Migraine Headaches, or migraines, are a painful type of headache with one or more of the following symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Sensitivity to sound
- Changes in vision (such as scotoma, flashes of light, tunnel vision)
- Sensory changes (such as feeling of pins and needles in extremities)
Oftentimes, migraine headaches can be so painful that they cause “prostrating attacks.” This type of attack results in the person being forced to lay down until the pain subsides and the sufferer usually must also rest in a dark and quiet room.
The frequency of these headaches varies anywhere from several times per year to several times per week in severe cases.
The VA rates migraine headaches according to the symptoms, severity, and frequency of attacks:
| With very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability | 50 |
| With characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average once a month over last several months | 30 |
| With characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in 2 months over last several months | 10 |
| With less frequent attacks | 0 |
The cause of migraine headaches is not always known but may be triggered by the following conditions:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression / Anxiety
- Somatic Symptom Disorder
- Temporalmandibular Joint (TMJ) conditions
- Sinusitis / Rhinitis/ Asthma
- Neck Strain / Radiculopathy
- Sleep Apnea
- Tinnitus
If you are already service connected for the one of the above listed conditions and you suffer from migraine headaches, then it would be considered a secondary service connected disability. Here is Disability Benefit Questionnaire (DBQ) form 21-0960C-8 to help your claim
If you file a VA disability claim for migraine headaches and it is denied or not rated properly, contact us immediately to appeal and protect your rights.
You fought for your country, it’s time someone fought for you!