AIR FORCE · JOB CODE 4V0X1
Ophthalmic Your military role & VA condition guide
The work you did is a place to start. Explore conditions associated with your role, understand what each guide covers, and take your research one step at a time.
Explore this role’s conditionsFree · No account needed
Your 4V0X1 research, ready to revisit
Email yourself the conditions associated with 4V0X1 (Ophthalmic) and links to their guides, ready for your next research session.
Air Force
YOUR STARTING POINT
Connect your role to your research.
This guide brings together conditions associated with 4V0X1 (Ophthalmic). Start with a topic that relates to your experience, then follow its guide for more detail.
Find a familiar topic
Browse the conditions or narrow them down by body system.
Look a little closer
Preview the evidence covered in each guide.
Take a useful next step
Read the full guide and organize the records you already have.
Conditions are grouped by occupational exposures and physical demands. These are research connections, not statistics about claim frequency or approval.
ALSO KNOWN AS
FOLLOW WHAT’S RELEVANT TO YOU
Conditions to explore.
Choose a body system, search for a condition, or open a preview. Each full guide explains its rating criteria and evidence in more detail.
8 of 8 conditions
Cataract
DC 6027 states no percentages of its own. Its whole entry is a routing instruction, and it routes differently before and after surgery: preoperative cataract is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye, and so is a postoperative cataract where a replacement lens is present (pseudophakia). Where there is no replacement lens, the evaluation is based on aphakia, DC 6029, instead. The formula itself pays on whichever is higher of two things, visual impairment or a count of treatment visits in the past 12 months, which is why an eye that sees well can still be compensable and an eye treated once a year usually is not.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- An operative report saying whether a replacement lens was implanted. That single fact decides whether DC 6027 routes to the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye or to aphakia under DC 6029, and the two produce very different evaluations.
- A dated count of treatment visits over the past 12 months, with what was done at each. The formula's four tiers are 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7 or more visits, so the record has to support a count rather than a description.
- A visual-acuity and visual-field examination, since the formula pays on whichever of visual impairment or incapacitating episodes is higher and the visual half is evaluated under 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and DCs 6061-6091.
Aphakia or Dislocation of Crystalline Lens
DC 6029 covers an eye with no lens, or one whose natural lens has slipped out of position. It is graded in an unusual way: the evaluation is based on visual impairment, and then the resulting level of visual impairment is elevated one step. On top of that the code sets a floor of 30 percent, minimum, and states it for unilateral or bilateral alike, so one affected eye reaches the same minimum as two. The elevation is the part that is easy to lose, because it happens after the visual-impairment tables have already produced an answer.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- A record stating that the eye is aphakic, or that the crystalline lens is dislocated. The code applies on that finding, and it is what brings the 30 percent minimum with it.
- An operative report showing no replacement lens was implanted, where the aphakia followed cataract surgery. DC 6027 routes to this code only in the absence of a replacement lens.
- A visual-acuity examination and a visual-field examination, because the evaluation is built on visual impairment before the one-step elevation is applied. Those are rated under 38 CFR 4.75-4.78 and DCs 6061-6091.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a mental health issue caused by a traumatic event, leading to flashbacks, anxiety, or nightmares.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- Formal PTSD diagnosis from a VA or private psychiatrist
- C&P exam results showing PTSD symptoms
- Buddy statements confirming trauma or symptoms
Sleep Apnea Syndromes
Sleep apnea is a disorder where breathing repeatedly stops or becomes shallow during sleep, fragmenting rest and often leading to loud snoring, daytime fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Left untreated, it's also linked to higher blood pressure and heart strain, which is part of why the VA rates it based on treatment need rather than just the diagnosis.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- A polysomnography (sleep study) confirming the diagnosis - this is the evidence the rating schedule specifically requires.
- A CPAP prescription along with compliance or usage reports, since device use is what supports the 50% tier.
- Medical notes describing sleep-related symptoms like loud snoring, witnessed breathing pauses, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
Hypertension
Hypertension is chronically elevated blood pressure that, left unmanaged, raises the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease. It's one of the most common VA claims, both filed directly and as a PACT Act presumptive condition for many Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- Blood pressure readings from primary care visits across multiple dates - this is the core evidence the rating schedule requires.
- VA Compensation & Pension exam results, where the examiner takes their own set of readings.
- A treatment and medication history showing what's been prescribed and how consistently blood pressure has stayed elevated despite treatment.
Tenosynovitis
Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the sheath that surrounds a tendon, causing pain, swelling and catching on movement. Since February 7, 2021 DC 5024 has covered a wider family — the schedule titles it "Tenosynovitis, tendinitis, tendinosis or tendinopathy", so rotator cuff tendinitis, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, lateral epicondylitis, Achilles tendinopathy and trigger finger are all rated here. The code has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected part.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- Goniometer range-of-motion measurements, in degrees, for the joint the affected tendon crosses — this is the only thing DC 5024 rates.
- Examination findings recording objective painful motion, localized swelling along the tendon, or crepitus, which is the confirmation DC 5003 requires before the per-joint 10 percent can be assigned.
- Ultrasound or MRI showing tendon sheath thickening, tendinosis or a partial tear, plus injection, splinting, physical therapy or release-surgery records.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
GERD is stomach acid and stomach contents flowing back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn, regurgitation and chest discomfort. DC 7206 has its own criteria table, and what that table measures is not how often heartburn occurs — every step is written around a documented esophageal stricture causing dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) and the treatment that stricture requires. Note (1) requires the findings to be documented by barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- A barium swallow, computerized tomography, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy report confirming the stricture — Note (1) names these three studies specifically.
- Dated procedure records for every dilatation, including any performed using steroids, plus placement or operative reports for an esophageal stent, surgical correction, or a percutaneous esophago-gastrointestinal tube (PEG tube).
- Prescription records showing daily medication taken to control dysphagia, which is what the 10 percent row is written around.
Bursitis
Bursitis is inflammation of a bursa — one of the fluid-filled sacs that cushion tendons and muscles where they pass over bone — most often at the shoulder, hip, elbow or knee, causing pain and painful, restricted motion. DC 5019 has no percentages of its own: it is rated as degenerative arthritis, on limitation of motion of the affected joint.
Read the condition guidePreview the guide
Evidence covered in the guide
- Goniometer range-of-motion measurements, in degrees, for the affected joint — this is the only thing DC 5019 rates, and a compensable evaluation depends on comparing it against that joint's own diagnostic code.
- Examination findings recording objective painful motion, swelling or muscle spasm, which is the confirmation DC 5003 requires before the per-joint 10 percent can be assigned.
- Imaging (ultrasound or MRI) showing bursal thickening or effusion, and any aspiration or injection records, which establish the diagnosis.
GIVE YOUR RESEARCH A HOME
Put your service story in one place.
You don’t need every document to start exploring. Use this checklist to organize what you know and the records you already have.
Check off what you’ve gathered. Progress stays on this page until you leave or refresh.
A FEW HELPFUL ANSWERS
Questions about the 4V0X1 guide
What do the conditions in this guide represent?
They are conditions grouped with 4V0X1 (Ophthalmic) by the role’s occupational exposures and physical demands. Use them as a starting point for research. The list does not rank conditions by claim frequency or VA approval rates.
Where can I find rating levels and evidence guidance?
Open a condition preview for a quick look, or follow its guide link for the published rating criteria, an evidence checklist, and available exam guidance.
What if I served in more than one role?
You can explore a guide for each of your military jobs. Use the military job directory to search another code, job title, or branch, and keep notes on the experiences you want to discuss.
What if my condition is not listed here?
This is a curated starting point. The condition library has additional guides you can search by name, body system, or diagnostic code.
On the App Store
Getting out? Keep track of what’s next.
Outbound turns your separation or retirement date into a timeline for healthcare, VA claim windows, documents, and more. Works offline, no account.