Vertigo — VA Disability Rating & Claim Guide
This is not legal or medical advice. Always consult with a VSO or accredited claims agent.
Start a claim for Vertigo— free & guided
Step-by-step builder: add this and any related conditions, see the research, and get a package ready for a free VSO. No account needed to start.
The DBQ for Vertigo
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 Vertigo — and how to describe it.
Prep →2026 Compensation Rates
Monthly compensation for Vertigo, 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 Vertigo
Rating schedule under 38 CFR 4.87, DC 6204 (peripheral vestibular disorders). Criteria are simplified summaries; your specific rating depends on severity documented in your C&P exam.
Occasional dizziness. Objective findings supporting a diagnosis of vestibular disequilibrium are required before a compensable evaluation can be assigned.
Dizziness and occasional staggering. Hearing impairment or suppuration is rated separately and combined. If the vertigo is due to Meniere's syndrome, rate under DC 6205 instead.
Verified against 38 CFR Part 4, the official VA rating schedule. Reviewed July 2026.
Will adding Vertigo 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 Vertigo 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.
Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2020 · PMID 30829817
Finding: Among 162 help-seeking UK military veterans, 72% reported one or more lifetime mTBIs, and vestibular disturbance affected 69% of participants. It was most prevalent after combined blunt-and-blast injury (83%) versus blunt alone (59%) or blast alone (47%), and vestibular dysfunction independently predicted increased postconcussive symptoms and disability even after accounting for PTSD, depression, and anxiety.
Why it helps: Supports an association between military mild TBI (including blast exposure) and vestibular dysfunction/vertigo in veterans, directly and independently of psychiatric comorbidity.
Ugeskrift for Laeger, 2019 · PMID 30869074
Finding: This literature review found that 11-57% of patients with vertigo following head trauma can be diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and that traumatic BPPV occurs after mild as well as severe head trauma.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-related head trauma and BPPV, a common and recognized cause of vertigo, helping link an in-service head injury to a later vertigo diagnosis.
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, 2025 · PMID 40065961
Finding: In a retrospective series of 18,844 patients, 9 cases of Meniere's syndrome (2.6% of all Meniere's diagnoses) developed after excessive noise exposure, with vestibular symptoms emerging 4 months to 9 years after exposure; seven had prolonged occupational noise exposure and two had acoustic trauma.
Why it helps: Supports an association between noise/acoustic trauma exposure (common in military service) and endolymphatic hydrops/Meniere's syndrome, a recognized cause of episodic vertigo, including a delayed-onset pattern.
PLoS One, 2019 · PMID 31408492
Finding: In military personnel exposed to subconcussive blast overpressure, participants reported headaches, dizziness, and slowed thinking, and dizziness was associated with reaction-time decrements and changes in TBI-related serum biomarkers (GFAP/NfL suppression and amyloid-beta elevation) measured within one hour of blast.
Why it helps: Supports an association between repeated/subconcussive blast overpressure exposure during service and dizziness, even in the absence of a diagnosed concussion or visible head wound.
- Vestibular migraine: an updateSecondary
Current Opinion in Neurology, 2024 · nexus to migraine, headache · PMID 38619053
Finding: This narrative review describes vestibular migraine as an underdiagnosed condition with high prevalence in general, headache, and neuro-otology clinics, and notes that a high proportion of patients with persistent postural-perceptual dizziness (PPPD) have a migraine phenotype that responds to standard migraine preventive treatment.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected migraine/headache disorders and vertigo (vestibular migraine), useful for a vertigo claim secondary to an established migraine condition.
Current Opinion in Neurology, 2022 · nexus to migraine, headache · PMID 34864754
Finding: This review reports that vestibular migraine affects 2.7% of the US population and that migraine is associated with increased risk for numerous otologic conditions including Meniere's disease, vestibular loss, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
Why it helps: Supports an association between migraine and multiple vertigo-causing vestibular conditions, helpful for claiming vertigo as secondary to a service-connected migraine disorder.
International Review of Psychiatry, 2013 · nexus to PTSD · PMID 23383670
Finding: This review describes PTSD as associated with ill-defined/medically unexplained somatic symptoms including unexplained dizziness, tinnitus, and blurry vision, linked to autonomic nervous system dysregulation and alterations in the HPA and sympatho-adrenal axes, with PTSD treatment reducing the severity of these autonomically mediated symptoms.
Why it helps: Supports an association between service-connected PTSD and dizziness/vestibular symptoms via autonomic dysregulation, useful for a vertigo/dizziness claim secondary to PTSD.
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 Vertigo
These conditions are commonly claimed as secondary to Vertigo. A secondary condition can increase your overall combined rating and monthly compensation.
Share this rating breakdown
A free, source-cited infographic of how the VA rates Vertigo. Save it and post it, or send it to someone who needs it. No fee, no catch.
Square format, ready for an Instagram or Facebook post.
Open / save the image →Sharing the page link also shows a wide preview card automatically.
Related Guides
Vertigo as a Secondary Condition
Vertigo is commonly claimed secondary to these primary conditions:
Filing a Vertigoclaim? Don't skip these.
Most veterans filing for Vertigo should also be looking at:
Quick calculator
Estimate your combined rating →
The VA doesn't add ratings — they use a specific formula. See your combined rating in 30 seconds.
Health care
Estimate your VA Priority Group →
Priority Group 1-8 determines what care you get and what it costs. Service-connected = lower copays, full access.
Where you live
Compare 50 state veteran benefits →
State property tax exemptions for SC vets vary 10x. Some states fully exempt 100%-rated vets, others give nothing.
Home buying
VA home loan + funding fee waiver →
ANY service-connected rating waives the funding fee. On a $400K loan that's ~$8,600 saved.
Draft your Vertigo 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 Vertigo VA Claim
Use our free Claims Builder to organize your Vertigo evidence, track your claim status, and prepare for your C&P exam. No coaching fees — just tools.
Secondary Condition Claim Guides
Detailed guides on claiming each secondary condition linked to Vertigo.
Vertigo 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.