VA Ratings for Rhinitis

Veterans, particularly those who served in certain areas, are at greater risk for rhinitis. Overall, servicemembers who have been deployed are 41% more likely than the general population to develop chronic rhinitis. The increased risk is especially notable among veterans who served in Southwest Asia, Afghanistan, and Iraq.

Since the PACT Act took effect, rhinitis is presumed service-connected for many veterans, including those who were exposed to burn pits and others who served in areas where they were exposed to other fine particles in the air. Presumptive service connection makes your claim somewhat simpler, though you will still have to show proof that you meet the criteria. If your condition is not presumed service-connected, you may still be able to prove a service connection. However, it will be up to you to show that your condition onset during military service or as a result of an incident or exposure during your service. This typically requires a nexus letter from a qualified physician.

Of course, establishing a service connection is only part of the VA disability claims process. It’s also up to the veteran to show the extent of the symptoms caused by rhinitis to establish the right VA disability rating.

Table of Contents

What is Rhinitis?

There are several different types of rhinitis. The VA offers disability ratings for three different types:

Allergic or vascular rhinitis
Bacterial rhinitis
Granulomatous rhinitis

The first type is by far the most common, impacting a significant percentage of all US adults.

Some common symptoms of rhinitis include:

Stuffy or runny nose
Sneezing
Mucus in the throat
Coughing

Specific types may involve additional symptoms.

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How Does the VA Rate Rhinitis?

VA disability ratings for allergic rhinitis and vasomotor rhinitis are limited. There are just two possible ratings:

30% when the condition presents with polyps
10% when polyps are not present, but the condition results in:
- More than 50% nasal obstruction on both sides, or
- Total obstruction of one nasal passage

Bacterial rhinitis may be rated at either 10% or 50%, and granulomatous rhinitis may be rated at 20% or 100%.

However, it’s important to be aware that there are several medical conditions that may be secondary to rhinitis, and secondary-connected conditions may increase a veteran’s VA disability rating. In addition, a veteran who has developed service-connected rhinitis as a result of exposure to burn pits or other toxins may well have additional service-connected conditions that may raise their overall disability rating.

What Compensation is Available for Service-Connected Rhinitis?

The VA disability benefits you are entitled to will depend in large part on your disability rating. With a 10% VA disability rating, a veteran will receive $180.42 in monthly monetary benefits in 2026. The veteran will also be entitled to VA healthcare services.

At a 30% VA disability rating, the base monthly compensation for 2026 is $552.47. However, at the 30% level and above, the veteran may also be entitled to a small increase in monthly benefits for each qualifying dependent. The veteran will also have access to healthcare services.

If the VA disability rating is higher because the veteran has additional service-connected conditions or secondary conditions, the monthly monetary benefit will increase.

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Conditions Secondary to Rhinitis

The best source of information about how rhinitis may be triggering or affecting your other medical conditions is your doctor. An experienced VA disability benefits advocate can also help assess your medical records for conditions known to have been associated with rhinitis. Some conditions that may be secondarily connected to rhinitis include:

Sinusitis
Sleep apnea
Migraines
Depression

Depending on the severity of these conditions and your ability to show that they are connected to your service-connected rhinitis, they could increase your overall VA disability rating. For example, depending on severity, sinusitis may be assigned a rating of 0%, 10%, 30% or 50%.

But disability ratings aren’t simply added together. Here’s how a combined rhinitis/sinusitis rating might play out in one circumstance:

A veteran is rated 30% disabled due to rhinitis, then establishes a secondary service connection for sinusitis. The secondary condition is also rated at 30%.

Those two 30% ratings aren’t added together. Instead, the VA applies a formula to make sure that no combination of conditions and ratings can exceed a total of 100% disability.

That means the second rating is only applied to what’s left over after the first rating. In our example above, that’s 70% (100% minus the 30% assigned for the rhinitis). The 30% disability rating for the second condition, sinusitis, is then applied to the remaining 70%. (70% x 30% = 21%.)

That 21% is combined with the rhinitis rating of 30% for a total of 51%. But, VA disability ratings are only assigned in increments of 10%, so it’s rounded down to 50%. At the combined 50% VA disability rating, the veteran would receive a base monthly monetary benefit of $1,132.90 in 2026.

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Fighting for the VA Disability Benefits You Deserve

Filing an effective claim for VA disability and securing the benefits you deserve can be difficult, particularly when you are dealing with multiple service-connected or secondary-connected conditions. No one should miss out on VA disability benefits because they don’t fully understand the process, don’t recognize that additional conditions may be connected, or simply don’t know what evidence is required.

At Disabled Vets, our experienced advocates put their knowledge to work every day to make sure veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve. We are here for you, whether you are just filing your claim for VA disability, have been denied benefits and need to appeal, or simply believe that the assigned disability rating is too low. We can help you determine which type of appeal is best for you and then assemble the strongest possible response. We can even represent you at your hearing.

To learn more about how we can help, call 888-373-4722 or fill out our contact form here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is rhinitis a VA disability for veterans?

Yes. Rhinitis can be service-connected, especially under the PACT Act, which created presumptive conditions for veterans exposed to burn pits and airborne toxins in certain deployment areas.

What VA disability rating can I get for rhinitis?

VA ratings for rhinitis are typically 10% or 30% for allergic or vasomotor rhinitis, depending on severity and whether nasal polyps are present. Other forms, like bacterial or granulomatous rhinitis, may be rated higher.

How does the PACT Act affect rhinitis claims?

The PACT Act makes rhinitis a presumptive condition for many veterans exposed to burn pits and environmental hazards, meaning service connection is easier to establish in qualifying cases.

Can rhinitis lead to other VA disability conditions?

Yes. Rhinitis can be linked to secondary conditions such as sinusitis, sleep apnea, migraines, and depression, which may increase a veteran’s overall VA disability rating.