Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as she does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes.,The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have begun in service and has persisted, with the Board finding that reasonable doubt must be resolved in her favor.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for higher ratings in the cases of migraine headaches, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's rhinitis, seizure disability (temporal lobe epilepsy), migraine headaches, alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, cannabis use disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, eczema, and muscle and joint pain of the lower back, bilateral hands, feet, knees, and hips are all granted presumptively based on service in Southwest Asia. The Veteran's PTSD is also granted with an initial rating of 70 percent from May 21, 2014 to February 27, 2020.

The Board dismissed the issue of service connection for migraine headaches due to a grant in July 2023. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of PTSD from December 14, 2010 was denied.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for hiatal hernia (GERD) was denied.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for migraine headaches was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected migraines, PTSD, and hypertension render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent from April 5, 2021.,Hypertension has been granted as service-connected.,Obstructive sleep apnea and heart disorders (including atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure) are also service-connected.,Migraines have been granted as service-connected.,The Veteran is now eligible for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee patellofemoral syndrome should be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error in obtaining relevant treatment records. The Veteran reported worsening of his right knee symptoms due to compensating for pain in his left knee.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for migraine headaches is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current migraine headaches are related to his military service, including a head injury sustained from a fall in service.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 100 percent for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) with residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a separate disability rating for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of the appeal by the Veteran and his attorney.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 1, 2012 for the Veteran's TDIU and DEA eligibility. The decision is based on the fact that the Veteran became unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities starting from January 26, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine, cervical spine, and bilateral knee disabilities are not attributable to active military service.

The Veteran's mental health condition, including anxiety and headaches, is granted. The Veteran also receives a 30 percent disability rating for her transformed anxiety-tension headaches (claimed as migraine headaches) and sinusitis and non-allergic rhinitis since December 17, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for right eye condition, left eye condition, and headaches condition due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran's service treatment records show he was injured during a period of active duty for training in July 1984 when an immersion heater exploded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral shoulder impingement syndrome and migraine headaches due to duty-to-assist errors. Specifically, a new VA examination is required to address whether the Veteran's pre-existing conditions worsened during service.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee disability and denied an earlier effective date for the award of TDIU. The decision on the left knee disability claim is based on direct service connection, while the TDIU claim was granted with an effective date of October 15, 2020.

The Veteran's anxiety is found to be related to her military service.,There is no current evidence of a chronic headache disability for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic pain in the left foot, right foot, or right ankle.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic pain in the right ankle.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for headaches due to new evidence submitted after the June 2017 denial. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and bilateral pes planus have been dismissed as they were not properly addressed in the appeal process.

The Veteran's appeals for initial compensable ratings for migraine headaches, TBI with PTSD, and right leg scar have been dismissed. The appeal for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain (back disability) is remanded.