Migraines & headaches Board decisions

The appeals for service connection and higher ratings for various conditions have been dismissed due to procedural defects, including concurrent elections of review options.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to incomplete information and the need for further examination. The AOJ will gather necessary employment history, Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits information, and a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial compensable rating for migraine headaches and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to the failure to provide a thorough and contemporaneous examination evaluating the severity of the Veteran's migraine headaches.

The Veteran's tension headaches and bilateral hearing loss were not found to meet the criteria for service connection based on current medical evidence. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are not rated compensably due to the absence of characteristic prostrating attacks.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted as it began within one year of separation from service.,An initial disability rating greater than 50% for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder) is denied. The Veteran's condition, however, has been restored to a 50% rating effective August 1, 2025.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of various conditions due to the untimeliness and inapplicability of the Veteran's Notice of Disagreement with regard to a May 2016 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and clarification of diagnoses.

The Veteran is denied an earlier effective date for the award of a 70% rating for depression. The earliest possible effective date is June 14, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for depression was received on June 14, 2018, and therefore, no earlier effective date can be granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches/migraines, as they are related to his participation in a TERA (likely burn pit exposure) during active duty. The other claims remain under consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment during the period under review.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and a headache disorder due to insufficient medical opinions in the March 2021 rating decision.

The Veteran's application to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including a low back disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, headaches, and neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, has been granted based on new evidence suggesting these disabilities are related to service exposure at Camp Lejeune.,A skin disability claim was also reopened.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been found to preclude all substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU effective March 29, 2022. Effective March 21, 2025, the Veteran is also in receipt of SMC due to his combined rating exceeding 70%.

The Veteran's migraine headaches are caused by his service-connected PTSD and/or tinnitus, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a kidney condition (claimed as kidney disease and kidney stones) has been dismissed. The claims for TBI residuals, stroke residuals, vertigo, and headache conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further review of his migraine headaches and recurrent sinusitis ratings, as well as the TDIU issue. The VA examiner did not account for the Veteran's past surgeries related to his sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for premature aortic contraction with bradycardia and cardiac arrhythmia is granted, but the claims for headaches and dizziness, blackouts, and perspiration are denied. The service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II and related disabilities are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea but remanded the issue of service connection for headaches due to a lack of VA examinations.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of December 3, 2018 for service connection of degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and tension headaches. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings or additional disabilities are remanded due to incomplete evidence.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the service-connected 'a headache disorder with and without migraine', finding that it most closely approximates the criteria for such a rating under Diagnostic Code 8100.