VA Disability — Dry Eye Claims

Can I get VA disability for dry eye?

If you do it right, yes. Dry eye can be service-connected up to 20% — directly, secondary to another service-connected condition or its medications, or by aggravation.

What happens next depends on one question: do you have a current diagnosis? Answer that, and your path is clear.

I have a diagnosis Symptoms, but no diagnosis

Two paths

Your next step depends on your records.

A nexus letter is powerful evidence — but only when the foundation for it exists. Here's how to know which step you're actually on.

Path 1

Already diagnosed with dry eye?

You may be a candidate for a records-based nexus opinion — an independent medical opinion connecting your diagnosed dry eye to your military service, written to the "at least as likely as not" standard the VA uses and grounded in cited medical literature.

  • Direct, secondary, and aggravation theories
  • Written from your actual records — fully remote, nationwide
  • Honest merit screen first: if a supportable opinion isn't possible, you'll be told before committing
Request a nexus opinion

Path 2

Symptoms, but no current diagnosis?

A nexus letter may be premature — a records-based opinion can't create a diagnosis that isn't in your records. But that doesn't mean your claim is stuck. A strong diagnosis documenting your signs & symptoms can support a strong nexus. Find a local dry eye specialist (visionsource.com).

  • Download the Dry Eye Evaluation Form and take it to your appointment
  • Once diagnosed, you're on Path 1 — a records-based nexus opinion
Dry Eye Evaluation Form (PDF)

Service connection

How dry eye gets connected to service.

Dry eye rarely appears in service records under its own name. A supportable connection usually runs through something that is documented. The most common pathways:

Refractive surgery in service

Dry eye is a recognized consequence of LASIK and PRK — procedures many service members received while on active duty. The surgical record is often the strongest anchor in the file.

Environmental exposure

Desert deployments, burn pits, smoke, sand, wind, and airborne particulates — sustained exposure that damages the ocular surface and tear film.

Secondary to medications

Several medication classes prescribed for service-connected conditions — including some used for PTSD, anxiety, and allergies — carry documented dry eye side effects. The prescribing record plus the ocular record can support a secondary theory.

Ocular or facial trauma

Injuries affecting the eyelids, tear film, or corneal surface, with dry eye as the chronic downstream result.

Aggravation

Pre-existing dry eye made measurably worse by the conditions of service.

Request a nexus opinion

Getting diagnosed

No diagnosis yet? Get one — properly documented.

A VA claim needs a current diagnosis, and a nexus opinion can't create one from symptoms alone. The good news: dry eye is diagnosable in one visit by any dry eye specialist — and there's one near you. Use the Vision Source doctor search to find a local practice that evaluates dry eye.

What sinks most dry eye claims isn't the diagnosis itself — it's documentation. A routine eye exam often doesn't record the signs, severity, and frequency the VA rating criteria actually measure. That's what the Dry Eye Evaluation Form is for: take it to your appointment, and it guides the exam so the record comes back claim-ready.

Once the diagnosis is in your records, you're on Path 1 — a records-based nexus opinion connecting it to your service.

What a claim-ready evaluation documents

  • The diagnosis itself, in your medical record
  • Objective signs — tear film and ocular surface findings
  • Symptom frequency and severity, the way VA rating criteria measure them
  • Impact on daily activities — work, driving, reading, screens
  • Treatments tried, and what helped or didn't
Download the Dry Eye Evaluation Form

Take it to your eye care provider to complete. Then purchase your Nexus Letter and upload it to our portal.

Get started

Start your nexus opinion — four steps.

Everything is handled remotely and confidentially, from purchase to delivered opinion.

1

Purchase Your Consult

$499 flat fee · one nexus opinion

Payment is processed securely through Stripe. Refund guarantee: refundable if a nexus letter is not possible after record review, minus a $49 record review fee (refund of $450).

Purchase Consult — $499
2

Complete the Intake Form

Download and complete the Veteran Intake Form. It covers your service history, eye condition, and treatment to date. If you don't know an answer, write "unknown" rather than leaving it blank.

Veteran Intake Form (PDF)
3

Complete the Dry Eye Questionnaire

The questionnaire documents the frequency and severity of your symptoms and their effect on your daily activities — the evidence a dry eye rating actually turns on.

Dry Eye Questionnaire (PDF)
4

Upload Forms & Records

Use the secure link to upload your completed forms along with your service treatment records, VA Blue Button records, and civilian eye care records. Need your Blue Button report? Sign in to the VA medical records portal or My HealtheVet, choose VA Blue Button Report, select "All Time," and download the PDF.

Secure Upload — Forms & Records

Need a nexus for a condition other than dry eye? Glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, diplopia, ocular trauma, and more are handled at www.oculardisability.com.

FAQ

Common questions.

Can dry eye really be rated by the VA?
Yes. Dry eye typically rates at 10%, with a range of 0%–20% depending on documented severity. A good nexus opinion is what gets you service-connected — the gateway to any rating at all — and strong documentation of frequency and daily impact is what supports the higher end of that range. That's why documentation matters as much as diagnosis.
What are the possible VA ratings for dry eye?
Dry eye typically rates at 10%, with a range of 0%–20%. The difference between 0%, 10%, and 20% comes down to documented severity — symptom frequency, flare-ups, treatment burden, and impact on daily activities. That's why the documentation matters as much as the diagnosis itself. (And a 0% rating is still worth having — see the next question.)
Why bother with a 0% rating?
While it seems counter-intuitive, a zero rating still gives you service connection — which means any future issues (worsening of dry eye requiring medication and/or multiple doctor visits) could rate higher. Also, dry eye that creates ongoing pain can cause anxiety or depression, something your psychologist can potentially diagnose.
Do I need a diagnosis before a nexus letter?
Yes. A records-based nexus opinion connects a diagnosed condition to service — it cannot create the diagnosis. No current diagnosis? Start with Path 2: download the Dry Eye Evaluation Form and take it to a local dry eye specialist to establish the diagnosis.
Can dry eye be secondary to PTSD or my medications?
Dry eye is a documented side effect of several medication classes commonly prescribed for service-connected conditions. When your prescribing record and your eye care record line up, a secondary service-connection theory may be supportable. This is one of the most overlooked dry eye pathways.
What does a records-based nexus opinion cost?
A flat $499 for one nexus opinion, with a refund guarantee: if a nexus letter is not possible after record review, the fee is refundable minus a $49 record review fee. See Get Started for the four-step process. The Dry Eye Evaluation Form is a free download.
How long does it take?
10–14 days. Each letter is completely custom to your actual situation and medical history, written in language the VA understands. No cookie-cutter templates or AI gibberish.
Can I write my own nexus letter?
Mostly no. Only a licensed provider can provide a nexus letter. You can write a lay statement describing your symptoms and how you feel they connect to your service — that's free and worth a try. But realize that if you need a real nexus letter for dry eye, you will need a letter from an optometrist or ophthalmologist; a PCP letter is very rarely sufficient to demonstrate a true nexus.
What if I have another condition needing a nexus?
DryEye Nexus focuses on dry eye only. Nexus opinions for other eye conditions — glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, diplopia, TBI-related vision problems, ocular trauma, and more — are handled at OcularDisability.com, the same records-based approach by the same doctor.
Who writes the opinions?
Every opinion is written by David J. Pedigo, OD — a doctor of optometry, US Army veteran, and experienced ocular C&P examiner. For his full background, see DrPedigo.com.
Dr. David J. Pedigo, OD — veteran optometrist and ocular C&P examiner

Reviewed and written by David J. Pedigo, OD — doctor of optometry, US Army veteran (10th Mountain Division), and experienced ocular C&P examiner. Nexus opinions for other eye conditions — glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, diplopia, and more — are at OcularDisability.com. In-person dry eye evaluations and DBQs in Washington and Anchorage: DrPedigo.com.