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.