WingmanOpen the free toolsWingmanOpen the free toolsIf the VA already service-connected your hemorrhoids (also called hemorrhoids, piles, rectal bleeding, anal fissure), it can cause or worsen other conditions that are ratable on their own. These "secondary" claims are where many veterans leave money on the table. Below is what a service-connected hemorrhoids commonly leads to, why, and what evidence each one takes.
A secondary claim only works if the primary condition (hemorrhoids) is already service-connected, and you have a nexus — a doctor's opinion that it is "at least as likely as not" the cause. More on nexus letters →
Chronic bleeding from severe hemorrhoids can cause iron-deficiency anemia. Important: VA does not rate blood-loss anemia on its own. It is rated under the condition causing the blood loss, and the hemorrhoid criteria themselves already include persistent bleeding with anemia at the compensable level, so this is a reason to argue for a HIGHER hemorrhoid evaluation rather than a separate anemia claim.
What you'd need: A complete blood count showing anemia, and records tying the blood loss to the hemorrhoids, submitted in support of an increased evaluation for the hemorrhoids.
Persistent hemorrhoid disease can accompany fissures or impaired sphincter control, which are rated separately.
What you'd need: Colorectal/GI records documenting the condition.