The Board granted service connection for sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Other claims were either denied or remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on presumptive exposure to fine particulate matter during the Persian Gulf War for sinusitis, while irritable bowel syndrome met the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 as a medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness due to undiagnosed illness.
- Claimed conditions
- Sinusitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Cluster Headaches, Major Depressive Disorder, Allergic Rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25057444
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and somatic symptom disorder, as well as presumptive service connection for basal cell carcinoma under the PACT Act. Service connection was denied for chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, right restless leg syndrome, left restless leg syndrome, an increased rating for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, a left forehead surgical scar, and allergic rhinitis.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a disability rating of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder, effective October 24, 2017. The Board also granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
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