Body system: Cardiovascular SystemRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.104
Erythromelalgia is a rare condition that causes severe burning pain, redness, and heat in your hands and feet during flare-ups or 'attacks.' The VA rates this condition from 10% to 100% based on how often these painful episodes happen, how long they last, whether treatments help, and how much they interfere with your daily activities. Higher ratings go to veterans whose attacks happen multiple times daily, last over two hours each time, don't respond well to medication, and significantly limit their ability to work or function normally.
Rating levels
- 100% — You experience painful burning attacks (erythromelalgia flare-ups with intense heat, redness, and pain usually in hands or feet) that happen multiple times every day, with each attack lasting more than two hours on average. The attacks don't improve much even with medication or treatment, and they prevent you from doing most of your normal daily activities like work, household tasks, or personal care.
- 60% — You experience the characteristic burning pain and redness episodes (flare-ups of erythromelalgia) multiple times every day, with each episode lasting more than two hours on average. Your treatment isn't working very well to control these attacks, but you can still do most of your normal daily activities like work, household tasks, and personal care, even though the condition causes significant discomfort.
- 30% — You experience the typical symptoms of erythromelalgia (burning pain, redness, and heat in your hands or feet) every single day or even multiple times per day. However, your symptoms improve when you use prescribed medications or other treatments recommended by your doctor.
- 10% — You must have characteristic episodes (typical flare-ups of burning pain, redness, and warmth in your hands or feet) that happen less than every day but still occur at least three times per week. Your symptoms must improve when you use prescribed treatments like medications or cooling methods.