Migraines & headaches decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,Service connection for headaches secondary to TBI is granted, but the issue of service connection for fatigue is denied.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection claims due to his withdrawal of appeal, except for a full grant of GERD service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, blackouts (seizure disorder), headaches, and angioneurotic edema have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,Service treatment records are unavailable due to the Veteran's failure to provide specific file numbers. The Board has made efforts to obtain inpatient hospitalization records from Balboa Naval Medical Center but found them unavaiable.

The Veteran withdrew from appeal the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for migraine headaches and tinnitus, as well as an earlier effective date for TDIU prior to September 25, 2015.

The Veteran's service connection claim for migraines is granted as the evidence shows they were diagnosed in service and have continued to present.

Service connection for migraine headache disability is granted.,Service connection for right ankle disability is dismissed.,An effective date of August 30, 2017, but no earlier, is granted for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy.,An effective date prior to March 29, 2018 is denied for the increased evaluation of panic disorder without agoraphobia.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected posttraumatic headaches and back disabilities was granted, with effective dates of January 9, 2014.

The Veteran's headaches are not service-connected, as they are considered a symptom of his service-connected PTSD.,Service connection is granted for moderate restrictive ventilation disorder (previously characterized as breathing problems), low back disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a headache disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), a back disorder, and a bilateral eye disorder due to scheduling issues with VA examinations. The inextricably intertwined issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability is also being remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sinusitis, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.,For his headache disorder claim, an additional medical opinion is needed to address whether it is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines, finding that her pre-existing migraines were not aggravated by her service-connected disabilities and that they did not have a direct link to her military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for back disorder, PTSD, tension headaches, and fibromyalgia due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The Veteran's claim for a back disorder was previously denied in August 2006 as there was no evidence of an in-service event or disease that caused her current condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for headaches, hypertension (HTN), a heart condition, and arthritis of the joints, entire body due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, lower gastrointestinal disorder, and related shoulder disorders are being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for additional medical opinions. The lumbar spine disorder is also being remanded as it involves a secondary service connection claim.

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia, IBS as secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disability (depressive disorder and somatic symptom disorder), and migraine headache disability. The claims are based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of July 12, 2013 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted. The TDIU was granted due to his service-connected migraine headache and left ear hearing loss disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, headache disability, and sleep disability to include insomnia must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, depression, a headache disability, and a psychiatric disability have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The Board has found that these conditions are etiologically related to her active service.,Entitlement to service connection is granted for all claimed conditions.

The Veteran's tension headaches are rated at 30 percent, and his TDIU is granted effective October 27, 2010. The Board found that the combination of service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since then.

The Veteran's claim for a separate rating for urinary incontinence as a neurological manifestation of his service-connected lumbosacral strain has been denied. The Board found that the medical evidence does not support a finding that the urinary incontinence is related to his back disability. For the TDIU claim, the Veteran meets the schedular criteria but fails to provide sufficient evidence regarding the economic component as detailed by VA regulations.