Migraines & headaches decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal regarding increased evaluations for various service-connected conditions has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims prior to a decision being made.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate disability, chronic fatigue or exhaustion with shortness of breath, neuropathy in the lower extremities, numbness of the arms and hands, headaches, acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as mood disorder secondary to general medical condition), left hand arthritis, left knee arthritis, and skin disability (chloracne).

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals for service connection on several issues due to her withdrawal of those appeals prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease, left ear hearing loss, migraine headaches, and allergic rhinitis have been granted effective from August 19, 2013. The Veteran is now rated at 10 percent for each of these conditions.

The Veteran's sinusitis and headaches are found to be related to his service-connected low back disability, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, migraine headaches, tinnitus, chest pain, hypertension, and supraventricular arrhythmia, have precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU. Regarding the claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for migraine headaches on an extraschedular basis, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture that the available schedular evaluations are inadequate.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disability was granted. The claims for left eye amblyopia and bilateral nuclear cataracts of the eyes are remanded.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for migraine headaches prior to March 19, 2014, and a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter. The Veteran's headaches were found not to meet the criteria for a higher rating based on frequency or severity.

The Veteran's headache disorder is due to his military service, specifically as secondary to his service-connected sinusitis and rhinitis. The Board has found that the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected anal fissure, tension headaches, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions. The appeals will be reconsidered after the additional information and evaluations are obtained.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 28, 2011 for a 60% disability rating for ulcerative colitis is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's symptoms more nearly approximate the criteria consistent with a 60% disability rating from the date of original diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened and granted, with a rating of 10% effective from the date of receipt of the new evidence. The appeal seeking service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and TDIU is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches had their onset in service and are related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for L5-S1 degenerative disc disease is remanded due to a need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain missing service treatment records, SSA records, and VA treatment records. A mental health examination will be conducted to determine if his current psychiatric diagnoses are related to the July 1976 incident in Korea. Another examination will also be conducted to assess whether his current infectious disease and right shoulder disability are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current headache disorder is at least as likely as not related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for a headache disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the AOJ to review additional evidence submitted since the previous denial in June 2015.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied due to lack of direct link to service. New and material evidence has not been submitted.,No effective date prior to July 1, 2011 is granted as the claim was received after that date.

The Veteran's PTSD is service-connected.,His headaches are found to be secondary to his PTSD.,His low back disorder is service-connected as a result of injury in service.,No specific issues regarding bilateral knee or left hip disorders were addressed due to the withdrawal of appeal for these claims.,Tinnitus was granted based on combat exposure and noise trauma during service.

The Veteran's chronic interstitial cystitis and migraine headaches have been rated at their maximum levels, with no further increase possible under the current rating criteria.