Respiratory System§ 4.97Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 6522Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis:

Rated from 10% to 30% under § 4.97. Here is what the VA requires at each level.

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What each rating requires

The VA assigns the highest level your evidence actually supports. Read up the stack until your records stop matching.

  1. 30%

    With polyps

  2. 10%

    Without polyps, but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side

Allergic or Vasomotor Rhinitis (VA Diagnostic Code 6522)

Understanding how the VA rates chronic nasal inflammation under 38 CFR § 4.97.


What Is Allergic or Vasomotor Rhinitis?

Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis is a condition affecting the Respiratory System. It is rated by the VA under Diagnostic Code 6522, found in § 4.97 of the VA's rating schedule.

The VA assigns a disability rating based on specific findings related to nasal polyps and the degree of obstruction in the nasal passages.


Available Rating Levels

The VA rates allergic or vasomotor rhinitis at one of the following levels:

RatingCriteria
30%With polyps
10%Without polyps, but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides, or complete obstruction on one side

What the VA Looks For

When evaluating allergic or vasomotor rhinitis, the VA reviews the medical evidence for:

  • The presence of polyps. If polyps are present, the condition may be rated at 30%.
  • The degree of nasal obstruction (when polyps are not present). A 10% rating may apply when there is:
    • Greater than 50-percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides, or
    • Complete obstruction on one side.

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule for Diagnostic Code 6522 under 38 CFR § 4.97. It is provided for general educational purposes and does not guarantee any particular rating or outcome. Individual evaluations depend on your specific medical evidence.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.97, diagnostic code 6522. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 6522 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Respiratory System codes may cover your secondary conditions.

Find out which rating your evidence supports.

Six reads your records against these exact criteria and tells you what the VA is still missing.

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