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Sinusitis

Chronic sinusitis occurs when youir sinuses are swollen and inflamed for three months or longer, despite treatment. This condition is rather common and typically interferes with the way mucus drains, causing your nose to be stuffy. The result is that breathing through your nose can be difficult, and the area around your eyes (your sinus cavities) might feel swollen or tender. Common signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis include:

Nasal inflammation
Thick yellow or green discharge from the nose
Drainage down the back of the throat (postnasal drainage)
Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose
Pain, tenderness, and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose, or forehead
Loss of smell and reduced ability to taste
Runny nose
Ear pain
Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
Cough, congestion or throat clearing
Fatigue

Veterans may develop this condition as a result of their active-duty military service, and they may be entitled to VA disability benefits.

Presumptive Service Connection

Veterans who served in specified locations and time periods do not have to prove a connection between their sinusitis and service to be eligible for VA health care and disability compensation. In these cases, the VA now presumes a link between service and sinusitis, meaning that the veteran does not need to prove a connection. Additionally, surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents of veterans who were exposed to herbicides (such as Agent Orange) during military service and died as the result of service-connected conditions may also be eligible for VA survivors’ benefits.

Military Burn Pit Exposure and Sinusitis

Military burn pits are large areas of land that were used by the United States military to incinerate waste in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan in the post-9/11 era. Though the practice was effective in reducing large quantities of waste, the burn pits emitted large plumes of toxic smoke which was later found to cause many adverse health effects.

Some waste materials commonly disposed of in these burn pits include:

Human waste
Medical waste
Ammunition
Paint
Plastic
Rubber
Styrofoam
Other toxic chemicals
Spoiled food
Lubricants
Petroleum

Many veterans who were exposed to burn pits during their service and developed chronic sinusitis may be able to seek service connection benefits under this new presumption.

Be sure to click the link to sign up for updates on matters regarding VA disability benefits for burn pit exposure. Just fill out the form and we will forward what benefits the VA is paying for a chronic sinusitis condition and how best to prove your need for disability compensation, along with other information and news about burn pit exposure.

Rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the nose, caused by an allergic reactionto specific allergens (e.g. hay fever). Rhinitis also is present with the common cold, which is a temporary condition, so make sure to empahsize “allergic rhinitis”.

Common rhinitis symptoms can include:

Sneezing
Stuffy nose
Runny nose
Itchy nose, throat, eyes, and ears
Coughing
Nosebleeds
Clear drainage from the nose
Sore/scratchy throat
Itchy/watery eyes
Frequent headaches
Ear infections that keep coming back
Eczema-type symptoms (e.g., dry, itchy skin)
Hives
Excessive fatigue
Snoring

A Military Service Connection for Allergic Rhinitis Must Be Established

To qualify for service-connected compensation for allergic rhinitis, veterans must prove that their condition was caused by or aggravated by their time spent in service. In most cases, veterans will have to provide evidence of the following three elements of their service connection in pursuing compensation:

A current diagnosis;
An in-service event, injury, or illness; and
A medical connection linking your diagnosed allergic rhinitis.

It’s been demonstrated that veterans who were exposed to the environmental hazards from open-air burn pits are at higher risk for developing allergic rhinitis, and other respiratory conditions – so, to your advantage, that is a known fact.

Many toxins from these burn pits were released into the air, including volatile organic compounds, hydrocarbons, dioxins, and furans. Since there is no certainty of what was burned at each military installation at a given time, the specific toxins released by the burn pits vary for every location. Regardless, it is known that such toxins may contribute to allergic rhinitis and can be considered having a service connection.

Be sure to click the link to sign up for updates on matters regarding VA disability benefits for burn pit exposure. Just fill out the form and we will forward what benefits the VA is paying for the allergic rhinitis condition and how best to prove your need for disability compensation, along with other information and news about burn pit exposure.

Asthma

Asthma is a condition in which your air passageways swell and narrow and may produce extra mucus. This can make breathing difficult and result in coughing and wheezing when you breathe out, as well as shortness of breath.

For some, asthma may be a minor nuisance. But for others, it can be a major problem that interferes with daily activities and may lead to a life-threatening asthma attack. Asthma is not a curable condition, but its symptoms can be controlled.

Asthma symptoms will vary from person to person. You may have infrequent asthma attacks, have symptoms only at certain times, such as when exercising, or you may have symptoms all of the time.

Asthma signs and symptoms include:

Shortness of breath
Chest tightness or pain
Wheezing when exhaling, which is a common sign of asthma in children
Trouble sleeping caused by shortness of breath, coughing, or wheezing
Fatigue
Coughing or wheezing attacks that are worsened by a respiratory virus, such as a cold or the flu

Smoke from military burn pits have had both short- and long-term health effects on those exposed. Specifically, exposure to the toxins released can affect a person’s lung health. Many Vets have developed serious asthma even chronic asthma because of exposure to harmful burn pit pollutants.

Military Burn Pit Exposure and Asthma

Military burn pits are large areas of land that were used by the United States military to incinerate waste in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan in the post-9/11 era. Though the practice was effective in reducing large quantities of waste, the burn pits emitted large clouds of toxic smoke which was later proven to cause many adverse health conditions.

Waste materials commonly disposed of in these burn pits include:

Human waste
Medical waste
Ammunition
Paint
Plastic
Rubber
Styrofoam
Other toxic chemicals
Spoiled food
Lubricants
Petroleum

Many veterans who were exposed to burn pits during their service and developed asthma may be able to seek service connection under this new presumption condition related to burn pit exposure.

Make sure to click the link to sign up for updates on matters regarding VA disability benefits for burn pit exposure. Just fill out the form and we will forward what benefits the VA is paying for an asthma condition and how best to prove your need for disability compensation, along with other information and news about burn pit exposure.

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We’re Veterans Disability Attorneys Fighting for You 24x7

We’re Veterans Disability Attorneys Fighting for You 24x7

We’re Veterans Disability Attorneys Fighting for You 24x7