Migraines & headaches decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis and diplopia secondary to sinusitis, but denied service connection for migraine headaches.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and chronic headaches. The psychiatric disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, is also found to be related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for pansinusitis with occasional headaches was granted, and he is now rated at 30 percent effective from February 12, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Sacred Heart Hospital on January 3, 2005 is granted as the services were provided in an emergency and no VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Board denied an extraschedular evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected posttraumatic headaches, currently rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence that the condition was incurred in or aggravated by his active military service. The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral recurrent tinnitus is more likely due to environmental and genetic factors rather than noise exposure during service. For the headache disability, secondary to residuals of resection of left eye muscle for esotropia, the claim will be remanded as the RO has not issued a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and right knee strain, finding that these conditions were aggravated by active service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hip strain and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's service connection claim for migraine headaches is granted, as there is evidence of a current disability (migraine headaches), continuity of symptoms since service, and no indication that the condition was not incurred in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's headaches pre-existed service and were not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected stress induced migraine headaches, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and headaches, but denied both conditions as not related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected nystagmus with headaches and decreased visual acuity prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation for the period from February 18, 2005 through August 30, 2009.

The Board denied service connection for both the claimed low back injury and migraine headaches, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to service or any presumptive period.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a video conference hearing. The Veteran's claims of service connection for dysthymia, cluster headaches, and PTSD are still under review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss. The claim of reopening a psychiatric disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations. The issues include increased evaluations for lumbar strain and migraine headaches, as well as an earlier effective date for a 30 percent disability rating for migraines.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD, finding that it is causally linked to an in-service sexual assault. The other issues regarding Meniere's disease and Migraines are also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for major depression and an increased rating for migraine headaches, as well as her TDIU claim. The AOJ is to obtain all relevant medical records, provide a VA examination to assess the nature and severity of her service-connected migraines, and consider whether she meets the criteria for a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's headaches, which have been service-connected since 1999, are rated at a 30 percent level for the entire initial rating period.