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VA rates glaucoma under Diagnostic Code 6013 in 38 CFR Part 4, Schedule for Rating Disabilities (Organs of Special Sense). The rating authority states: "Rate for visual field loss and/or visual acuity impairment, depending on which provides the higher evaluation."
This is a critical provision: VA must use whichever measurement — visual field loss or visual acuity — gives the veteran the higher rating. Veterans and advocates should always request evaluation of both measurements and compare them to ensure VA is using the more favorable calculation.
VA's visual rating system uses tables under 38 CFR § 4.84a and § 4.84b (visual acuity) and § 4.124a (visual field) to convert objective eye measurements into disability percentages.
VA converts Snellen chart visual acuity (20/X notation) to a "visual impairment value" using Table V in 38 CFR Part 4. Each eye is evaluated separately, then the values are combined using Table VI.
| Visual Acuity (Corrected) | Impairment Value |
|---|---|
| 20/20 | 0 |
| 20/40 | 1 |
| 20/70 | 2 |
| 20/100 | 3 |
| 20/200 | 4 |
| 20/400 | 5 |
| Finger counting at 1 foot or less; light/dark only | 6 |
Visual acuity is measured with best correctable vision (glasses or contacts). The combination of both eyes' impairment values on Table VI produces a disability percentage ranging from 0% (both eyes 20/20) to 100% (no light perception in both eyes).
Glaucoma characteristically causes peripheral visual field loss — the classic "tunnel vision" progression. VA evaluates visual field loss using perimetry (Goldman, Humphrey, or other standardized visual field testing).
The normal visual field extends approximately 170 degrees horizontally and 120 degrees vertically. VA quantifies visual field loss by measuring the remaining field in degrees across 8 meridians and converting this to an "efficiency" percentage. Field loss ratings are calculated for each eye separately using Table VII in 38 CFR Part 4.
VA regulations at 38 CFR § 4.84a explicitly state that the veteran is entitled to the higher of the visual acuity rating or the visual field rating. Many veterans with significant glaucomatous field loss but relatively preserved central acuity receive higher ratings from the visual field calculation than from the acuity tables. Always request that VA evaluate both methods and apply the higher result.
Glaucoma's characteristic visual field defects include arcuate scotomas, nasal steps, superior or inferior peripheral constriction, and eventually central field involvement. For VA rating purposes, significant superior/inferior field loss — even with preserved central acuity — can produce substantial field efficiency loss that translates to a meaningful disability percentage.
Glaucoma service connection in veterans typically follows one of three pathways:
Direct service connection applies when an in-service event — ocular trauma, blast injury, or elevated intraocular pressure documented during service — directly caused or contributed to the development of glaucoma. Service treatment records documenting elevated IOP, ocular trauma, hyphema (blood in anterior chamber), or any eye injury are the foundation for this pathway.
Glaucoma caused by a service-connected condition — most commonly corticosteroid use for an SC condition, or structural changes from an SC head injury — qualifies for secondary service connection. The nexus must link the glaucoma to the already-service-connected primary condition.
If a veteran had pre-service glaucoma that was significantly worsened during military service beyond the natural progression of the disease, aggravation service connection applies under 38 CFR § 3.306.
Angle-recession glaucoma — also called post-traumatic glaucoma — is a well-documented sequela of ocular blunt trauma and blast injury. The mechanism: blast pressure waves or direct impact damage the anterior chamber angle (the drainage pathway for aqueous humor), causing a gradual increase in intraocular pressure that destroys the optic nerve over years to decades.
The insidious aspect of angle-recession glaucoma is its delayed presentation: IOP elevation and glaucomatous optic nerve damage often appear 5–20 years after the original trauma. Veterans injured in the 2001–2010 period are now entering their peak risk window for blast-related glaucoma presentation.
Related: VA Vision Care Guide | VA Disability Rating for Vision Loss — Acuity Guide
Corticosteroids are among the most widely used medications in military medicine — prescribed for everything from asthma, allergic conditions, and autoimmune diseases to post-surgical inflammation. Topical, oral, and inhaled corticosteroids all carry a risk of ocular hypertension and secondary glaucoma, particularly in patients who are "steroid responders" — a genetically determined sensitivity affecting approximately 35–40% of the population.
If a veteran is prescribed corticosteroids for a service-connected condition (asthma, COPD, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatitis) and subsequently develops glaucoma, the glaucoma can be service-connected as secondary to the SC condition requiring corticosteroid treatment. The nexus must establish:
VA C&P examinations for glaucoma use the Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ) for Eyes. The examiner must perform or review:
It is important to understand that VA rates glaucoma based on visual function loss — not on intraocular pressure (IOP) levels. Even if your IOP is well-controlled with drops or surgery, any optic nerve damage and visual field or acuity loss that has already occurred continues to be ratable. The rating reflects permanent structural damage to the optic nerve and its functional consequences, not the current IOP number.
Veterans who successfully lower their IOP through medications, laser treatment (SLT, ALT), or surgical procedures (trabeculectomy, tube shunt, MIGS) should not fear that treatment success will reduce their rating. VA rates the residual visual function impairment — which may persist even after excellent IOP control.
Glaucoma's characteristic peripheral field loss has a disproportionate effect on night vision and low-light functioning — veterans may find their daytime vision appears relatively preserved while nighttime navigation, driving, and military operational tasks become progressively impaired. While VA's rating tables focus on measured field loss rather than subjective nighttime difficulty, documenting the functional impact of peripheral field loss in your personal statement and buddy letters can support higher ratings under VA's functional loss provisions at 38 CFR § 4.40.
Some medications used to treat PTSD and anxiety disorders — including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and certain other psychotropic agents — have been associated in clinical literature with elevated intraocular pressure or precipitation of angle-closure glaucoma in susceptible individuals. Veterans whose PTSD is service-connected and who were prescribed medications potentially contributing to glaucoma should consult an ophthalmologist to evaluate whether a secondary service connection claim is appropriate.
Glaucoma is a progressive disease. A rating assigned at 10% when your glaucoma was early-stage may no longer reflect your actual visual function if the disease has advanced. Veterans can file a claim for a rating increase (an "increase" claim or a Supplemental Claim) at any time their condition has worsened. Annual ophthalmology visits documenting serial visual field tests provide the longitudinal evidence base for demonstrating progression and supporting a rating increase.
No. VA rates glaucoma based on visual function (acuity and field), not on IOP control. Medically or surgically controlled IOP that has already caused optic nerve damage and field loss still produces a ratable disability. VA does not rate glaucoma based on IOP alone — the rating is based on actual visual loss.
VA rates visual disability using a combined system — all conditions affecting the same eye are evaluated together for their combined effect on visual acuity and visual field. Multiple conditions (glaucoma + macular degeneration, glaucoma + cataracts) produce one combined visual disability rating per eye, not separate ratings stacked together.
If your glaucoma was directly caused by in-service trauma (blast, ocular injury) or a service-connected condition (corticosteroid treatment), you can service-connect it regardless of age. "Age-related" primary open-angle glaucoma with no identifiable service nexus is generally not service-connectable — though if a secondary service connection route exists (SC medication causing elevated IOP), that pathway should be explored.
Editorial Standards: Written by Marcus J. Webb, veterans benefits researcher. Verified against 38 CFR Part 4 DC 6013, VA visual rating tables, and current ophthalmology literature on post-blast glaucoma. Last reviewed: July 2026. Not legal advice — for representation, find a VA-accredited attorney.
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