You got COVID-19 during your military service. Now, you’re experiencing long-haul complications. A doctor diagnosed you with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS. Now, you’re wondering if there’s a POTS VA disability rating and if you might qualify.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
POTS affects the autonomic nervous system and causes a wide range of symptoms, including dizziness, rapid heart rate, and fatigue, typically when standing up. Veterans can receive a POTS VA rating if they can tie the condition back to their military service. This post explains.
In this article about the POTS VA disability rating:
What is POTS?
Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a condition of the autonomic nervous system. When a healthy person changes position, their body seamlessly balances their heart rate and blood pressure. In a person with POTS, just standing up can cause increased heart rate, dizziness and fatigue.
This causes a variety of symptoms including:
- Dizziness and lightheadedness
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting
- Headaches
- Heart palpitations or chest pain
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Nervousness or anxiousness
- Shakiness
- Excessive or lack of sweating
- Discoloration of the hands or feet due to blood pooling in the low extremities
What causes POTS isn’t yet fully understood. Risk factors for developing the condition include viral illness (like COVID), pregnancy, surgery, or trauma.
POTS VA disability rating
POTS doesn’t have its own diagnostic code or VA rating, but that doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for VA disability if you’re experiencing the condition and can tie it back to your military service. Instead, the condition will be rated analogously, using the criteria for a condition with similar symptoms.
There are a few diagnostic codes the VA may use to rate POTS, depending on the veteran’s symptoms and the adjudicator’s discretion.
It is likely the VA will rate POTS under various heart conditions in the Schedule of Ratings, including diagnostic code 7010 for supraventricular tachycardia.
VA may also use a diagnostic code related to a veteran’s dizziness (syncope) or fainting spells from their condition.
POTS and related conditions
The autonomic nervous system controls our involuntary body functions like blood pressure, body temperature regulation, heart rate, parts of breathing and digestion, and so much more. Autonomic dysregulation can lead to not only POTS, but a wide range of conditions affecting other parts of the body the autonomic nervous system controls.
If you’re able to service connect POTS, you may be able to claim service connections for other conditions you’re experiencing.
A secondary service connection allows you to receive a VA disability rating for any health condition medically related to a service-connected condition. In some cases, POTS may cause another health condition, while in others, POTS may be caused by a different health problem.
Conditions POTS may be related to that can qualify for VA disability include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
- Gastrointestinal disorders, especially IBS
- Insomnia
- Fibromyalgia
- Migraines
- Lupus
- Mast cell activation issues
- Hyperhidrosis
In addition to these common comorbidities, dizzy spells or even fainting from POTS can lead to sprains, fractures, and breaks that may all be able to be secondarily service connected.
Many conditions related to POTS have similar or overlapping symptoms. For example, fatigue is a symptom of POTS, CFS, lupus, and insomnia. It’s important to note VA’s pyramiding rule will prevent you from getting multiple ratings for the same symptom, even if you have more than one condition that causes the symptom.
Service connecting POTS
Because of the nature of the illness and the variation of its symptoms, POTS can be challenging to diagnose and tie back to your military service.
Perhaps one of the most straightforward ways to service connect POTS is if you were diagnosed with it during your military service or if you had a viral illness like COVID-19 during your service and developed POTS as a result.
Evidence is also growing to support the theory POTS can be caused by a traumatic injury to the head. The prevalence of TBIs among service members may put veterans at a greater risk of POTS.
Veterans will need to provide a medical nexus, or a professional medical opinion, linking their condition to military service.
Because POTS claims can be challenging to prove and the VA doesn’t have a standard way to handle them, you may want to work with an accredited VA disability lawyer to help build your case.
TDIU for POTS
In some cases, a veteran may be awarded total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for POTS. TDIU is also known as individual unemployability or simply IU. Veterans are eligible for these benefits if they can’t hold down “substantially gainful” employment due to their service-connected conditions.
POTS isn’t life-threatening, but it may interfere with your ability to function in your daily life and perform regular activities, especially if they have another related medical condition like insomnia, migraines, or a gastrointestinal disorder. These conditions may make desk work impossible, while POTS can prevent a person from safely working while standing.
“They brought me from being stuck at 30%. Denial after denial. Finally rated at 70%. Appealed for total and unable to work disability since 2014. Without Woods & Woods, I would still be stuck at 30%.”
F.H.
Veterans who receive TDIU benefits are compensated at the same level as those with a 100% disability rating, even though their combined rating is below 100%.
Veterans will typically be eligible for TDIU if they have:
- At least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more disabling OR
- Two or more service-connected disabilities with at least one rated at 40% or more disabling and a combined rating of 70% or more
How Woods & Woods can help
Woods & Woods has been fighting for people with injuries and disabilities since 1985. Our team of accredited VA disability lawyers, case managers, legal analysts, and intake specialists know the ins and outs of the VA so you don’t have to do all the hard work. Call us today for your free and confidential case evaluation.
Talk to Us About Your Claim:
(812) 426-7200
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, veterans may get a VA rating for POTS, but first they must be able to tie the condition’s development to their military service.
The VA doesn’t have a specific disability rating for POTS. Instead, the condition will be rated analogously, using the criteria of a condition with similar symptoms, like DC 7010 for supraventricular tachycardia.
Neil Woods
VA disability attorney
Woods & Woods
Neil Woods is the firm’s owner and president. He received his law degree from Western Michigan University.
