Allergic rhinitis decisions — 2003

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's sinus disability, including rhinitis, as it is considered to be a result of his skull fracture sustained in service.

The Board found no evidence of a psychiatric disorder, anxiety, major depression, headaches, or allergic rhinitis during service. The veteran's current conditions are not linked to his active military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability rating for the veteran's service-connected chronic maxillary sinusitis and perennial rhinitis with septoplasty, effective from January 1993.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis, and for effective dates earlier than January 10, 2002 for the assignment of a 10 percent rating for loss of smell and residuals of nasal obstruction status post septo-rhinoplasty.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected perennial rhinitis does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation based on the current level of disability.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating from October 1, 1991 to June 12, 2002 and did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent from June 13, 2002. The veteran's service-connected left carpal tunnel syndrome, postoperative, and pes cavus were also found to not meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board found that the veteran's upper respiratory infections, including vasomotor rhinitis and sinusitis, were incurred during his active service.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his allergic rhinitis, currently rated at 10 percent, has been denied by the Board. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to the absence of polyps and complete bilateral obstruction on occasion.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran does not have a chronic disability manifested by sinusitis and rhinitis, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral varicose veins and vasomotor and allergic rhinitis are denied as there is no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher rating under either the old or new rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the evidence supports a finding of chronic rhinitis originating during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran is permanently and totally disabled for pension purposes due to multiple non-service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux, dysthymia by history, degenerative joint disease of the lumbar and thoracic spines, degenerative joint disease of the left ankle, bilateral knee arthritis of the patella, mass soft tissue of the neck, and allergic rhinitis.

The veteran's upper respiratory system disorders have been primarily manifested by occasional incapacitating episodes, enlarged turbinates, mucous, and occasional bleeding since April 1992. The Board denied a higher rating for sinusitis with allergic rhinitis and deviated nasal septum.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluation, service connection for PTSD and back injuries, as well as reopening of a claim for sinusitis, rhinitis and a deviated nasal septum were denied. The veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected allergic rhinitis, residuals of a fracture of the left tibia and fibula, and herpes lesions on the right buttock have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.