Can you list two SC's as secondary to a new claim?

[Wayne TX]

Newbie here........I am in the process of filing a new claimcapped at 10%.   I am already SC for allergic rhinitis and sinusitis.   Can I use both as secondary to new claim or does  VA accept only one as a secondary period?  Thanks..

[Vync]

Hey Wayne,
The "at least as likely as not loss of smell/taste is service connected" should be sufficient as long as they also included the pertinent medical rationale.

The allergic rhinitis ratings are a bit more forgiving, but are primarily rated by polyps or obstruction. I know you said you had a couple of sinus surgeries. If your doctor said you have polyps, then that might be a potential for a 30%.

6522   Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis:
With polyps	30
Without polyps, but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side	10

 

After your last post, it reminded me of something I read during a college psychology course. It said the sens that would be most missed if lost was the sense of smell. Being SC myself for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, when I have full nasal blockages, I can personally tell you that it is depressing. If your SC disabilities are getting you down, it might be worth scheduling an appointment at the VA MH clinic to see what they have to say. It is actually pretty common for veterans to suffer from depression and get it SC as secondary to their SC disabilities.

Regarding SA as secondary, a number of veterans have won the uphill battle to get it SC. Quite a number of them won secondary to PTSD or depression. Search here on Hadit and you will probably find a few.

Those CPAP masks are a real headache and, like you, I struggle to keep it on all night. I tried the nasal-only mask, but it felt like I was suffocating because of my almost complete nasal blockages.

Regarding the deviated septum, it might be worth it to search through your service treatment records and look for any potential instance where you might have been hit in the face. Another possibility it to look at your entrance/exit physical examinations. If you entrance exam does not indicate the deviated septum, you can try to use the presumption of soundness. With the military persona of "being tough", I know I personally saw a lot of fellow service members fall down or get injured without ever reporting for medical treatment. The just toughed it out, but later on the problem just got worse.

At 50%, the VA covers SC and non-SC treatment with no cost to you except for dental. Of course, the free treatment comes from the VA health system. If you prefer to get non-VA care, you can opt for fee-based and/or (lack of) Choice Card plans if you can get pre-approved. Also, you can seek emergency room care at non-VA hospitals (not necessarily 'urgent care' clinics), but there are some very specific rules and stipulations (look them up). Also, the VA will probably still try to charge any private medical insurance you have for treatment of your SC conditions, but they are not supposed to do that.

[Wayne TX]

Excellent feedback and much appreciated Vync......it is nice to know others can personally relate to what is going on.  I am already 30% SC for allergies.....it is the Sinusitis that sits at 0%.  I am not happy with my CPAP mask as my wife reports that I knock it around all the time while sleeping and then she can hear the air leakage rushing out waking her up.  I don't know what to do to prevent knocking the mask off a good seal made before falling to sleep.  I won't say I'm depressed as I am frustrated trying to resolve how to keep a tight seal on the mask all night long.  I am further complicated because I also have reckless legs syndrome so a lot of movement goes on after I fall to sleep and that makes me move around more than normal. Funny, you mention deviated septum.....I got into a brief  30 second fist fight in barracks and got hit a few times glancing off my nose and cheek. We did not report it and the two other witness said nothing.  No one wanted to get in trouble and chance an AR-15.  I doubt that would suffice for anything now as never reported or went to sick call about face bruises.  It never felt like a broken nose but more like a bruised nose and bruised cheek.  Like you said a lot went on in service never reported.....just like snoring at night....never reported but if I knew then what I know now I would have reported sleeping problems to create a nexus.