What secondary means
Secondary service connection covers a condition caused, or aggravated, by a condition that is already service-connected. The migraine condition does not need its own in-service origin story; the claimed origin is the service-connected tinnitus.
As with every secondary claim, connection and rating are separate questions. Connection turns on the link evidence; the rating, once connected, is evaluated under DC 8100 on the frequency and character of prostrating attacks.
The three things the evidence has to show
Build the file so each element is answered by a document a reviewer can point to:
- A current migraine diagnosis, documented by a provider
- A primary condition — here, tinnitus — that is already service-connected
- A nexus: medical evidence linking the migraine condition to the service-connected primary, by causation or by aggravation
Building the link evidence
A nexus opinion carries weight when it shows its work: the records reviewed, and the reasoning connecting tinnitus to migraines in your case rather than in general. Hearing and headache treatment records that run in parallel, with dates, help establish the timeline that reasoning depends on.
Add your own dated statement of when the migraines began or worsened relative to the tinnitus, and keep the headache log current. If connection is granted, the log is the evidence the DC 8100 criteria are measured against.
Nexus evidence checklist: migraine secondary to tinnitus
Use this checklist to organize the link evidence for a secondary claim before you file, so each element the claim requires is addressed by a document in the package.