The Board has determined that the Veteran's current gastrointestinal disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), and bilateral eye disability (photophobia) are all related to her service-connected migraines.
The deciding factor: Photophobia is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected migraines as evidenced by her consistent reports of photophobia since 1987 and a VA examination in March 2017 that found it was caused by her migraines.
- Claimed conditions
- Gastrointestinal disability, Acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), Bilateral eye disability (photophobia)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- April 24, 2018
- Citation
- 1824874
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1824874.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in the duty to assist and insufficient opinions regarding service connection for a gastrointestinal disability. The Veteran's symptoms include epigastric burning, regurgitation, nausea without vomiting, persistently recurrent epigastric distress, reflux, substernal pain, sleep disturbance caused by esophageal reflux, diarrhea, dysphagia, Barrett's esophagus, and esophagitis.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, finding that his current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for major depressive disorder was denied, and service connection claims for respiratory and gastrointestinal disabilities were also denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a sinus disability as there was no persuasive evidence that it began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.
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