Chronic Laryngitis — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
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The DBQ for Chronic Laryngitis
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960N-4 (Sinusitis, Rhinitis and Other Conditions of the Nose, Throat, Larynx and Pharynx) — the form that decides your rating. You can have your own doctor complete the same DBQ and submit it as evidence.
Have a C&P exam coming up? See exactly what the examiner will ask about Chronic Laryngitis — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Chronic Laryngitis, based on your overall combined VA disability rating.
| Rating | Monthly (Alone) | Monthly (w/ Spouse) | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 | — | $2,165.04 |
| 20% | $356.66 | — | $4,279.92 |
| 30% | $552.47 | $617.47 | $6,629.64 |
| 40% | $795.84 | $882.84 | $9,550.08 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 | $1,241.90 | $13,594.80 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 | $1,566.02 | $17,220.24 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 | $1,961.45 | $21,701.40 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 | $2,277.15 | $25,225.80 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 | $2,559.30 | $28,347.60 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 | $4,158.17 | $47,262.96 |
Common Symptoms
Document these symptoms in your claim. The more thoroughly you describe how they affect your daily life, the stronger your claim.
Functional Limitations
VA rates disabilities based on how they limit your ability to function. Describe these limitations in your personal statement.
Rating Criteria for Chronic Laryngitis
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.97, DC 6516 (chronic laryngitis). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Hoarseness, with inflammation of cords or mucous membrane.
Hoarseness, with thickening or nodules of cords, polyps, submucous infiltration, or pre-malignant changes on biopsy.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Chronic Laryngitis raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
10%
New monthly
$180
Change
+$180
Rates shown are the 2026 veteran-alone amounts (no dependents). VA combines ratings with "whole-person" math and rounds to the nearest 10, so adding a condition does not simply add its percentage. Full combined-rating calculator with dependents →
Peer-Reviewed Medical Evidence
Real, verified studies from PubMed/NIH that support a Chronic Laryngitis claim. Bring these citations to your accredited VSO or C&P exam — they help show your condition is recognized in the medical literature and, where noted, linked to other service-connected conditions.
Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2023 · PMID 37068518
Finding: This review of service members and veterans deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Southwest Asia since 1990 identifies laryngeal disease/dysfunction among the most common deployment-related respiratory diseases, alongside asthma and chronic sinonasal disease, and ties these to toxic airborne exposures now addressed under the 2022 PACT Act.
Why it helps: Supports an association between military deployment and airborne toxic exposures and chronic upper-airway/laryngeal disease in veterans, useful for a direct service-connection argument.
Gastroenterology, 1997 · nexus to GERD (reflux esophagitis) · PMID 9287965
Finding: In 101,366 U.S. veterans, those with erosive reflux esophagitis or esophageal stricture had roughly double the odds of laryngitis (odds ratio 2.01, 95% CI 1.53-2.63) plus elevated odds of laryngeal stenosis (2.02), aphonia (1.81), sinusitis, asthma, and other airway disease versus controls.
Why it helps: Directly supports an association in a large veteran population between service-connected GERD and chronic laryngitis, helpful for a secondary nexus claim.
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2023 · nexus to GERD · PMID 37061897
Finding: This American Gastroenterological Association practice update lists laryngitis, chronic cough, and asthma as recognized extraesophageal manifestations of GERD and advises clinicians to evaluate whether GERD is a contributing factor in these conditions.
Why it helps: A current professional-society guideline supporting an association between GERD and chronic laryngitis, useful background for a secondary-to-GERD claim.
- Laryngopharyngeal reflux and GERDSecondary
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2013 · nexus to GERD / laryngopharyngeal reflux · PMID 24117635
Finding: This review describes how retrograde flow of gastric contents into the upper aerodigestive tract in laryngopharyngeal reflux produces extraesophageal symptoms including hoarseness and chronic cough, and details the role of pepsin and acid in laryngeal injury.
Why it helps: Supports a mechanistic association between reflux and chronic laryngeal inflammation, relevant to a secondary nexus from service-connected GERD/LPR.
Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, 2015 · nexus to Inhaled corticosteroid medication (for asthma/COPD) · PMID 25887975
Finding: This review reports that inhaled corticosteroids are a common cause of dysphonia by producing laryngeal inflammation through chemical irritation and opportunistic candidiasis, and recommends investigating inhaler use in any patient with laryngeal complaints.
Why it helps: Supports an association between inhaled corticosteroids (commonly prescribed for service-connected asthma/COPD) and chronic laryngeal inflammation, helpful for a medication-induced secondary claim.
- Occupational and Environmental Contributions to Chronic Cough in Adults: Chest Expert Panel ReportDirect
Chest, 2016 · PMID 27521735
Finding: This CHEST expert panel report reviews occupational and environmental causes of chronic cough, including irritant inhalation and tobacco/marijuana smoke, and identifies laryngeal syndromes as a recognized manifestation of these exposures.
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational and environmental irritant inhalation exposures and laryngeal/upper-airway irritation, relevant to a direct exposure-based laryngitis claim.
Every citation is real and verified against PubMed. This is general information, not medical or legal advice — your accredited VSO or representative can advise on your specific claim.
Evidence Checklist
Gather these types of evidence before filing your claim. The strongest claims include multiple evidence types.
Common Treatments
Documenting ongoing treatment strengthens your claim and supports higher ratings.
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Filing a Chronic Laryngitisclaim? Don't skip these.
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Health care
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Home buying
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Draft your Chronic Laryngitis personal statement
7-step wizard that builds your VA claim personal statement using your own words. Detects presumptive eligibility, cites 38 CFR + DBQ, includes federal-crime disclosure. You review and edit before filing.
Start draftingNot legal or medical advice. Always have a VSO or accredited rep review before filing.
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Educational content, not professional advice
This article is published by Military Transition Toolkit for educational and planning purposes. It is not legal, medical, or financial advice. VA rating criteria, benefits, and regulations change — verify anything benefits-affecting against VA.gov, 38 CFR Part 4, or a VA-accredited representative (VSO, agent, or attorney) before filing.
MTT is a veteran-owned planning tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any military branch.