GERD Secondary to PTSD
Many veterans have developed post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, because of their service. However, despite its severity, many veterans think of PTSD solely as a psychiatric disability. When they later develop related physical conditions, many veterans don’t immediately realize the two disorders are connected. One such condition that veterans with service-connected PTSD commonly develop is gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
- Veterans with PTSD may develop GERD as a secondary condition due to the stress associated with PTSD.
- The VA may assign a secondary disability rating for GERD if it is linked to a veteran’s service-connected PTSD.
- The combined disability rating for GERD and PTSD can increase the overall VA disability compensation for veterans.
- Veterans need to provide medical evidence and possibly a nexus letter to prove the connection between PTSD and GERD for VA benefits.
Veterans whose daily lives are impacted by service-connected PTSD are entitled to disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans with PTSD can apply for a VA disability rating and receive benefits. However, if their service-connected PTSD later leads to GERD, they may also be eligible to apply for a secondary disability rating.
The VA may assign a secondary disability rating to a condition that has developed or worsened because of a previous service-connected disability. Applying for a secondary disability rating helps veterans secure additional disability benefits and increase their monthly compensation.
How Can a Secondary GERD Rating Increase Your Total VA Rating?
When veterans develop a later condition connected to one for which they were already receiving benefits, the VA combines disability ratings for both conditions to ensure veterans receive appropriate compensation for both disabilities. However, this combination doesn’t occur through simple addition. Instead, the VA uses its Combined Ratings Table to calculate a new rating for the veteran’s disabilities.
The VA must complete the following series of steps to compute the combined rating:
- Rank the disabilities in order from most severe to least severe.
- Find the highest disability rating percentage in the table’s top row.
- Find the second-highest disability rating percentage in the left-side column.
- Locate the intersecting number.
- Round the number you found to the nearest 10 percent.
For veterans with more than two disabling conditions, the VA must take the following additional steps:
- Find the intersecting number it just located on the left-hand column of the table.
- Find the lowest disability rating on the top row.
- Locate that intersecting number and round to the nearest 10 percent.
Possible VA Ratings for PTSD and GERD
Different disability percentages are possible for different conditions, with some conditions considered more likely to be disabling than others.
The available VA ratings for PTSD are 100, 70, 50, 30, and percent, depending on the severity of the condition and its effects on the veteran’s life. The most common rating is 70 percent.
The VA does not have a diagnostic code for GERD in its disability ratings. Instead, it uses its schedule of disability ratings for hiatal hernias, as the symptoms are similar, and a hiatal hernia is a common cause of GERD. Thus, the available VA ratings for GERD are 80, 50, 30, 10, and 0 percent.
Calculating Your Rating.
You can use the Combined Ratings Table to estimate the combined rating the VA may assign to your conditions. For example, combining an 80 percent GERD rating at the top column of the table and a 70 percent PTSD rating on the side of the table results in a combined rating of 94 percent, which rounds down to a final rating of 90 percent.
80 %
GERD
and
70 %
PTSD
equals a combined rating of 94%, which then rounds up to 90%
50 %
GERD
and
50 %
PTSD
equals a combined rating of 75%, which then rounds up to 80%
Using the Combined Ratings Table yourself can be confusing, especially if you have multiple secondary conditions to add to your calculations. You can save time and energy by using our VA disability calculator, which automatically applies the VA formula to your existing disability percentages.
How To Show the VA Your Acid Reflux Is Caused by PTSD
For your secondary disability claim to succeed, you must prove all the following to the VA:
- You have a current diagnosis of GERD.
- Your acid reflux symptoms are connected to your existing PTSD.
- Both disabilities are connected to your service.
You must file VA Form 21-526EZ, which can be done online, by mail, or in person at your local VA office.
You must provide evidence with your application that you qualify for benefits based on a secondary condition, just as you did when you originally applied for benefits connected to PTSD. Generally, this evidence includes the following:
Medical Records
Your medical records must indicate that you have both GERD and PTSD. To maximize the likelihood that the VA will recognize both conditions, send the most comprehensive records you can.
Nexus Letter
A nexus letter is a report from your doctor establishing the link between your primary and secondary conditions and their connection to your military service. The doctor must have reviewed your complete records and treated you directly. Nexus letters are not mandatory. However, denials frequently result when the applicant fails to provide a nexus letter or provides an insufficient one.
C&P Exam Results
In cases where additional verification of your claims or review of medical records may be needed, the VA will often request a Compensation and Pension exam. A VA medical professional performs the C&P exam to ensure that VA claims assessors have all the facts about your disability. While the VA gives C&P results significant weight, the exam will not be the sole basis for approval or denial.
Personal Statements
People who you regularly interact with, such as family, friends, or coworkers, may be able to help you with a successful benefits application by writing a personal statement attesting to your disability. A personal statement, sometimes called a “buddy letter,” can be submitted using VA Form 21-4138.
How To Make a Secondary Claim for GERD to PTSD
If you think you may qualify for a secondary rating for GERD in addition to your existing VA disability rating for PTSD, Veterans Guide can help. We can connect you with knowledgeable and experienced advocates who can help you navigate the VA’s claims process and give you the best chance at approval.
Contact us online or by phone at 888-982-1009 today for a free case evaluation.
Relationship Between GERD and PTSD
Veterans with PTSD tend to live extremely stressful lives. Many veterans with PTSD suffer from hyperarousal, sometimes called hypervigilance. This condition causes the body to be constantly on guard against danger, creating stress in situations where it is not a typical response.
Gastrointestinal problems are often caused or exacerbated by stress, such as that resulting from PTSD. Thus, gastrointestinal illnesses are commonly linked to PTSD. One common condition that veterans with PTSD develop is Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a psychiatric condition that develops from severe trauma. PTSD is one of the most common disabilities for veterans returning from service, especially among combat veterans who have witnessed traumatic incidents. Veterans with PTSD frequently become severely disabled by the disorder and struggle with civilian life.
The mental and emotional strain of PTSD causes many veterans to struggle with intense flashbacks, depression, and even significant personality changes. Destructive behavior, paranoia, and intrusive thoughts are all common in veterans struggling with PTSD, and these symptoms can cause veterans to pull away from communities that might have otherwise offered them support, worsening symptoms by leaving affected veterans alienated and lonely.
What Is GERD?
GERD, commonly known as “acid reflux,” is a digestive disorder that causes stomach acid to flow upward into the esophagus. Occasional acid reflux is generally not enough to support a GERD diagnosis. Instead, GERD is a chronic condition marked by repeated acid reflux episodes, which irritate the esophagus over time and can cause damage.
Some of the most recognizable symptoms of GERD are heartburn, which many veterans develop as they age, and a sour or acidic-tasting liquid at the back of the mouth. Long-term GERD can result in more serious, permanent health problems, such as the following:
- Inflammation of the esophagus, or esophagitis
- Scar tissue in the esophagus called an esophageal stricture
- Barrett’s esophagus, a form of tissue damage linked to esophageal cancer
Correlation Between GERD and PTSD
Studies have found a link between GERD and PTSD in veterans. In one study, veterans who returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan with mental health diagnoses were twice as likely to develop GI disorders when compared to veterans without mental health disabilities. While some researchers have suggested that the connection between GERD and PTSD results from issues with the gut-brain connection, there has been no concrete medical determination of why the disorders are closely associated.
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