Board Decision Lookup › Hemorrhoids
How the Board ruled on hemorrhoid claims, 2021–2025
How the Board of Veterans' Appeals ruled on hemorrhoid service-connection claims in 2021–2025, for every theory and secondary pairing we publish. Board-appealed cases only, counted per claim. Last updated October 4, 2026.
These are past Board decisions, not a prediction for any individual case, and not legal advice. The percentage is among DECIDED cases; cases sent back to VA (remanded) are counted separately.
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Hemorrhoids (direct service connection)
Direct (began in or was caused by service), or theory not stated in the Board order
37.5% granted of 296 decided cases (margin of error 32.2–43.1%). 111 granted, 185 denied, 371 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 62 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- A favorable medical opinion, private or VA, carried weight when it rested on the veteran's credible history, the records, or medical literature. One VA exam lost weight for addressing only a Gulf War theory. (6 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 22016246, A21003513, 21003014)
- The veteran's credible account of hemorrhoid flare-ups in service and since was accepted, even when service records were silent, because hemorrhoids can be observed firsthand. (10 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 21057761, A24046548, 24020043)
- Service or early post-service records documented hemorrhoids, such as tests in service, a hemorrhoid tag at the separation exam, or a VA diagnosis soon after discharge. (3 of 13 decisions read; e.g. 22003823, A24007041, A24046548)
Common reasons in denied cases
- No medical opinion supported the claim. A VA opinion against it went unrebutted, or the only link was the veteran's own belief, which was not competent because hemorrhoids have many possible causes. (5 of 10 decisions read; e.g. A21006447, A21001982, 23012410)
- No hemorrhoids were shown in service, and records first showed them many years later. Silent service records outweighed later statements made for the claim. (4 of 10 decisions read; e.g. 23045739, 23012410, 23058609)
- There was no current diagnosis of hemorrhoids, including one case where the veteran declined the rectal exam. (3 of 10 decisions read; e.g. A21002883, 24003235, A24057641)
Hemorrhoids secondary to any service-connected condition
Secondary (caused or worsened by a service-connected condition)
40% granted of 30 decided cases (margin of error 24.6–57.7%). 12 granted, 18 denied, 47 sent back to VA (remanded, not decided), 1 dismissed.
What convinced the Board in granted cases
- The Board gave weight to private opinions that explained the mechanism, such as constipation, chronic diarrhea, or straining caused by the service-connected condition, often citing medical studies. (4 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 22023713, 21044158, 23046900)
- In several grants the favorable opinion was the only medical opinion on the secondary question, with no contrary opinion in the record. (3 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 22023713, 21044158, 23046900)
- Other grants rested on thorough VA opinions that replaced earlier inadequate negative ones, or on findings tying hemorrhoids to a service-connected condition or its medication. (3 of 8 decisions read; e.g. 22048955, 21029519, 23047908)
Common reasons in denied cases
- The most common reason for denial was no current hemorrhoid diagnosis during the appeal period, such as a normal exam or records silent for hemorrhoids. (5 of 14 decisions read; e.g. A24017438, A25001417, 21041908)
- Thorough VA opinions, some citing medical literature, found no link to the service-connected condition and were not outweighed. (3 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 22015091, 21013482, 21046983)
- Supporting opinions from private or treating doctors were too speculative or did not explain how the condition would cause constipation, and the veteran's own belief was not competent evidence. (4 of 14 decisions read; e.g. 21044335, 22031414, A21008062)
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Other conditions
- Alcohol or substance use disorder
- Anemia / blood disorder
- Ankle
- Arm / upper extremity
- Arthritis
- Asthma / COPD / lung condition
- Bladder / urinary condition
- Chronic fatigue
- Dental / jaw
- Depression / psychiatric disorder
- Diabetes
- Elbow
- Erectile dysfunction
- Eye / vision
- Fibromyalgia
- Foot (flat feet / plantar fasciitis)
- GERD / acid reflux
- Hand / fingers
- Hearing loss
- Heart disease
- Hemorrhoids
- Hepatitis / liver
- Hernia
- Hip
- Hypertension
- Insomnia / sleep disorder
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Knee
- Low back (lumbar spine)
- Lower leg (incl. shin splints)
- Memory loss / cognitive
- Migraine / headaches
- Neck (cervical spine)
- Parkinson's disease
- Prostate (non-cancer)
- Prostate cancer
- PTSD
- Radiculopathy / peripheral neuropathy
- Sarcoidosis / pulmonary fibrosis
- Seizure disorder
- Shoulder
- Sinusitis / rhinitis
- Skin condition
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Thyroid
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo / dizziness
- Wrist
Percentages are shown only for combinations with at least 30 decided cases (granted + denied). Named secondary pairings with 10–29 decided cases are listed as "small sample" with counts only. "ANY service-connected condition (all combined)" pools every secondary claim for that condition. Other combinations exist, but there are too few decided cases to report. Each claim is counted by the Board's ruling on that specific claim (a decision covering several issues is split by issue). Remanded = sent back to VA for more work, not decided. "What convinced the Board" summarizes a reading of up to 25 granted and 25 denied Board decisions for each claim type, with the decision numbers shown so any point can be checked. Board-appealed cases only, not regional-office decisions. Information only, not legal advice. Flat Rate Nexus is a private medical practice, not affiliated with the VA.
Source: Board of Veterans' Appeals decisions, 2021–2025. Last updated October 4, 2026. flatratenexus.com · Privacy · Terms