Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including obstructive sleep apnea with COPD and irritable bowel syndrome, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Bell’s palsy, sinus disorder, and back disorder have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence.,VA treatment records from prior to October 2013 are needed for Bell’s palsy claim; a VA examination is also required.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicides, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and dizzy spells/vertigo due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's exposure to pesticides in Korea is being investigated further.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sciatica and allergic rhinitis due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to address these issues.

The Board has remanded the claims for low back disability, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and migraine headaches due to their potential connection to service in the Gulf War theater of operations. The VA is required to provide a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illnesses.

The Board has remanded the claims for high cholesterol, PTSD, left carpal tunnel syndrome, scar from cesarean sections, hysterectomy, left oophorectomy, tinnitus, pelvic pain after childbirth, right shoulder dislocation, rhinitis and sinusitis (claimed as allergies), bilateral plantar fasciitis, hypertension, eczema, lumbar spine arthritis, cervical spine arthritis, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and severe alopecia (claimed as cicatrical scarring alopecia) for additional development to verify service records.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of the Veteran's respiratory, skin, allergic rhinitis, and neurological disabilities. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including MAI, allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, chronic bronchitis, renal cyst, and muscle weakness (related to myasthenia gravis), have been denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but the evidence does not establish a link between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure. Service connection is therefore denied.,Service connection was denied for hypothyroidism as there is no evidence of its onset during service or within one year thereafter. The Veteran's claim for residuals of squamous cell carcinoma has also been denied due to lack of a diagnosis in service or soon after discharge.,The Veteran's Peyronie’s disease claim remains pending, with the Board finding that current evidence does not support a diagnosis in service or shortly after separation from active duty.,Service connection was denied for allergic rhinitis as there is no evidence of obstruction meeting the criteria set forth in VA's rating schedule. The Veteran's request for an increased disability rating remains pending.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis has not been rated higher than zero percent due to lack of nasal obstruction or polyps.,Service connection for sinusitis was denied in December 2008 and the claim is now reopened.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergic rhinitis was denied as there is no new and material evidence to support the claim.,Service connection for pelvic tilt condition, GERD, and pes planus were all denied as they are not related to any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further action on the issue of a higher rating for xerosis with pruritis. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has denied service connection for urethral/bladder problems and granted restoration of ratings for allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis. The decision also found that the reduction in disability ratings from 10 percent to noncompensable was improper.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vasomotor rhinitis and a back condition due to exposure to toxic chemicals and ground water contamination at McClellan Air Force Base (AFB) and Warren AFB. The Veteran is also asked if he wishes to continue his appeal for a back disability.