Chronic Sinunitis

[spike]

I have not been able in 5 years been able to find out how to SC sinunitis....I have been shown many things that I was treated for it several times in the Marines. I have shown I was in a warehouse exposed to a lot of things. I even indicated to the VA that I was exposed to petro exposure for 4 years. Yet they say they cant prove SC for this. I know I only suffered from this since i was in the USMC and I dont know how to prove it. Please help.

[spike]

The VA Regional Office and the VA Hospital state that they can not service connect it even though they clearly indicated that I received treatment in the service. They read my SMR's. I was denied.

[vaf]

My husband fought for 10% on chronic sinusitis, originally rated SC at 0% for many years.

It took the BVA awarding him 10%, however, we're appealing for an EED back to the day after retirement. We submitted evidence from the ENT surgeon who performed surgery while my husband was active duty, and then a later opinion from Dr. Bash.

Don't give up. It was an additional rating of a mere 10% that got my husband to 95% = 100% schedular. It can make all the difference in the world.

[Hoppy]

I take it you went the VA hospital and pleaded your case to a doctor or they scheduled a C&P. I think it is important to know whether the VA hospital was a C&P exam scheduled by the RO or did you try to get a letter from a doctor and they refused to get involved.

What is important is the logic the medical examiner used to deny the claim and the qualifications of the examiner. I have been through all this. If it does not make sense, then keep fighting them. I had two doctors at the VA hospital refuse to assist me with my claim for angioedema. I was denied two times by the RO. However, the wording on the denials did not make sence to me. Eventually, I saw the head of immunology who wrote a slam dunk report that got me service connected for life threatening angioedema (100%). Angio refers to the skin. Edema refers to swelling. Thus, swelling of the skin. Some doctors consider my condition a skin condition and the VA sometimes rates it as a skin condition. It is actually a vascular disease.

If you want to fight it check the rating schedule to make sure your current sinusitis is sufficiently chronic and severe enough to get a rating. Try to find some BVA cases that were awarded and align your evidence with those cases. There is a link to BVA cases on hadit. Uses the search term "sinusitis". What exactally did the doctors or the RO put in writing as the explanation as to why the condition in the military can not be service connected?

[spike]

I found a few that said basically that the veteran did not have sinunitis before entering the service and was treated while in service therefore the BVA granted that it happened while active duty and SC the disability. So what you just reference the appeals cases in your claim?

[Objee]

The VA Regional Office and the VA Hospital state that they can not service connect it even though they clearly indicated that I received treatment in the service. They read my SMR's. I was denied.

Spike,

Here's an "off the wall" consideration for sinusitis causes:

The list of possible medications or substances mentioned in sources as possibe causes of Sinusitis includes:

Alprostadil injection

Alprostadil pellets

Amen

Anakinra

Aromasin

Atomoxetine

Atovaquone

Avonex

Avopro

Aygestin

Benazepril Hydrochloride

Betaseron

Caverject injection

Caverject pellets

Consupren

Curretab

Cyclosporin

Cyclosporine

Cycrin

Cysporin

Depo-Provera

Edex injection

Edex pellets

Enfuvirtide

Exemestane

Flomax

Fuzeon

Gengraf

Habitrol

Infliximab

Interferon Beta

Irbesartan

Karvea

Kineret

Levitra

Lipex

Lipitor

Loniten tablets

Lotensin

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate

Mepron

Minoxidil tablets

Muse injection

Muse pellets

Neoral

Nicoderm

Nicoderm CQ

Nicotine transdermal patch

Olopatadine

Optivar

Patanol

ProStep

Prostin VR

Protopic

Provera

Rebif

Remicade

Risperdal

Risperdal M-TAB

Risperidone

Sandimmun

Sandimmun Neoral

Sandimmune

Simvastatin

Strattera

Tamsulosin

Topamax

Topamax Sprinkle

Topiramate

Uroxatral

And even the above isn't a complete list!

Ralph

[spike]

You know what I was pointed to the bva site and I found a lot of good resources in where the veteran did not have sinunitis before service, then was treated in service, was denied sc and the bva was given the granting for SC...i hate that it seems the VA tries really hard to deny any kind of claim they can. Unfortunately, I found a lot appeals were dropped because of death. I think they should continue it only because it creates a fine resource for veterans in the future to help them.