Migraines & headaches decisions — 2019

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraine headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, cervical spine injury, lumbar spine condition, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, heart condition, prostate condition, left foot condition, right foot condition, and seizure disorder. The Veteran's claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lower back pain and bilateral knee disability. The Veteran's skin condition, headache disability, and foot disability (bilateral pes planus) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral cataracts, right shoulder cyst residuals, tinnitus, chronic fatigue, dizziness, numbness, short-term memory loss, and attention problems is granted.,The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for service connection for sinusitis and a headache condition is also granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims related to PTSD, cervical strain, sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, and tension headaches. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess his current disability levels.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lung cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, headaches, and skin disability are all granted. The grants are based on presumptive service connection due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his severe pain, numbness, and limited mobility.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating for various conditions have been granted, but his claim for an effective date prior to August 11, 2014, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus has been denied. His initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is also denied.

The Veteran's heart palpitations and tension headaches have been denied increased ratings, with the exception of denying an earlier effective date for service connection.,Heart palpitations were not rated higher than 10% prior to May 5, 2016, and a rating in excess of 10% as of that date was also denied. An earlier effective date for tension headaches was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee disability, left knee disability, cervicalgia, and migraines with tension headaches are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for sinusitis, chronic constipation, and tension headaches as there was no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's headaches were not characterized by prostrating attacks, and a compensable evaluation is denied.,Prior to January 20, 2015, the Veteran’s hypertension required medication for control; beginning from that date, it has been manifested by diastolic blood pressure of predominantly around 100 mm, and systolic pressure predominantly in the 170s and 180s. A compensable evaluation is granted.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction disability is manifested by loss of erectile power but not by penile deformity; a compensable evaluation is denied.,Service connection for fibromyalgia is remanded due to lack of current diagnosis despite service in Southwest Asia and widespread musculoskeletal pain.,Service connection for vertigo, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, is remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding the nature of the Veteran's symptoms and their relation to his service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a sleep disability, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness, is remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the Veteran has a current diagnosis of sleep apnea or chronic fatigue syndrome.,Service connection for angioneurotic edema of the right and left leg and edema of the right and left ankle is remanded due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to hypertension.,Service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder (GERD) is remanded due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Veteran's residuals of hysterectomy are granted, while her left ankle disability (secondary to service-connected right ankle strain), right knee patellofemoral syndrome, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, lumbar strain, major depressive disorder, and migraines remain remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for cluster headaches and migraines was denied prior to April 3, 2006. The Board granted a 30 percent rating from April 3, 2006 to September 28, 2011.,For the period from April 3, 2006 to September 27, 2011, the Veteran's cluster headaches and migraines were rated at 30 percent. The Board denied a higher rating in excess of 30 percent.,From September 28, 2011 to March 28, 2018, the Veteran was not granted any compensable disability ratings for her cluster headaches and migraines.,For the period from March 29, 2018, the Veteran's cluster headaches and migraines were rated at 30 percent. The Board denied a higher rating in excess of 30 percent.,The claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 3, 2006 was denied as the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and evidence are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of various disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for CFS, fibromyalgia, GERD, and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is granted for headaches. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus are not supported by the evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, sleep apnea, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy have been granted. The appeals for service connection for these conditions are all secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, headaches, and deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities are not service-connected.,Service connection for a sleeping disorder is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of left knee and left foot disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal. The cervical spine disability, headaches (including as a residual of TBI), and PTSD claims are being remanded.

The Veteran's increased rating claims for headaches and psychiatric disorders, as well as her TDIU claim, are being remanded due to the need for new examinations and updated medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current hearing impairment meeting VA criteria.,The Veteran's TBI was evaluated at a 40 percent rating, with an additional 100 percent evaluation for PTSD. The headaches were separately rated at 50 percent effective August 16, 2016.