Meniere's Disease — 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 Meniere's Disease
Your C&P examiner fills out DBQ 21-0960N-1 (Ear Conditions (Including Vestibular and Infectious Conditions)) — 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 Meniere's Disease — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Meniere's Disease, 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 Meniere's Disease
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.87, DC 6205 (Meniere syndrome / endolymphatic hydrops). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Hearing impairment with vertigo less than once a month, with or without tinnitus.
Hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring from one to four times a month, with or without tinnitus.
Hearing impairment with attacks of vertigo and cerebellar gait occurring more than once weekly, with or without tinnitus. As an alternative, VA may separately rate vertigo, hearing impairment, and tinnitus if that yields a higher combined evaluation, but those separate ratings are not combined with a DC 6205 rating.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Meniere's Disease raise your rating?
Enter your current combined rating and the level this condition would rate at. We'll do the VA math.
New combined
30%
New monthly
$552
Change
+$552
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 Meniere's Disease 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.
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, 2025 · PMID 40065961
Finding: In a retrospective review of 18,844 audio-vestibular patients, 9 cases of Meniere's syndrome were attributed to excessive noise exposure (2.6% of all Meniere's/endolymphatic hydrops cases). Symptoms developed 4 months to 9 years after exposure; 7 had prolonged occupational noise exposure and 2 had acute acoustic trauma, and all responded to standard Meniere's treatment.
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational/impulse noise exposure (common in military service) and later development of Meniere's-type endolymphatic hydrops, including a delayed onset of months to years.
Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2024 · PMID 39597794
Finding: In a case-control study of 393 vertigo patients (193 with Meniere's disease) versus a general-population control group, patients with vertigo were significantly more likely to have occupational noise exposure (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.92-3.52) and mechanical vibration exposure (OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.96-3.78).
Why it helps: Supports an association between occupational noise and vibration exposure and vestibular disorders including Meniere's disease, relevant to service members with sustained noise/vibration exposure.
Frontiers in Neurology, 2016 · PMID 28105023
Finding: Intense low-frequency sound (120 dB SPL, 30 Hz, 90 s) produced transient tinnitus in all 28 normal-hearing participants, and the authors note such low-frequency sound has been shown to cause temporary endolymphatic hydrops in animal models, the same inner-ear pathology underlying Meniere's disease.
Why it helps: Provides a mechanistic basis showing intense sound exposure can transiently produce the endolymphatic hydrops that defines Meniere's disease, helping connect noise/acoustic exposure to the condition's pathophysiology.
- Traumatic endolymphatic hydropsSecondary
American Journal of Otology, 1995 · nexus to traumatic brain injury / head trauma / barotrauma · PMID 8572126
Finding: Describes traumatic endolymphatic hydrops produced by a blow to the head, barotrauma, or temporal bone fracture, presenting with the typical Meniere's symptom cluster of aural fullness, tinnitus, fluctuating hearing loss, and episodic vertigo, with hydrops that may be delayed in onset and persistent.
Why it helps: Supports an association in which head trauma or barotrauma causes endolymphatic hydrops indistinguishable from Meniere's disease, relevant to claiming the condition as secondary to a service-connected head injury or blast/barotrauma.
- Management of posttraumatic vertigoSecondary
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2005 · nexus to traumatic brain injury / blunt head trauma · PMID 15806044
Finding: In a prospective study of 63 patients with vertigo after blunt head, neck, or craniocervical trauma without fracture, delayed endolymphatic hydrops was identified in 12 patients, and onset of vertigo often occurred weeks to months after the initial trauma.
Why it helps: Supports an association between blunt head/neck trauma and delayed endolymphatic hydrops (the Meniere's mechanism), reinforcing a secondary link to service-connected head and neck injuries even when onset is delayed.
- Immune-Related Disorders Associated With Ménière's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisSecondary
Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 2023 · nexus to airway allergic disease, autoimmune thyroid disease, and other immune/inflammatory conditions · PMID 37272729
Finding: This systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 studies found airway allergic disease (OR 2.27, 95% CI 2.08-2.48) and autoimmune thyroid disease (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.25-1.46) significantly associated with Meniere's disease, along with other comorbidities including COPD, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and psoriasis.
Why it helps: Supports an association between Meniere's disease and immune-related/allergic conditions, relevant when a service-connected allergic, autoimmune, or inflammatory condition coexists with Meniere's disease.
Journal of Vestibular Research, 2022 · nexus to falls and injuries (conditions secondary to Meniere's disease) · PMID 33935127
Finding: Across 18 studies, vestibular drop attacks (Tumarkin crises) causing a fall to the ground occurred in a pooled 8% (95% CI 4-12%) of Meniere's patients, with comorbid migraine increasing their likelihood and preliminary evidence that the sudden falls can cause severe injuries.
Why it helps: Supports an association in which Meniere's disease produces sudden drop attacks and falls, helping connect fall-related injuries as conditions secondary to an established Meniere's diagnosis.
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.
Secondary Conditions Linked to Meniere's Disease
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Meniere's Disease. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
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Filing a Meniere's Diseaseclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Meniere's Disease should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
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Health care
Estimate your VA Priority Group →
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Where you live
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Home buying
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Draft your Meniere's Disease 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.
Start Your Meniere's Disease VA Claim
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Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Meniere's Disease.
Meniere's Disease Claim Guide by State
Find state-specific VA facilities, veteran benefits, and filing resources.
More free tools
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.