Migraines & headaches decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastrointestinal disability and headaches due to incomplete opinions and issues raised by new evidence.

The Board has found inconsistencies in the evidence regarding herbicide exposure and needs to clarify whether the Veteran was exposed to qualifying chemicals from herbicides during his service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, diaphragmatic hernia, and personality disorder have been withdrawn. The Veteran's claim for PTSD has been granted, but the claims for headaches (claimed as migraines) and a left eye condition (claimed as ischemia behind the left eye) are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted. The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable rating of 10%. For sinusitis, rhinitis, and migraine headaches prior to May 27, 2020, a higher rating is not warranted as they are already assigned the highest schedular ratings available.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, as well as back, right hip, chronic fatigue syndrome, and headache disorders. The issues are remanded due to need for additional examinations and development.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including low back condition, cervical spine condition, knee conditions, shoulder conditions, peripheral neuropathy, and thyroid condition. The effective dates are not specified.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, traumatic brain injury, seizure disorder, and headaches due to inadequate examinations and failure to consider toxic exposure during service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of head trauma (claimed as traumatic brain injury), headaches, memory loss, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Barrett's esophagus, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for insomnia disorder/depressive disorder as due to his service-connected CAD is granted. The other issues related to the Veteran's CAD and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's migraine headaches resulted in characteristic prostrating attacks occurring at least once a month but did not result in very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability from September 14, 2018. From June 24, 2019, the Veteran's chronic sinusitis manifested in more than 6 non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.,The Veteran's migraine headaches resulted in characteristic prostrating attacks occurring at least once a month from September 14, 2018. From June 24, 2019, the Veteran's chronic sinusitis manifested in more than 6 non-incapacitating episodes per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete records and potential toxic exposure issues.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for cluster headaches on an extraschedular basis was denied. The Board found that the current schedular evaluation adequately considers the Veteran's symptoms and their impact on his employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disability, migraines, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and dysthymic disorder due to new evidence provided by the Veteran's attorney. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus, cervical disc disease, and migraines are all granted service connection. The Veteran is also remanded for additional audiograms to determine the severity of his bilateral hearing loss and a VA examination to assess the severity of his broken right hand disability.

The Veteran's posttraumatic headaches are rated at 50 percent from June 14, 2013 to February 20, 2017. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in combination, precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. TDIU benefits are granted from June 5, 2017.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraines, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and left hip disorder to allow VA to obtain outstanding private treatment records and schedule the Veteran for additional VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral knee and ankle disabilities due to insufficient medical guidance on their etiology.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals of the denial of service connection for various conditions and ratings, leading to the dismissal of these legacy appeals.

For the appeal period prior to March 31, 2020, the Veteran's headaches were rated as noncompensable.,From March 31, 2020 to March 29, 2022, a rating in excess of 30 percent for headaches was denied.,As of March 30, 2022, the Veteran is now rated at 50 percent for his headaches.