Chronic Conjunctivitis

VA distinguishes a temporary episode of pink eye from chronic conjunctivitis. Under current 38 CFR § 4.79, DC 6018 covers chronic nontrachomatous conjunctivitis. Active disease is evaluated under the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye with a 10-percent minimum. Inactive disease is evaluated from residuals such as visual impairment or disfigurement.

That active-versus-inactive distinction is the center of the claim. Redness or discharge years ago is not the same as objective active disease at the current examination, and recurring treatment is not automatically an “incapacitating episode” under VA's definition.

TL;DR

• DC 6018 covers chronic nontrachomatous conjunctivitis.
• Active chronic conjunctivitis is rated under the eye formula with a minimum 10 percent.
• The eye formula permits a higher evaluation based on visual impairment or qualifying treatment visits when the criteria are met.
• Inactive conjunctivitis is rated from residual visual impairment or disfigurement under DC 7800.
• A qualifying incapacitating episode means an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit specifically for treatment. Self-treatment at home is not a qualifying visit.
• Trachomatous conjunctivitis uses DC 6017 and has a different 30-percent active minimum.
• Chronic allergic conjunctivitis may be claimed directly or as secondary to service-connected allergic rhinitis, but the medical link must be documented.
• No verified aggregate Board-outcome dataset specific to DC 6018 was available, so this page publishes no grant-rate statistic.

DC 6018: Active and Inactive Disease

Active chronic conjunctivitis

When DC 6018 is active, VA applies the General Rating Formula for Diseases of the Eye and assigns at least 10 percent. Objective findings can include conjunctival injection, discharge, follicles or papillae, swelling, or other clinician-documented inflammation. The exact findings depend on whether the cause is allergic, infectious, irritant, or another chronic process.

The general formula uses whichever produces the higher evaluation: visual impairment caused by the condition or documented incapacitating episodes.

Treatment-visit ladder

For qualifying incapacitating episodes during the prior 12 months:

• 10%: at least 1 but fewer than 3 treatment visits.
• 20%: at least 3 but fewer than 5 visits.
• 40%: at least 5 but fewer than 7 visits.
• 60%: 7 or more visits.

VA defines an incapacitating episode as an eye condition severe enough to require a clinic visit specifically for treatment. Routine monitoring, a phone message, or buying over-the-counter drops does not automatically satisfy that definition. The record should identify each visit and what treatment was performed.

Inactive disease

When the conjunctivitis is inactive, DC 6018 directs VA to rate residuals such as visual impairment or disfigurement. The examiner should identify whether reduced acuity, field loss, scarring, eyelid change, or another residual is actually attributable to the service-connected conjunctivitis.

Conjunctivitis Is Not Every Red or Dry Eye

Conjunctivitis affects the conjunctiva. Several other conditions can cause redness, irritation, light sensitivity, or tearing:

• dry eye syndrome;
• blepharitis;
• keratitis or corneal injury;
• uveitis, which is inflammation inside the eye;
• glaucoma; and
• refractive error.

The diagnostic distinction matters because each condition follows a different rating path. Severe pain, marked light sensitivity, or vision change deserves prompt clinical assessment rather than being assumed to be ordinary conjunctivitis.

Service-Connection Paths

Direct onset or exposure

Direct service connection under 38 CFR § 3.303 requires chronic current disease, an in-service onset or event, and a link between them. Service records showing repeated eye treatment are stronger than a single resolved infection. Environmental irritants may support the history, but exposure alone does not prove that the present condition is the same chronic disease.

Secondary to allergic rhinitis

Allergic conjunctivitis and allergic rhinitis can occur together as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. A secondary claim under § 3.310 should include the service-connected rhinitis record, the current eye diagnosis, and a clinician's explanation that rhinitis caused or aggravated the chronic eye condition.

Medication effects, autoimmune disease, and other service-connected conditions may create other secondary theories. The opinion should identify the mechanism instead of relying on a list of possible associations.

What to Document for the Exam

• Eye-clinic diagnoses and slit-lamp findings.
• Photographs from active flares when the exam occurs on a clear day.
• The date and purpose of every treatment visit in the prior 12 months.
• Prescription drops, systemic treatment, procedures, and response.
• Corrected visual acuity and any visual-field testing when medically indicated.
• Residual scarring or disfigurement after the active inflammation ends.
• The frequency and duration of recurrences.

VA rates the disability shown in the record. A symptom diary is helpful context, but clinician observations and treatment records establish whether disease is active and whether visits satisfy the formula.

Common Failure Modes

• Filing a one-time acute infection as chronic conjunctivitis without current disease.
• Calling every urgent-care or monitoring contact an incapacitating episode.
• Using DC 6017's 30-percent trachoma minimum for ordinary nontrachomatous conjunctivitis.
• Attributing reduced vision to conjunctivitis without an eye examiner making that connection.
• Missing active flares because no photographs or interval treatment records were submitted.

Bottom Line

DC 6018 gives active chronic conjunctivitis a 10-percent minimum, but higher evaluations require actual visual impairment or the defined number of treatment visits. Inactive disease is rated from lasting residuals. The strongest packet proves the diagnosis, captures objective active findings, and separates conjunctivitis from dry eye and more serious eye disease.

Legal sources: 38 CFR § 4.79, § 3.303, and § 3.310, checked August 13, 2026.