The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also denied because the evidence does not show the presence of a current disability that meets the definition of a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.,The Veteran's vertigo has been granted service connection, with the Board finding it plausible that his symptoms began during service and have continued since then.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted but an increased rating beyond 10 percent is denied as there are no polyps present. The current disability more nearly approximates a 10 percent rating based on hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates.,The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for tendonitis of the right and left wrists remains denied, with the Board finding that the evidence does not support ankylosis or loss of use of the hands.,The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for tendonitis of the right and left wrists remains denied, with the Board finding that the evidence does not support ankylosis or loss of use of the hands.

The deciding factor: High cholesterol is considered a laboratory finding and not a disability for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations, specifically auditory threshold in any of the frequencies 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hertz has not been 40 decibels or greater.,The Veteran's vertigo had an onset during service and continues to date. The Board found the evidence credible that his symptoms began during service.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis is granted but an increased rating beyond 10 percent is denied as there are no polyps present. The current disability more nearly approximates a 10 percent rating based on hypertrophy of the nasal turbinates.,The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for tendonitis of the right and left wrists remains denied, with the Board finding that the evidence does not support ankylosis or loss of use of the hands.,The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for tendonitis of the right and left wrists remains denied, with the Board finding that the evidence does not support ankylosis or loss of use of the hands.

Claimed conditions

high cholesterol, bilateral hearing loss, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, allergic rhinitis, tendonitis of the right wrist, tendonitis of the left wrist

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

February 25, 2026

Citation

A26017059

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 A26017059.