection for neuropathy, left upper extremity as secondary to fibromyalgia is not granted.,Service connection for neuropathy, right lower extremity as secondary to fibromyalgia is not granted.,Service connection for neuropathy, left lower extremity as secondary to fibromyalgia is not granted.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is presumed related to his Gulf War service.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence has been received that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim of entitlement to service connection for sinus conditions - namely, the nature of the claimed disability.,The preponderance of the evidence is against finding a current diagnosis of Raynaud's disease at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,There is no objective evidence that the Veteran has chronic rhinitis. The examiner noted allergy-related symptoms, but did not provide supporting allergy testing results.,The June 2015 VA examiner confirmed a diagnosis of chronic rhinitis from November 1995 and opined it was related to allergies, but provided no rationale for this conclusion.,There is conflicting evidence regarding the presence or absence of neuropathy in all four extremities. The Veteran has been diagnosed with neuropathy in some extremities, but not others. Further examination is needed to clarify these findings.,The June 2015 VA examiner noted Raynaud's-like symptoms and a diagnosis of chronic rhinitis from November 1995. However, the rationale for this conclusion does not include allergy testing results or other supporting evidence.,There are conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran has neuropathy in all four extremities. Further examination is needed to clarify these findings.,The June 2015 VA examiner noted Raynaud's-like symptoms and a diagnosis of chronic rhinitis from November 1995. However, the rationale for this conclusion does not include allergy testing results or other supporting evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Sinusitis, Raynaud's disease, Chronic Rhinitis, Neuropathy, right upper extremity, Neuropathy, left upper extremity, Neuropathy, right lower extremity, Neuropathy, left lower extremity, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19195089
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 19195089.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right knee meniscal tear, and IBS, have rendered him unable to secure or follow any substantially gainful employment from May 1, 2020 to May 1, 2021. The Board finds that the evidence is in balance, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his IBS, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a moderate or severe condition as defined by VA regulations.
- Granted
The Board has granted an initial 20 percent rating for service-connected vitamin D deficiency, finding that the Veteran's recurrent abdominal pain and diarrhea most closely approximates the criteria for a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6313. The claim for service connection for IBS was not addressed in this decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's IBS with GERD was granted an initial 60 percent rating. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and development.
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