Lists of “missed” or “easy” claims can make it sound as if a diagnosis automatically produces a VA award. It does not. A useful review starts with the condition you actually have, the type of service-connection theory supported by your facts, and the evidence VA says it needs for that claim type.
For a secondary claim, VA generally looks for evidence of a new condition and evidence linking it to a disability VA has already found service connected. The five topics below are not recommendations to file. They are questions to review with a VA-accredited representative when the symptoms, diagnoses, and records genuinely apply to you.
1. Sleep apnea (DC 6847)
A sleep study and treatment records can document sleep apnea and prescribed treatment. They do not, by themselves, establish that the condition is related to service or to another service-connected disability.
Under the current schedule, DC 6847 includes 0%, 30%, 50%, and 100% levels. The 50% level refers to required use of a breathing-assistance device such as CPAP. That schedule language applies only after service connection is established, and VA evaluates the actual evidence rather than the presence of a prescription in isolation.
- Sleep-study findings and the current diagnosis
- The treatment or device actually prescribed
- Service records, symptom history, and any individualized medical opinion addressing the claimed link
- Evidence addressing causation or aggravation when the theory is secondary service connection
Read the reviewed Sleep Apnea guide →
2. Recurrent tinnitus (DC 6260)
Tinnitus is observable by the person experiencing it, so a clear history of onset, frequency, and noise exposure can matter. But an MOS, a noisy duty environment, or a personal statement is not an automatic presumption or guaranteed nexus.
Current DC 6260 provides one 10% evaluation for recurrent tinnitus whether perceived in one ear, both ears, or in the head. Service connection remains a separate determination.
- A truthful description of when the sound began and how often it occurs
- Service records and facts about specific hazardous-noise events or duties
- Relevant hearing evaluations, treatment records, and post-service noise history
Read the reviewed Tinnitus guide →
3. Migraine headaches (DC 8100)
There are no magic words for migraines. DC 8100 uses the term “prostrating,” but the record must still support what an attack actually does. A veteran should describe symptoms accurately—not label every headache prostrating or repeat regulatory language that does not fit.
Current DC 8100 includes 0%, 10%, 30%, and 50% levels based on the frequency and nature of attacks and, at the highest level, their economic impact. A diagnosis does not establish a service relationship; direct and secondary theories require evidence appropriate to the facts.
- A contemporaneous log of attack frequency, duration, symptoms, treatment, and functional effects
- Primary-care, urgent-care, or neurology records
- Work or lay evidence when attacks actually interrupt activities
- Individualized evidence supporting the claimed service-connection theory
Read the reviewed Migraine guide →
4. Erectile dysfunction and possible SMC consideration (DC 7522)
Current DC 7522 lists a 0% schedular evaluation for erectile dysfunction with or without penile deformity. The schedule directs VA to consider whether special monthly compensation may apply in claims involving loss or loss of use of a creative organ. That consideration is not automatic merely because a medication was prescribed or a diagnosis appears in a chart.
- The diagnosis, treatment history, and onset
- The service-connected condition or treatment claimed to have caused or aggravated it
- Medical records or an individualized opinion addressing that relationship when needed
Read the reviewed Erectile Dysfunction guide →
5. Sciatic-nerve radiculopathy (DC 8520)
Leg pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness may raise a neurological question in someone with a spine condition, but symptoms should not be self-labeled as radiculopathy. A clinician can assess the diagnosis, the nerve involved, and whether the findings are connected to the spine condition or another cause.
DC 8520 evaluates sciatic-nerve paralysis according to the severity of incomplete or complete paralysis. Separate evaluations may be possible for distinct manifestations, but VA’s rules also prohibit evaluating the same manifestation more than once.
- Neurological examination findings and the clinician’s diagnosis
- Imaging or electrodiagnostic testing when medically indicated
- A clear record of laterality, sensory findings, weakness, reflex changes, and functional effects
Read the reviewed Radiculopathy guide →
A safer way to review possible conditions
- Start with symptoms and diagnoses that are actually documented or can be evaluated by a clinician.
- Identify the theory: direct, presumptive, secondary, aggravation, or another applicable path.
- Compare the evidence you have with VA’s published evidence requirements for that claim type.
- Use the current rating schedule to understand criteria—not to predict an outcome.
- Review the plan with a VA-accredited representative before deciding what to submit.
Quick answers
Does a CPAP prescription automatically establish a 50% VA rating?
No. Service connection must be established first. If sleep apnea is service connected, current DC 6847 includes a 50% level when the condition requires a breathing-assistance device such as CPAP. VA decides both service connection and the evaluation from the evidence.
Can tinnitus be established from a statement alone?
A veteran can report observable ringing or similar sound, but VA still evaluates credibility, onset, service records, exposure evidence, and any medical evidence. No single statement guarantees service connection.
Are there magic words for a migraine claim?
No. DC 8100 uses terms such as prostrating, but the record should truthfully describe the frequency, duration, functional effects, and treatment of actual attacks. Repeating a term without supporting facts does not decide a claim.
Does a diagnosis prove secondary service connection?
No. VA says a secondary claim generally needs evidence of the new condition and evidence linking it to a disability VA has already found service connected. The relationship is individual and should not be assumed from a diagnosis alone.
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Educational content only. My Claim Packet is not the Department of Veterans Affairs, a VSO, an attorney, or a medical provider. This page does not provide legal or medical advice, predict a rating, or guarantee service connection. Review your facts with a VA-accredited representative.