Board Decision Lookup › Sinusitis / rhinitis
How the Board ruled on sinusitis and rhinitis claims, 2021–2025
How the Board of Veterans' Appeals ruled on sinusitis and rhinitis service-connection claims in 2021–2025, for every theory and secondary pairing we publish. Board-appealed cases only, counted per claim. Last updated October 4, 2026.
These are past Board decisions, not a prediction for any individual case, and not legal advice. The percentage is among DECIDED cases; cases sent back to VA (remanded) are counted separately.
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Sinusitis / rhinitis (direct service connection)
Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order
52.4% granted of 2,248 decided cases (margin of error 50.4–54.5%). 1,179 granted, 1,069 denied, 2,188 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 410 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- Many grants came from the Gulf War and PACT Act presumptions: sinusitis or rhinitis that showed up after Southwest Asia service was presumed linked to particulate matter exposure, without a nexus opinion. (7 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 22046787, A24016666, A25026514)
- The Board accepted the veteran's credible account of sinus symptoms starting in service and continuing since, especially when service records or later records backed it up. (5 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 22037508, 21073727, A24025932)
- VA examiner opinions lost weight when they called an in-service sinus problem acute without considering the veteran's history and statements about ongoing symptoms; in one grant, the VA examiner's own opinion was favorable. (3 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A24032244, A24061107, 22001808)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The most common reason for denial was no current diagnosis: VA examiners or treatment records found no sinusitis (sometimes only rhinitis) during the claim period. (7 of 12 decisions read; e.g. A21006439, 21028316, A25020169)
- The veteran's own belief about the cause was not competent medical evidence, and it was outweighed by VA medical opinions that went unrebutted. (3 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21041078, 22020780, A25020169)
- The Board denied when service records showed no sinus complaints or a normal separation exam, and a VA opinion found a pre-service allergy was not worsened by service. (4 of 12 decisions read; e.g. 21041078, 22020780, A25023269)
Sinusitis / rhinitis (exposure claims)
Exposure (e.g. Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, burn pits)
45.7% granted of 81 decided cases (margin of error 35.3–56.5%). 37 granted, 44 denied, 101 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 5 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- Most grants came through the presumption for Gulf War and Southwest Asia service: exposure to fine particulate matter was presumed and the rhinitis or sinusitis was service-connected without needing a nexus opinion. (5 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 22031597, A24040751, 21066973)
- Negative VA opinions lost weight when they rested only on a lack of records, or were written without knowledge of the presumption and the studies behind it. (2 of 8 decisions read, few decisions; e.g. 22031597, 21020491)
- The Board also credited the veteran's own reports of ongoing nasal and sinus symptoms since service, and in one case a favorable VA opinion that weighed multiple causes. (4 of 8 decisions read; e.g. A24048756, A24068177, 21020491)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The Board denied when a reasoned VA opinion, often citing medical literature, found no link between the exposure and sinusitis, and no medical opinion contradicted it. (5 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 21019436, 21020182, A25028902)
- Several claims failed because the record showed no current diagnosis of sinusitis or rhinitis, and the veteran was not competent to diagnose it himself. (4 of 13 decisions read; e.g. A25038838, A24060807, A25004728)
- Sinusitis is not on the herbicide presumptive list or VA's list of asbestos diseases, and the only link offered was the veteran's own belief, which is not competent evidence. (4 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 21034205, A24025098, A24061759)
Sinusitis / rhinitis secondary to any service-connected condition
Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)
47.1% granted of 70 decided cases (margin of error 35.9–58.7%). 33 granted, 37 denied, 124 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 2 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board granted when a medical opinion explained the link, such as service-connected allergic rhinitis causing sinusitis, or repeated jaw surgeries with tubes through the nose leading to sinus infections. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. 21063881, A24008938, 24021743)
- Negative VA opinions lost weight when they used the wrong standard, gave no full rationale, relied on a wrong fact such as no diagnosis, or ignored the veteran's account. (3 of 7 decisions read; e.g. A24008938, 21066868, 23015753)
- The Board credited the veteran's consistent reports of nasal and sinus symptoms continuing since service. (4 of 7 decisions read; e.g. A24008938, 23040300, 23015753)
Common reasons in denied cases
- Many denials rested on a reasoned VA opinion that went unrebutted, for example that rhinitis is common and worsens with age, or that allergies, not the service-connected injury, explained the condition. (4 of 9 decisions read; e.g. 22048080, 21005705, A24057810)
- No medical opinion supported the claim, and the veteran's own belief about the cause was not competent medical evidence. (4 of 9 decisions read; e.g. 23017344, 21026361, A24057810)
- Some claims failed because no current sinusitis was shown, including a normal sinus CT scan. (3 of 9 decisions read; e.g. 21074584, A22015468, 21069554)
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Other conditions
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Anemia / blood disorder
- Ankle
- Arm / upper extremity
- Arthritis
- Asthma / COPD / lung condition
- Bladder / urinary condition
- Chronic fatigue
- Dental / jaw
- Depression / psychiatric disorder
- Diabetes
- Elbow
- Erectile dysfunction
- Eye / vision
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot (flat feet / plantar fasciitis)
- GERD / acid reflux
- Hand / fingers
- Hearing loss
- Heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis / liver
- Hernia
- Hip
- Hypertension
- Insomnia / sleep disorder
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Knee
- Low back (lumbar spine)
- Lower leg (incl. shin splints)
- Memory loss / cognitive
- Migraine / headaches
- Neck (cervical spine)
- Parkinson's disease
- Prostate (non-cancer)
- Prostate cancer
- PTSD
- Radiculopathy / peripheral neuropathy
- Sarcoidosis / pulmonary fibrosis
- Seizure disorder
- Shoulder
- Sinusitis / rhinitis
- Skin condition
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo / dizziness
- Wrist
Percentages are shown only for combinations with at least 30 decided cases (granted + denied). Named secondary pairings with 10–29 decided cases are listed as "small sample" with counts only. "ANY service-connected condition (all combined)" pools every secondary claim for that condition. Other combinations exist, but there are too few decided cases to report. Each claim is counted by the Board's ruling on that specific claim (a decision covering several issues is split by issue). Remanded = sent back to VA for more work, not decided. "What convinced the Board" summarizes a reading of up to 25 granted and 25 denied Board decisions for each claim type, with the decision numbers shown so any point can be checked. Board-appealed cases only, not regional-office decisions. Information only, not legal advice. Flat Rate Nexus is a private medical practice, not affiliated with the VA.
Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, 2021–2025. Last updated October 4, 2026. flatratenexus.com · Privacy · Terms