Migraines & headaches decisions — 2015

The Veteran has withdrawn all issues on appeal, including those related to chronic fatigue syndrome, mild obstructive lung disease and interstitial lung disease, muscle pain, bilateral feet numbness, headaches, and joint pain. The Board is dismissing the appeals.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been shown to have been incurred during active service with symptoms ever since separation, and the Board grants the claim for service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation of migraine headaches was granted effective December 5, 2013. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and balance problems and dizziness disorder were also granted secondary to service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to August 12, 2003.

The Veteran's current headaches are not service-connected as they did not occur in or were not caused by any event, injury, or disease during service, to include exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the case for further review due to a hearing request not being fulfilled. The Veteran's appeal is currently in process and will be returned to the Board after the requested hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for a supplemental clinical opinion regarding the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether his headaches in service were due to sleep apnea. The appeal is currently pending.

The Veteran's hypertension, requiring continuous blood pressure medication, warrants a 10 percent initial rating. His headaches have been manifested by very frequent characteristic prostrating attacks and warrant an initial 10 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on December 23, 2011, at the Shands Jacksonville Medical Center were not authorized in advance and did not meet the criteria for reimbursement under VA regulations.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of cluster headaches and that there is no medical evidence linking tension or migraine headaches to his service-connected corneal scar. The Board denied both claims for service connection.

The Veteran's left eye disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), and headaches are not service-connected as they were either not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Veteran's muscle tension headaches have been manifested by frequent prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability since VA received her claim for an increased rating in December 1997. The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected headache disorder, effective from December 15, 1997.

The Veteran's cluster headaches are currently rated at 50 percent, effective November 9, 2009. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteochondritis of the right ankle, right wrist strain, and traumatic brain injury with residual post-concussion headaches were denied. The appeals are based on direct service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, headaches, meningitis, septicemia, and sinusitis. The evidence submitted was found to be cumulative or redundant and did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating any of these claims.

The Veteran's daughter was born in November 2006, and he became entitled to additional compensation for his child as of the date of her birth. However, he did not submit information about this until September 21, 2009, which is when VA received a completed VA Form 21-686c from him. Therefore, the effective date for the award of additional compensation based on a dependent child was October 1, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right and left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches as service connection was decided on the merits.

The Veteran's current headache disability was incurred in service and the Board finds that his lay testimony is both competent and credible, granting service connection for headaches.

The Veteran's service connection for a TBI is granted, as the evidence shows that his current residuals are due to pre-existing conditions. The issue of lower extremity nerve disability remains unresolved.