Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2018

Service connection for tinnitus is granted, as it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorder.,The effective dates for service connection of sinusitis and non-allergic rhinitis are denied. The earliest date for these conditions is September 23, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of evidence regarding the Veteran's respiratory disorder, including asthma and bronchitis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the effective dates for awards of service connection were not granted earlier than specified.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for impetigo and folliculitis, PTSD, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and allergic rhinitis were denied. The appeals for higher initial ratings for PTSD prior to March 16, 2016; an initial compensable rating for tinnitus; and initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis are also denied.

The Board found that the evidence was at least in equipoise, granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to his motor vehicle accident caused by medications taken for his service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches, asthma, left wrist disability, and allergic rhinitis with sinusitis prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment from December 1, 2011 through September 10, 2012.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of various respiratory/pulmonary conditions, including COPD, emphysema, obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, asthma/bronchial asthma, and allergic rhinitis. The VA is instructed to obtain an addendum opinion from a pulmonologist regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, sleep apnea, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are all granted as service-connected.,An effective date of August 3, 2011, is assigned for the Veteran’s service-connected radiculopathy of the left lower extremity.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and the relationship between his claimed conditions and such exposure. The Veteran is also referred for further examination on issues related to Peyronie’s disease, benign hypertrophy of the prostate, skin cancer, and a skin disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand is denied. The Board has also remanded his claims for a respiratory or lung condition, to include chronic sinusitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis, due to burn pit exposure in service.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension. However, it denied the claims for secondary service connection for allergic rhinitis, asthma, COPD, esophageal stricture, and dysphagia to his service-connected non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions have been dismissed, and the Board has remanded the cases to the AOJ for issuance of a Statement of the Case regarding earlier effective dates.

The Veteran's pleurisy is denied as not related to service or a service-connected condition. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis, rated at 10% prior to May 27, 2016 and now rated at 10%, is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of PTSD was denied, and a 30 percent rating is granted for headaches. The Veteran's claim for service connection of a respiratory disability is remanded.,PTSD remains rated at 70 percent, and the Veteran's headaches are rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to February 1, 2012 for the grant of service connection for various disabilities was denied. The Board found that the earliest possible date allowable for the grant of service connection is the day following separation from active duty service.