Migraines & headaches decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen claims of service connection for a back disorder and headaches. The veteran's statements linking his current conditions to military service are considered insufficient medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for essential hypertension and chronic headaches, but granted a noncompensable evaluation for hepatitis B.,Essential hypertension was not present during the veteran's military service or within one year of his discharge. The veteran has no liver damage due to hepatitis B.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current joint pain, headaches, and sinus/nose disorders to service or any incident therein. Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for left knee disability. The veteran's migraine headaches are not currently shown, but his left knee disability is found to be related to service.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus, which pre-existed the inservice head trauma. The initial rating for residuals of a head injury with headaches and occasional double vision remains at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's appeal because his notice of disagreement (NOD) was not filed within one year of the October 2000 rating decision, which found that he had headaches rated noncompensable since October 1997 and asthenic reaction with dermatitis also rated noncompensable. The NOD was received on April 5, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for seborrheic dermatitis and chronic headaches, finding that the veteran's character of discharge from his first period of service was dishonorable, which bars compensation benefits. The claim for chronic headaches is also denied as there is no evidence showing a current disability within one year following separation from service.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes cannot be established without a current VA examination, but he failed to appear for scheduled examinations. The RO recognized additional evidence received after the December 1998 denial, including diagnoses of neck condition, bilateral patellofemoral syndrome, and dyspnea on exertion.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for lumbosacral strain and migraine headaches were denied, with the RO continuing the 10 percent evaluations assigned to those disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 21, 1993 for a 30 percent evaluation for his service-connected post-concussion syndrome.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and PTSD, as well as his claim for a compensable evaluation for hearing loss in the right ear. The evidence submitted since the April 1997 rating decision does not provide new or material evidence to support these claims.

The veteran's headaches with vertigo, secondary to removal of acoustic neuroma during VA hospitalization and treatment, were not found to be additional disability resulting from the carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar fault on the part of VA.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of determination of initial rating assignments for service-connected headaches, dementia, residuals of right shoulder injury, scars (frontal scalp, left cheek, right medial eyebrow, and below the right chin), and residuals of a right ankle injury.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for restoration of a 10 percent disability evaluation for right occipital neuralgia and headache syndrome, finding that there was no CUE in the February 1992 rating decision.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for headaches is not warranted, as the veteran's claim was considered on the merits in January 1982 and he did not file a notice of disagreement. The earliest possible effective date assigned is October 15, 1990.

The Board found that the veteran's migraine headaches are not related to his service-connected hemangioma of the nose and denied the claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for headaches and rectal bleeding as there is no current disability associated with these conditions.

The veteran's occipital neuralgia is currently manifested by complaints of increasingly intense headaches, nausea, and dizziness. The RO found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.,The veteran's sinusitis was evaluated as noncompensable due to lack of clinical or radiographic evidence of underlying sinusitis.

The veteran's claims for higher evaluations for the service-connected flat feet and fracture of the little toe of the left foot were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations. The claim for service connection for migraine headaches was not well-grounded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, fatigue, multiple joint pain, headaches, and a skin rash due to undiagnosed illness. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred during active military service or are related to any known clinical diagnosis.