Respiratory & Sleep
Sinusitis & Rhinitis
Chronic sinus and nasal conditions rated under §4.97
Chronic sinusitis is rated under Codes 6510–6514 on the number of incapacitating and non-incapacitating episodes per year, while allergic rhinitis (Code 6522) turns on nasal obstruction and polyps. Both are common after burn-pit and airborne-hazard exposure and are PACT Act presumptives.
Each Condition, Broken Out
Every Condition In This Category Has Its Own Page
These are separate diagnostic codes with separate criteria, separate exams and separate money. Each one below opens a full page: how it is rated, the schedule spelled out, the service-connection arguments, and exactly what happens at that specific C&P exam.
DC 6510-6514
Chronic Sinusitis
Your chronic sinusitis rating under 38 CFR §4.97, Diagnostic Codes 6510 through 6514, is decided by one thing above all else: how many episodes you have per year and how severe each one is. The VA counts two kinds of episodes. An incapacitating episode is a sinus infection so severe it requires BOTH bed rest AND treatment prescribed by a physician — usually a prolonged four-to-six-week course of antibiotics. A non-incapacitating episode is a flare characterized by headaches, facial pain, and purulent discharge or crusting that does not put you in bed. Three or more incapacitating episodes a year, OR more than six non-incapacitating episodes a year, supports 30%. One or two incapacitating episodes, OR three to six non-incapacitating episodes, supports 10%. Near-constant sinusitis with headaches, pain, tenderness, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries — or radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis — supports 50%. The single biggest mistake veterans make is not documenting each infection: if it is not in your medical records with the treatment prescribed, the VA acts as if it never happened. Chronic sinusitis is a PACT Act presumptive for veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards — diagnosis plus qualifying service equals connection, no nexus letter required.
Read the full Chronic Sinusitis (DC 6510–6514) page
DC 6522
Allergic & Chronic Rhinitis
Your rhinitis rating under 38 CFR §4.97, Diagnostic Code 6522, comes down to two objective findings — not how miserable you feel. The VA does not rate rhinitis on congestion, sneezing, or a runny nose. It rates on anatomy: whether you have nasal polyps, and how much of your nasal airway is blocked. Nasal polyps documented on examination support 30% — the maximum schedular rating under this code, and once polyps are confirmed no obstruction measurement is needed. Without polyps, the rating turns on measured obstruction: greater than 50% obstruction of BOTH nasal passages, OR complete (100%) obstruction of ONE side, supports 10%. A service-connected rhinitis that does not meet either threshold is rated 0% — no monthly payment, but it still establishes the service connection that anchors secondary claims. The single biggest mistake veterans make is walking out of a C&P exam with the examiner having written "rhinitis, stable" and never measuring or recording the obstruction percentage — which caps you at 0%. Chronic rhinitis is a PACT Act presumptive for veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne hazards — diagnosis plus qualifying service equals connection, no nexus letter required.
Read the full Allergic & Chronic Rhinitis (DC 6522) page
What Sinusitis & Rhinitis Really Is
Chronic sinus disease is dismissed as allergies. In reality it means pressure behind your face most of the year, headaches, drainage, broken sleep, and repeated courses of antibiotics. The VA rates sinusitis and rhinitis on very specific counted events, and once you know what is being counted the claim becomes straightforward.
What it actually means
Chronic sinus disease is dismissed as allergies. In reality it means pressure behind your face most of the year, headaches, drainage, broken sleep, and repeated courses of antibiotics. The VA rates sinusitis and rhinitis on very specific counted events, and once you know what is being counted the claim becomes straightforward.
What the VA measures
Sinusitis under codes 6510 through 6514 is rated on the number of incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or on non-incapacitating episodes characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting, with 50 percent following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis or near constant sinusitis. Allergic rhinitis under code 6522 turns on whether there are polyps and on the degree of nasal obstruction.
Why claims get missed
The criteria count episodes, and an incapacitating episode is defined as one requiring bed rest and treatment by a physician. Veterans have six sinus infections a year and no record shows the count in those terms. For rhinitis, the presence of polyps and the percentage of nasal passage obstruction are the entire rating, and a rhinoscopy note stating obstruction of both nasal passages settles it.
What in Your Service Causes Sinusitis & Rhinitis
Service connection is not a feeling, it is a chain of evidence. These are the pathways the VA already recognises. Find yours, then make sure your file says it out loud.
Burn pits and airborne hazards
Chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis are both presumptive conditions under the PACT Act for veterans with qualifying service. No exposure proof required.
Dust, sand, and particulate exposure
Sustained exposure in desert and austere environments produces permanent mucosal damage.
Documented in-service infections
Repeated sick call visits for sinus infection during service support direct service connection for the chronic disease.
Facial or nasal trauma
A broken nose or facial fracture creates the deviation and obstruction that leads to chronic sinus disease.
Sinusitis Is Rated by Counting Episodes
Chronic sinusitis is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis (Codes 6510–6514) on how many episodes you have per year. Non-incapacitating episodes involve headaches, pain, and purulent discharge; incapacitating episodes require bed rest and treatment prescribed by a physician, typically with prolonged antibiotics. Higher ratings require more frequent episodes, or radical surgery with chronic residuals. Keeping a record of every infection and its treatment is the difference between a low and a full rating.
Rhinitis and the Burn-Pit Connection
Allergic and vasomotor rhinitis (Code 6522) is rated on the degree of nasal obstruction and whether polyps are present. Both sinusitis and rhinitis are increasingly tied to burn-pit and airborne-hazard exposure, and under the PACT Act these chronic respiratory conditions can be presumptive for veterans who served in qualifying locations — meaning the exposure connection is presumed rather than something you must prove.
What to Document
Number of incapacitating vs. non-incapacitating episodes per year
Antibiotic courses and physician-directed treatment
Nasal obstruction percentage and polyps (rhinitis)
Burn-pit / airborne-hazard exposure for PACT Act
Establishing Service Connection
To establish service connection for a condition, veterans must meet three criteria. First, there must be a current diagnosis. Second, there must be evidence of an in-service event or exposure that could have caused or aggravated it — including airborne hazards, burn pits, or a service-connected condition. Third, a nexus — a medical link — must connect the in-service event to the current condition.
Current diagnosis of the condition
In-service event, exposure, or a service-connected primary condition
Medical nexus linking the condition to service ("at least as likely as not")
Diagnostic testing (e.g., sleep study or nasal/sinus evaluation)
Records documenting symptom frequency and treatment
Why Work With an Accredited Advocate
Veterans should seek the assistance of an Accredited VA Disability Advocate because we guide you through the complex claims process and ensure all necessary evidence is gathered and presented effectively. Our advocates are trained to identify and link service-related conditions, increasing the likelihood of a successful claim. We also provide personalized representation, helping veterans navigate appeals and secure the benefits they deserve. As a VA-Accredited Claims Agent, our fees are regulated under 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless we win your appeal.
The Rating Schedule, Spelled Out
Sinusitis and rhinitis are rated under 38 CFR §4.97. Chronic sinusitis (Diagnostic Codes 6510–6514) is rated on the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis, driven by incapacitating and non-incapacitating episodes; allergic and vasomotor rhinitis (Diagnostic Code 6522) is rated on nasal obstruction and polyps.
Detected by imaging only.
One or two incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged (4 to 6 weeks) antibiotic treatment, or three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain and purulent discharge or crusting.
Three or more incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year with headaches, pain and purulent discharge or crusting.
Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near-constant sinusitis with headaches, pain and tenderness of the affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeated surgeries.
Without polyps, but with greater than 50 percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides, or complete obstruction on one side.
With polyps.
Key Points to Remember
Sinusitis is rated under 38 CFR §4.97 (DC 6510–6514) on incapacitating and non-incapacitating episodes
Allergic rhinitis is rated under DC 6522 based on nasal obstruction and polyps
Document the frequency of episodes and any antibiotic-treated infections
Often linked to airborne-hazard and burn-pit exposure under the PACT Act
What to Expect at Your Sinusitis and Rhinitis C&P Examination
Sinusitis under 38 CFR §4.97 is rated on a count, not on a symptom description. The criteria are the number of non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain and purulent discharge or crusting, and the number of incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment of four to six weeks. Rhinitis under Diagnostic Code 6522 is rated on obstruction percentages and on the presence of polyps. Bring the count.
A record of how many non-incapacitating episodes you had in the past 12 months, with dates — three to six per year is the 10% criterion and more than six supports 30%.
A record of incapacitating episodes requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment of four to six weeks, which drive the higher evaluations.
Your antibiotic history from the pharmacy record, which is the objective proof of both counts.
For rhinitis, measurement of nasal obstruction as a percentage on each side, since greater than 50% obstruction of both passages or complete obstruction on one side is the 10% criterion.
Examination for nasal polyps, which carry 30% under Diagnostic Code 6522 regardless of obstruction.
CT imaging of the sinuses and any surgical history, including radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis or repeated surgeries, which support the 50% level.
Exposure history — burn pits, sand and dust, chemicals and airborne hazards — and a nexus opinion tying the chronic condition to it.
What Happens Once the C&P Exam Is Complete
The examiner compiles a detailed report — your medical history, physical findings, and diagnostic results — and assesses the severity, symptoms, and impact of your condition. That report is sent to the VA Regional Office handling your claim and becomes part of your official file, reviewed alongside your other evidence.
The VA may send the report back for corrections, clarification, or a second opinion if it finds it incomplete or unclear. This can delay your claim, because the VA requires thorough and accurate information to decide. Your claim only moves to the decision phase once the VA is satisfied with the evidence — which is exactly why the quality of the file we build for you matters so much. Once decided, your effective date controls how far back your back pay reaches, and any denial can be challenged through a Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, or Board appeal.
The Advocate’s Take
If you have been fighting sinus infections since the burn pits, that is not a nuisance — it is a countable, ratable condition, and under the PACT Act the exposure link may already be presumed.
Every Level the VA Can Assign You
These percentages come straight out of the rating schedule that governs sinusitis & rhinitis — Diagnostic Code 6510–6514. Read them slowly. If your current rating does not match what your records actually show, that gap is exactly what an appeal exists to correct.
0%
Detected by imaging only.
10%
One or two incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged (4 to 6 weeks) antibiotic treatment, or three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain a…
30%
Three or more incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year with headaches, pain and purulent discharge o…
50%
Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near-constant sinusitis with headaches, pain and tenderness of the affected sinus, and purulent discharge or crusting after repeate…
Secondary Claims — Both Directions
Under 38 CFR §3.310, a condition caused or made worse by an already service-connected condition is itself service connected. That runs in both directions, and it is the single largest pool of unclaimed compensation in the system.
What can cause sinusitis & rhinitis
If one of these is already service connected, this condition can be claimed as secondary to it.
GERD
Refluxed acid reaching the upper airway causes chronic inflammation of the sinuses and throat.
Deviated septum or facial trauma
Mechanical obstruction produces chronic infection.
Immunosuppressive medication
Treatment for another service-connected condition increases infection frequency.
What sinusitis & rhinitis can cause
If this condition is already service connected, each of these is a separate claim you may be owed.
Headaches, including migraine
Sinus disease is a documented headache generator, and headaches are rated separately.
Sleep apnea and sleep disturbance
Nasal obstruction is a recognized contributor to airway collapse and fragmented sleep.
Asthma and lower airway disease
The unified airway means upper airway inflammation drives lower airway disease.
Depression and fatigue
Years of pressure, drainage, and lost sleep have downstream effects.
A secondary claim still needs two things: a current diagnosis of the secondary condition, and a medical opinion saying it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by the service-connected condition. You do not have to prove it happened in service.
Building a Sinusitis & Rhinitis Claim That Wins
Every claim stands on three legs. Knock one out and the claim falls over, no matter how bad your symptoms are. Before you file, look at your file and find all three.
A current diagnosis
A doctor has to say you have it, now, in writing. Not "reports symptoms of" — a diagnosis. Without this leg, nothing else in the file matters.
A link to your service
An event, an injury, an exposure, or an already service-connected condition. Service records, unit records, buddy statements, and your own account all count as evidence.
A nexus that ties the two together
A medical opinion stating it is at least as likely as not that your service caused or aggravated the condition. That phrase is a legal standard: 50 percent or better. It is the leg most denials break.
Document the problem before you file
• Keep a dated symptom log for at least 30 days. Frequency, severity, and what it stopped you from doing.
• Get statements from people who see it — a spouse, a coworker, a battle buddy. Lay evidence is legal evidence.
• Pull your private treatment records. The VA only has to help; it does not have to go find everything.
• Write down what you have stopped doing. Lost work, lost sleep, lost activities. That is what impairment looks like on paper.
Your Rights in This Process
It costs nothing to file
Filing a VA claim is free. Accredited representatives may only charge for work on an appeal after an initial decision, and those fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636.
The VA has a Duty to Assist you
Under 38 CFR §3.159 the VA must help you get the evidence it needs, and it must tell you what is missing before it denies you for missing it.
You can ask for a different examiner
You may request a trauma-informed clinician, or a clinician of a specific gender, for a C&P examination. Ask before the exam is scheduled.
You can claim every condition you have
There is no limit and no penalty. Primary conditions, secondary conditions, and conditions made worse by service all get filed.
You can appeal and be re-evaluated
A denial is not the end. You may submit new evidence, request a higher-level review, appeal to the Board, and ask for re-evaluation when your condition worsens.
You must be considered for TDIU
If your service-connected conditions keep you from holding substantially gainful employment, you may be paid at the 100 percent rate without a 100 percent rating.
Questions Veterans Ask About Sinusitis & Rhinitis Claims
What counts as an incapacitating episode?
The regulation defines it as one requiring bed rest and treatment by a physician. If you have been down for days with a sinus infection, your record needs to say bed rest and it needs to say prescribed antibiotics, with dates.
Do I have to prove burn pit exposure?
No. Chronic sinusitis and chronic rhinitis are on the PACT Act presumptive list. Qualifying service dates and locations plus the diagnosis are what you need.
Why did my rhinitis get zero percent?
Probably because nobody documented the obstruction percentage or the presence of polyps. Those two facts are the entire rating for code 6522. A rhinoscopy note describing greater than 50 percent obstruction on both sides, or complete obstruction on one side, is what supports the compensable level.
When You Are Ready to File
Talk to an accredited representative before you file. It costs nothing to ask, and the order you file in changes what the VA is allowed to award you. Albert L. Thombs Jr. is VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147.
The application itself
This is the form that opens a disability compensation claim. List every condition you are claiming, and name the secondary conditions explicitly.
Release for private records
Authorises the VA to request records from your private doctors. Without it, treatment outside the VA may never reach your file.
Lay or buddy statement
The official form for your own statement and for statements from people who witnessed the event or the change in you.
Resources Worth Keeping
These are real, staffed VA lines. Tap to call from your phone.
Veterans Crisis Line
988
Then press 1. Text 838255. Available 24 hours a day, every day. You do not need to be enrolled in VA health care.
VA Benefits & Facility Line
1-800-827-1000
Claim status, general benefits questions, and help finding the right VA office.
Women Veterans Call Center
1-855-829-6636
Call or text. Staffed by women veterans who can connect you to services in your area.
Vet Centers
1-877-927-8387
Community-based counselling for combat veterans and their families. No VA enrollment required.
What This Rating Is Worth (2026)
| 10% | $180.42/mo |
| 20% | $356.66/mo |
| 30% | $552.47/mo |
| 40% | $795.84/mo |
| 50% | $1,132.90/mo |
| 60% | $1,435.02/mo |
| 70% | $1,808.45/mo |
| 80% | $2,102.15/mo |
| 90% | $2,362.30/mo |
| 100% | $3,938.58/mo |
Rates shown are the veteran-alone amounts effective December 1, 2025. A spouse, children, or dependent parents increase your payment at 30% and above. Every 10% you are under-rated can cost you thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life.
Estimate Your Exact Pay
Veteran RepresentationYour VA Claim Exam: What to Expect
This official VBA video walks you through the entire C&P exam process. Understanding what happens in that room is the difference between a rating that reflects your true condition and one that undervalues you.
Veteran RepresentationWhat It Takes to Win These Benefits
The Three-Part Test
Service connection under 38 CFR §3.303 requires all three:
- 1A current, diagnosed disability
- 2An in-service event, injury, or exposure
- 3A medical nexus linking the two
Veteran RepresentationThe medical evidence the VA is actually looking for:
VA Claim Exams: Respiratory, Cardiology, Ear/Nose/Throat
This exam is specific to your body system. The examiner uses a specialized DBQ for this category of conditions, and the tests they perform determine your exact rating level. Watch this before your appointment.
What to Expect at Your C&P Exam
Your Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam is not treatment. It is a rating tool. The examiner will not fix anything — they complete a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) and check the boxes that decide your rating. What happens in that room can move your rating an entire level, so walk in prepared.
Veteran RepresentationThe Forms You File — We Prepare Them For You
These are the forms that drive this claim. Start any of them on our site and an accredited agent prepares and files it for you — correctly, the first time.
Application for Disability Compensation
The core application that opens or reopens your claim.
Start this with usStatement in Support of Claim
Your own account and buddy/lay statements that fill the gaps in your record.
Start this with usAppoint Us as Your Representative
Authorizes our accredited agent to act on your behalf with the VA.
Start this with usUnemployability (TDIU) Application
Claims 100% pay when your conditions keep you from working — even below 100%.
Start this with usDisability Benefits Questionnaire
The exam form that captures the severity criteria for this specific condition.
Start this with usSMC & TDIU — When Your Rating Isn't the Whole Story
TDIU — Paid at 100% Without a 100% Rating
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (38 CFR §4.16) pays you at the 100% rate when your service-connected conditions prevent substantially gainful employment — even if your combined rating is lower. You may qualify if:
- One condition is rated 60% or higher, or
- Two+ conditions combine to 70% with at least one rated 40%, and
- Those conditions keep you from holding steady, gainful work.
- Cannot meet the numbers? Extraschedular TDIU under §4.16(b) may still apply.
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
SMC (38 CFR §3.350) pays above the normal schedule for especially serious losses — loss or loss of use of a body part, being housebound, or needing the aid and attendance of another person. Common levels:
- SMC-K — Loss / loss of use — Add-on for loss or loss of use of a specific body part (hand, foot, eye, reproductive organ, or certain other losses). Paid on top of your regular compensation. Can stack (up to the statutory cap).
- SMC-S — Housebound — Statutory housebound: a single 100% disability plus additional disabilities of 60%+, or substantially confined to your home. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-L — Aid & Attendance — You need the regular aid and attendance of another person, or have anatomical loss/loss of use of both feet, one hand and one foot, blindness, or are permanently bedridden. Veteran-alone rate shown.
- SMC-M — Higher Aid & Attendance — A higher level of aid and attendance (e.g., loss of use of both hands, or loss of use of both legs at a higher level). Veteran-alone rate shown.
These are the benefits veterans most often leave on the table because no one told them they qualified. If any of this sounds like your situation, call an accredited agent at 702-992-4883 — we screen for SMC and TDIU on every case.
Talk to a VA-accredited claims agent about sinusitis & rhinitis
Albert L. Thombs Jr. is a US Army veteran, VA-Accredited Claims Agent #45147, and 100% service-connected himself. He personally reviews every request. Fees are capped by 38 CFR §14.636 — and there are no fees unless you win.
Three Ways to Put an Accredited Agent on Sinusitis & Rhinitis
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