Hemorrhoids Claims Guide
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins around the anus and lower rectum, common after years of heavy lifting, poor field diet, and long stretches without proper facilities. Most rate 0 percent, so the useful question is what pushes a hemorrhoid claim to a compensable level, and how it connects to conditions the VA is more likely to pay. This guide explains DC 7336, the bleeding-and-anemia threshold, and the secondary path that often matters more than the hemorrhoids themselves.
What Hemorrhoids Are
Hemorrhoids are enlarged veins in and around the anus that can bleed, itch, hurt, and sometimes prolapse or clot (thrombose). The VA rates them under diagnostic code 7336, part of the digestive schedule (see 38 CFR § 4.114).
How They Get Service Connected
- Direct. Hemorrhoids that began in service, documented in treatment records or shown continuous since, from the straining, lifting, and diet of military life.
- Secondary. Hemorrhoids caused or worsened by another service-connected condition that drives straining, such as chronic constipation or diarrhea from IBS, or a chronic cough. This is often the stronger path. See secondary conditions and the IBS guide.
Across published DC 7336 decisions, here is how often the Board granted by the legal theory the claim was argued on:
Common Secondary Conditions
Hemorrhoids sit downstream of anything that causes straining, and they connect to other bowel and anal conditions. Each bar below is the Board's grant rate for DC 7336 in that pairing, with the number of decisions under it. They describe the published record across many veterans, not a prediction about any one claim.
Conditions that can cause hemorrhoids (hemorrhoids as the secondary)
Claims where hemorrhoids were argued as secondary to an already service-connected condition, most often a bowel condition that drives chronic straining:
How the VA Rates Hemorrhoids (DC 7336)
The compensable levels require specific findings, mild or moderate hemorrhoids rate 0 percent no matter how uncomfortable they are.
| Rating | Finding |
|---|---|
| 20% | Persistent bleeding with secondary anemia, or with anal fissures |
| 10% | Large or thrombotic, irreducible, with excessive redundant tissue, showing frequent recurrences |
| 0% | Mild or moderate |
- What the VA measures at your C&P exam
- Evidence that has won at the Board
- Inside the rater's playbook: grant, denial, and remand rates
- Secondary condition map
Evidence That Wins
- A blood count showing anemia, paired with records of persistent rectal bleeding, this is what unlocks the 20 percent level.
- An exam documenting the findings: size, whether they are thrombotic or irreducible, redundant tissue, fissures, and how often they recur.
- Treatment records over time, showing the pattern and any procedures.
- A nexus opinion for a secondary claim, linking the hemorrhoids to a service-connected bowel condition or chronic straining. See nexus letters.
- The Rectum and Anus DBQ, which records the findings the rating turns on. See the DBQ guide.
Common Mistakes
The same handful of missteps account for most lost or under-rated hemorrhoid claims. Among the Board's classified service-connection denials for hemorrhoids, here is what claims most often fell short on:
- Expecting a compensable rating for pain alone. Mild or moderate hemorrhoids rate 0 percent. The higher levels need specific findings, so aim the evidence at them.
- Documenting bleeding but not anemia. The 20 percent level requires persistent bleeding with secondary anemia, or fissures. Get a blood count to show the anemia.
- Treating 0 percent as a denial. A 0 percent grant establishes service connection, which protects the condition and supports later increases and related secondary claims.
- Skipping the secondary angle. Hemorrhoids driven by a service-connected bowel condition or chronic straining are often the stronger claim. Do not leave that path unclaimed.
- No exam for fissures or thrombosis. These specific findings move the rating. If the exam does not look for them, the finding that earns the rating is missing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my hemorrhoids only rated 0 percent?
What does it take to get 20 percent?
Is a 0 percent hemorrhoid rating worthless?
Can I connect hemorrhoids to my IBS?
Do I need a colonoscopy?
Related Tools and Guides
Sources: 38 CFR 4.114, digestive ratings · CCK Law, hemorrhoids · Hill & Ponton, hemorrhoids. Educational only, not legal advice, and not a prediction of any individual claim. Rating criteria change; confirm current details in 38 CFR 4.114. For help with your claim, find a VA-accredited representative.