Short answer: VA rates allergic or vasomotor rhinitis under 38 CFR 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6522: 30% with polyps, or 10% without polyps but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side. Allergic skin conditions are rated separately under 38 CFR 4.118, most often DC 7806 or DC 7825.
Allergic diseases — hay fever, hives, allergic dermatitis, and anaphylaxis — are ratable conditions under the VA disability system. Many veterans develop or experience worsening allergic conditions during military service due to environmental exposures, occupational dust, or mold in military housing. The VA recognizes both allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and allergic skin conditions as separately ratable disabilities.
Unlike some conditions with presumptive service connection pathways (e.g., diabetes as Agent Orange presumptive), allergies are not presumptive for any veteran population. This means allergies must be claimed as either direct service connection (proving the allergy was caused or aggravated by military service) or as secondary to another service-connected condition (e.g., allergic rhinitis secondary to service-connected asthma).
The rating for allergies is typically modest — usually 0% to 30% — because allergies alone rarely cause severe functional disability. However, if you have severe anaphylaxis risk, widespread allergic dermatitis, or allergies in combination with other conditions, your total disability rating can increase substantially. This guide covers the regulatory framework, service connection pathways, evidence requirements, and 2026 compensation rates.
Allergic and vasomotor rhinitis are rated under 38 CFR 4.97, Diagnostic Code 6522. Allergic rhinitis includes:
The current eCFR text of DC 6522 (“Allergic or vasomotor rhinitis”) provides only two compensable levels:
| Rating | Criteria (38 CFR 4.97, DC 6522) |
|---|---|
| 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 |
If the veteran has a diagnosis but does not meet either level, the condition is generally rated 0% (noncompensable) under 38 CFR 4.31. Which level applies is determined by VA on the evidence in each case.
DC 6522 turns on physical findings in the nose, not on which medicines you take. In practice that means:
Daily antihistamines, nasal corticosteroid sprays and immunotherapy are not listed in the rhinitis criteria. They remain useful evidence that the condition is diagnosed, chronic and treated, but they are not what sets the rating level under DC 6522.
Diagnostic Codes 6510 through 6514 (pansinusitis, ethmoid, frontal, maxillary and sphenoid chronic sinusitis) are rated under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis, not as allergic rhinitis. Under that formula:
An incapacitating episode of sinusitis means one that requires bed rest and treatment by a physician. A veteran can have both allergic rhinitis and chronic sinusitis diagnosed; whether they are rated separately depends on the facts and on VA's rule against rating the same symptoms twice.
Skin conditions are rated under 38 CFR 4.118. The codes most often used for allergic skin disease are:
| Code | Condition | How it is rated |
|---|---|---|
| 7806 | Dermatitis or eczema (includes contact and atopic dermatitis) | General Rating Formula for the Skin: 0%, 10%, 30% or 60% |
| 7825 | Chronic urticaria (hives) | 10%, 30% or 60% based on the level of treatment needed for control |
Other skin codes in the same section (for example psoriasis under DC 7816 or erythroderma under DC 7817) cover conditions that are not allergic in nature.
DC 7806 uses the General Rating Formula for the Skin, which looks at the percentage of the entire body or of exposed areas affected and at the systemic therapy required over the past 12 months:
There is no 20% level in this formula. VA may alternatively rate dermatitis as disfigurement of the head, face or neck (DC 7800) or as scars (DCs 7801, 7802, 7804, 7805), depending on the predominant disability.
“Chronic urticaria” is defined in the regulation as continuous urticaria at least twice per week, off treatment, for a period of six weeks or more. It is then rated by the treatment required for control:
Allergic conditions are not presumptive under any VA regulation. This means allergies must be claimed through one of two pathways:
You must prove one of the following:
Many direct service connection claims for allergies fail because veterans cannot clearly connect the allergy to a specific in-service event. For example, if you developed hay fever years after discharge with no documented exposure link, VA may deny the claim. A strong nexus letter from an allergist is critical for these cases.
If you have a service-connected condition, allergic rhinitis or dermatitis may be claimed as secondary. For example:
Many veterans have multiple allergic conditions that stack together to increase the overall disability rating:
A veteran may have both allergic rhinitis (rated under DC 6522) and a skin condition such as dermatitis (DC 7806) or chronic urticaria (DC 7825). These are rated separately and combined using the VA's combined rating table (not simple addition). For example, 10% and 10% combine to 19%, which VA rounds to 20%; 10% and 30% combine to 37%, which rounds to 40%.
Allergic rhinitis is frequently associated with asthma. If you have service-connected asthma and secondary allergic rhinitis rated under DC 6522, the rhinitis rating is combined with the asthma rating using the VA combined rating table. For example, 30% asthma and 10% allergic rhinitis combine to 37%, which rounds to 40%. Whether rhinitis is rated separately depends on the facts of each case.
Anaphylaxis (a life-threatening allergic reaction) has no diagnostic code of its own under 38 CFR 4.97 or 4.118, and it is not a listed criterion for DC 6522, DC 7806 or DC 7825. It is still important medical evidence of the severity of your allergic disease, and VA rates each condition only under the criteria for its own diagnostic code.
To build a strong allergy claim, compile the following evidence:
The strongest evidence is objective allergy testing confirming specific allergen sensitivities:
Gather evidence of your treatment history. Medication records document diagnosis and ongoing treatment, but they are not themselves a rating criterion for rhinitis under DC 6522, which looks at polyps and nasal obstruction (see above):
If you undergo allergen immunotherapy (allergy shots or sublingual tablets), this is strong evidence of persistent allergic disease:
Ensure your allergy is formally diagnosed in medical records:
Anaphylaxis (severe, life-threatening allergic reaction) is not directly ratable as a separate condition, but it is important evidence of severe allergic disease.
Veterans with documented anaphylaxis risk receive ratings at the higher end of the scale:
If you have anaphylaxis risk, ensure your VA medical records include:
The following table summarizes the rating criteria in 38 CFR 4.97 and 4.118 that apply to allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and allergic skin conditions (abbreviated; see the eCFR for the full text):
| Condition | Rating | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Allergic or Vasomotor Rhinitis (DC 6522) | 30% | With polyps |
| Allergic or Vasomotor Rhinitis (DC 6522) | 10% | Without polyps, but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side |
| Chronic Sinusitis (DC 6510-6514) | 10% | One or two incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or three to six non-incapacitating episodes per year with headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting |
| Chronic Sinusitis (DC 6510-6514) | 30% | Three or more incapacitating episodes per year requiring prolonged antibiotic treatment, or more than six non-incapacitating episodes per year |
| Chronic Sinusitis (DC 6510-6514) | 50% | Following radical surgery with chronic osteomyelitis, or near-constant sinusitis after repeated surgeries |
| Dermatitis or Eczema (DC 7806) | 0% | No more than topical therapy over the past 12 months and lesions on less than 5 percent of the entire body or of exposed areas |
| Dermatitis or Eczema (DC 7806) | 10% | Lesions on at least 5 but less than 20 percent of the body or exposed areas; or intermittent systemic therapy for less than 6 weeks over 12 months |
| Dermatitis or Eczema (DC 7806) | 30% | Lesions on 20 to 40 percent of the body or exposed areas; or systemic therapy for 6 weeks or more, but not constantly, over 12 months |
| Dermatitis or Eczema (DC 7806) | 60% | Lesions on more than 40 percent of the body or exposed areas; or constant or near-constant systemic therapy over 12 months |
| Chronic Urticaria (DC 7825) | 10% | First-line treatment (antihistamines) required for control |
| Chronic Urticaria (DC 7825) | 30% | Second-line treatment (e.g., corticosteroids, leukotriene inhibitors) required for control |
| Chronic Urticaria (DC 7825) | 60% | Chronic refractory urticaria requiring third-line treatment (e.g., plasmapheresis, immunotherapy, immunosuppressives) |
The following monthly compensation rates apply for 2026 based on your overall combined rating. All VA disability compensation is completely federal income tax-free.
| Combined Rating | Veteran Only | Veteran + Spouse | Veteran + Spouse + 1 Child |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | $180.42 | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 | $356.66 | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $666.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $947.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $1,322.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $1,663.02 |
Note: If allergies are your only service-connected condition at 10%, you receive $180.42/month. If allergies are combined with other conditions (asthma, dermatitis, etc.) reaching 30%, dependents add substantial amounts to monthly compensation.
Unless claiming allergies secondary to an established service-connected condition, you will likely need a nexus letter from an allergist or primary care physician. The nexus letter should state:
"It is at least as likely as not that the veteran's [allergic condition] was caused by or aggravated by [specific military service exposure or in-service event]."
Your physician can reference specific bases where you served, types of duty (occupational exposure), or documented environmental hazards. The stronger the nexus letter, the stronger your claim.
If your allergy claim was denied because of lack of service connection, file a Supplemental Claim with a strong nexus letter from your treating allergist. Reference the nexus letter in your appeal and explain the connection between your military service and the allergy development.
If you received a 0% (noncompensable) rating for allergic rhinitis, review the decision against the DC 6522 criteria. Check whether the examiner documented polyps or the degree of nasal obstruction on each side, because those findings, not medication use, determine whether the 10% or 30% level is met. If those findings were missed or not addressed, you may be able to submit new evidence (such as ENT or nasal endoscopy findings) in a Supplemental Claim, or request a Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996) if you believe VA made an error on the existing record. For a skin condition, compare the decision against the DC 7806 or DC 7825 criteria, including body-surface area affected and the systemic therapy required over the past 12 months.
If you have both allergic rhinitis and allergic dermatitis, ensure both are claimed. Each is separately ratable and combined into your total rating, increasing overall compensation.
Secondary allergic rhinitis is rated under the same DC 6522 criteria as any other allergic rhinitis: 30% with polyps, or 10% without polyps but with greater than 50-percent obstruction of the nasal passage on both sides or complete obstruction on one side. Any rating assigned is combined with your asthma rating using the VA combined rating table, not added to it.
No. Anaphylaxis is not separately ratable and is not a listed criterion under DC 6522, DC 7806 or DC 7825. It is still medical evidence of the severity of your allergic disease, so document all anaphylaxis episodes in your claim and in your treatment records.
Medication side effects are not a listed criterion under DC 6522, and VA rates a condition under its own diagnostic code. If antihistamines cause intolerable drowsiness, document this in your treatment records and talk to your physician about alternative treatments (nasal steroids, non-sedating antihistamines, immunotherapy).
Food allergies (e.g., peanut allergy, shellfish allergy) are rated under the diagnostic code that matches the resulting condition: DC 6522 for rhinitis, DC 7825 for chronic urticaria (hives), or DC 7806 for dermatitis or eczema. A food allergy itself has no dedicated rating criteria, and anaphylaxis risk is not a listed criterion. Claim each resulting condition separately if more than one is present.
For direct service connection, you need evidence linking the allergy to a service event (deployment records, occupational exposure documentation, base environmental history). A nexus letter from your physician is often the critical piece that bridges the gap between service and allergy development.
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