Migraines & headaches decisions — 2014

The Veteran's generalized headaches are rated at a maximum of 50 percent, which is the highest schedular rating available under the applicable VA rating criteria. The Board found that this level of disability resulted in severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's blindness is secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury with headaches and generalized anxiety with dementia.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and conducting VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new VA examinations and obtaining outstanding treatment records. The issues on appeal are whether he should receive a higher rating for his meningitis with migraine headaches and whether he has a back disability related to service.

The Veteran's initial 30 percent rating for migraine headaches was granted effective November 28, 2007. The disability is currently rated under the criteria for a direct service connection.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and bilateral foot disabilities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA disability determination records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine the etiology of any hearing loss, tinnitus, and head injury residuals.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 30 percent, his vertigo is rated at 30 percent, and his bilateral pes planus with left heel spur is rated as noncompensable. The appeal is granted for the migraine headaches and vertigo issues.

The Veteran's nasal disability has been manifested by symptoms such as nasal congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus pressure, headaches, sneezing, post-nasal drainage, some difficulty breathing, and a 60 percent right nasal obstruction. For the entire rating period on appeal, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating under DC 6513.

The Veteran's left foot pes planus was found to have its origin in service, and he is now entitled to service connection.,There is no current hearing loss disability meeting VA criteria, so service connection cannot be established.,No current right knee disability has been demonstrated, thus service connection for a right knee disability cannot be granted.,The Veteran's lumbar spine strain is currently evaluated at 20 percent based on limitation of motion to flexion less than 60 degrees but not less than 40 degrees.,Hypertension is currently rated as noncompensable, with diastolic pressures below 100 and systolic pressures below 160.,Cluster headaches are currently evaluated at noncompensable, occurring less frequently than once every two months.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of the condition during or after his military service. The claims for increased ratings for depressive disorder and migraine headaches are not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for multiple sclerosis, cognitive and/or psychiatric disorders, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, chondromalacia of the knees, and headaches. The appeal is inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a headache disorder is granted as the Board finds that his headaches started during service and have continued since then.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and temporomandibular joint disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.,Both conditions were deemed to have no direct relationship to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, depression, right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and chronic headaches. These conditions are presumed to be related to his active duty in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Board found that the Veteran's headaches, eye/vision disorder, GERD, and stomach/bowel disorder are not related to service. The appeals for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. A new VA examination will be conducted to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed migraine headaches with loss of vision condition.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50% effective August 4, 2007. This is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's headache disorder did not manifest within one year of his separation from service and is not related to service, including any medication provided during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a headache disability is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including consideration of whether the Veteran's conditions are due to undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disability pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1117.