A secondary condition is a new problem caused by a disability the VA already service-connected. Because you don't have to prove it started in service — only that your rated condition caused it — secondaries are the single most-missed source of additional VA compensation.
Three things carry a secondary claim: (1) the primary condition is already service-connected, (2) you have a current diagnosis of the secondary condition, and (3) a nexus — a medical opinion that the primary is "at least as likely as not" the cause. That nexus is the make-or-break piece. See what a nexus letter needs →
See what each commonly leads to:
Also: obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, CPAP, stop breathing in my sleep
Also: post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, MST
Also: low back pain, lumbar strain, lumbosacral strain, degenerative disc disease
Also: diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diabetes mellitus, DM2
Also: ringing ears, ear ringing, buzzing in ears, ringing in my ears
Also: headaches, chronic headaches, tension headaches, cervicogenic headache
Also: knee pain, knee strain, meniscus tear, chondromalacia
Also: neck pain, cervical strain, cervical spine, cervical DDD
Also: pinched nerve, nerve root compression, radiating pain, shooting pain down my leg
Also: acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn, hiatal hernia
Also: sensorineural hearing loss, bilateral hearing loss, deafness, deaf
Also: shoulder pain, rotator cuff, shoulder impingement, shoulder instability
Also: hip pain, hip strain, hip arthritis, hip labral tear
Also: ankle pain, ankle sprain, ankle instability, foot pain
Also: pes planus, fallen arches, plantar fasciitis, heel pain
Also: high blood pressure, HTN, elevated blood pressure, high bp
Also: TBI, concussion, post-concussion syndrome, blast injury
Also: irritable bowel syndrome, functional bowel, chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation
Also: IBD, crohns, crohn s, crohns disease
Also: sciatic nerve pain, sciatic neuropathy
Also: nerve damage, numbness and tingling, neuropathy, numbness
Also: ED, impotence, loss of use of a creative organ, low libido
Also: chronic musculoskeletal pain, joint pain, pain syndrome, elbow pain
Also: reactive airway disease, chronic bronchitis, COPD, respiratory condition
Also: scars, skin condition, dermatitis, eczema
Also: fibro, widespread pain, chronic widespread pain
Also: sinusitis, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, sinus infections
Also: IHD, coronary artery disease, CAD, heart disease
Also: kidney disease, CKD, nephropathy, renal insufficiency
Also: Meniere's, Menieres disease, vertigo, dizziness
Also: TMJ, TMD, temporomandibular joint, jaw pain
Also: CFS, ME/CFS, myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue
Also: thyroid, underactive thyroid, hypothyroid, thyroid disease
Also: cancer of the prostate, prostate ca, prostate carcinoma, prostate malignancy
Also: piles, rectal bleeding, anal fissure
Also: Gulf War illness, undiagnosed illness, chronic multisymptom illness, MUCMI
Also: carpal tunnel, cts, median nerve, wrist pain
Also: gouty arthritis, gouty, gout attack, gout attacks
Also: restless legs, restless leg, restless leg syndrome, RLS
Also: cancer of the bladder, bladder tumor, bladder carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma
Also: dry eye, dry eyes, my eyes are dry, eyes are always dry
Also: cataract, cloudy lens, clouded vision, cataract surgery
Also: losing my vision, losing my sight, lost my vision, blurry vision
Also: gained weight, gained a lot of weight, put on weight, cant lose weight
Also: benign prostatic hypertrophy, bph, enlarged prostate, enlarged prostate gland
Also: hepatitis a, hepatitis b, hepatitis c, hep a
Also: varicose vein, varicosities, varicosity, venous insufficiency
Also: seizure, seizures, epilepsy, epileptic
Also: alcoholism, alcoholic, alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence
Also: incontinence, incontinent, bladder leakage, leaking urine
Also: dental, dental condition, dental problems, dental issues
Also: inguinal hernia, ventral hernia, umbilical hernia, incisional hernia
Also: ulcer, peptic ulcer, peptic ulcer disease, duodenal ulcer
Also: afib, a-fib, a fib, atrial flutter
Also: tremors, essential tremor, shaky hands, hands shake
Also: parkinson's, parkinsons, parkinson, parkinson disease
Also: sle, systemic lupus, lupus erythematosus, systemic lupus erythematosus
Also: herbicide, herbicides, herbicide agent, herbicide agents
Also: lejeune, camp lejeune water, lejeune water, mcas new river
Also: open angle glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, angle closure glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma
Also: tendinitis, tendonitis, tendinopathy, tendinosis