Migraines & headaches decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete VA examinations and a failure to reschedule them. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, sleep disturbances, bilateral hearing loss, headache condition, and lumbar fusion with limitation and pain.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring the VA to provide clarification on the severity of his migraine headaches prior to April 18, 2024, without considering the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tension headaches are likely due to service exposure to burn pits, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The appeal of the issue of whether new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of entitlement to service connection for sterility is dismissed.,Service connection for a depressive disorder as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, headaches, sleep apnea, a left shoulder condition, and a skin condition. The appeal was dismissed due to an improper concurrent election.

The Veteran's migraines were found to have manifested during service or within one year of separation, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and remanded the remaining issues related to anxiety, depression, foot disability, knee disabilities, back disability, gastrointestinal disability, hypertension, and sleep disability.

The Veteran's PTSD with MDD and anxious distress is granted as the Board found reasonable doubt in favor of his claim, linking it to an in-service head injury.,The Veteran's post-traumatic headaches are also granted due to a link between the in-service incident and current symptoms.

The Veteran's service connection claim for migraine headaches is granted, as the evidence supports a finding that her current condition is causally related to military service.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) is also granted. The medical opinions support the conclusion that the Veteran's weight gain due to her service-connected conditions contributed to her development of sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for migraines is being remanded due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the severity of his symptoms without medication.

The Board has determined that there were duty to assist errors and remands are needed for the following issues: increased evaluations for service-connected tension headaches, dry eye syndrome with pinguecula and arcus senilis, hypertension, left foot musculocutaneous nerve (superficial peroneal) paralysis; and service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and left knee disability.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, migraines, and left foot plantar fasciitis are granted. The right elbow condition claim is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's bilateral breast mastectomy and breast cancer are granted as secondary to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) during service.,Cushing's syndrome, including pituitary tumor and removal, is granted as secondary to toxic exposure risk activities (TERA) during service.,Pituitary tumor headaches, heart condition, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension are all granted as secondary to Cushing's syndrome.,The Veteran's hysterectomy is not related to her active service.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hamstring condition, bilateral shin splints, and bilateral knee strain. The Veteran's headaches, diarrhea and nausea, and dizziness are denied.,Service connection is also denied for fatigue.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as all reductions and severances of service connection were found to be proper due to fraud committed by the Veteran and his spouse.

The Veteran's attempt to appeal the March 10, 2025 VA Correspondence regarding his service connection claims for headaches and sleep apnea was dismissed because the correspondence did not address any legal issues related to the claims.

The Veteran's claims for compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, migraines, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The medical evidence does not support the need for higher ratings under the applicable criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. Service connection for PTSD, persistent depressive disorder, somatic symptom disorder, and bilateral flatfoot are denied. A disability rating of 40 percent for back disability is granted.

The Veteran's headaches are rated at a 10 percent disability rating, effective January 16, 2026. The Board has remanded several issues for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of June 13, 2024 for his award of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). The Board found that there was no factually ascertainable increase in disability within one year prior to the date of receipt of his VA Form 21-8940.