BVA decisions by condition
Allergic rhinitis: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2018 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a allergic rhinitis issue in 1,119 decisions. It granted the allergic rhinitis issue in 18.2% of them, close to the 19.9% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 33.2%, and remanded it in 47.6%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 35.5% were granted.
Decisions
1,119
2018–2026
Granted
18.2%
All conditions: 19.9%
Granted on the merits
35.5%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
47.6%
Denied: 33.2%
Allergic rhinitis outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 76 | 14.5% | 19.7% | 65.8% |
| 2019 | 91 | 14.3% | 34.1% | 50.5% |
| 2020 | 97 | 16.5% | 36.1% | 47.4% |
| 2021 | 79 | 12.7% | 36.7% | 50.6% |
| 2022 | 81 | 25.9% | 25.9% | 49.4% |
| 2023 | 149 | 15.4% | 25.5% | 55.0% |
| 2024 | 154 | 24.7% | 28.6% | 46.1% |
| 2025 | 310 | 17.7% | 41.6% | 40.3% |
| 2026 | 82 | 20.7% | 35.4% | 40.2% |
Evidence in granted and denied allergic rhinitis decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the allergic rhinitis issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable VA exam | 183 | 53.9% | 31.5% | +22.4 pts |
| Combat service | 60 | 55.2% | 34.4% | +20.7 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 219 | 50.6% | 32.9% | +17.7 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 73 | 39.4% | 35.2% | +4.2 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 366 | 35.2% | 35.6% | −0.5 pts |
| Lay statement | 940 | 35.0% | 37.9% | −2.9 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 63.2% of the decisions that granted allergic rhinitis.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 30.4% of grants and 15.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often allergic rhinitis was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 519 | 38.4% | 33.3% | +5.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 949 | 32.5% | 57.4% | −24.8 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied allergic rhinitis
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established32
- Presumptive service connection under 38 c.f.r. § 3.3205
- Veteran served in southwest asia during persian gulf war5
- Pact act presumptive service connection4
- Qualifying service in southwest asia3
- Qualifying service in southwest asia theater of operations3
- No affirmative evidence to rebut presumption2
- Pact act presumptive service connection for allergic rhinitis2
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim26
- No evidence of nasal polyps20
- No nasal polyps12
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service11
- Criteria for compensable rating not met9
- Service records negative or silent8
- Already at the maximum schedular rating7
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis7
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent allergic rhinitis decisions
Granted
Presumption of soundness applies; Evidence in equipoise regarding onset during service; Not clear and unmistakable evidence of lack of aggravation
Current diagnosis of allergic rhinitis; Service in Southwest Asia; VA exam found condition at least as likely as not related to service; Benefit of the doubt resolved in Veteran's favor
Veteran served in Kuwait and Iraq after August 2, 1990, presumptively establishing BPOT exposure.; Allergic rhinitis is an enumerated disease presumptively related to in-service toxic exposure under 38 U.S.C. § 1120.; Service connection granted presumptively under PACT Act due to presumed BPOT exposure.
Denied
No nasal obstruction or polyps; No incapacitating episodes or prolonged antibiotic use; Persuasive weight of evidence against claim
No evidence of obstruction or polyps found on VA exam; Evidence persuasively against a higher rating; Benefit of the doubt doctrine not applicable as evidence weighed against claim
Allergic rhinitis rated under DC 6522.; Criteria for 10% rating require >50% nasal obstruction or polyps.; VA exam found no polyps or >50% obstruction.
Rules that apply to allergic rhinitis claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your allergic rhinitis case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a allergic rhinitis issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2018–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.