Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, headaches, bilateral hearing loss, an ear disease/disorder, and a disability manifested by memory loss due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for residuals of a right knee injury, residuals of a right elbow injury, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and PTSD are not service-connected. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is denied, while the evaluation of PTSD remains pending as some issues have been granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for oral herpes and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran did not have a current diagnosis of oral herpes, and there was no evidence linking his hearing loss to military service.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The RO awarded service connection for both conditions effective June 5, 2003.

The VA has determined that the veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and thus denied his claim.

The veteran's claims for an increased disability rating and earlier effective date for service-connected bilateral hearing loss were denied by the Board.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss is not related to military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the most recent audiometric test results do not warrant such a rating.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for sinusitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and left ear hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his time in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions were not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service hearing loss or a continuity of symptomatology. The Board also found that the veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The veteran's initial claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is currently receiving a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions, including hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, back injuries, neck injuries, hypertension, and a pulmonary disorder (claimed as asthma), were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records from the Charleston VAMC. The case will be re-adjudicated after this development.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not file a valid substantive appeal on the issue of entitlement to an increased evaluation for a nasal scar, and thus this claim is dismissed.

The veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is service-connected, but there is no current diagnosis of PTSD. The fungal infection of the feet and groin has been rated as noncompensable due to lack of clinical findings meeting specific criteria.