Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma and the Board finds service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and visual disorders are not related to service, including as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis residuals.

The Veteran's sinusitis has been rated as 10 percent disabling since June 7, 2016. The Board found that the Veteran had at least three to six non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting, warranting a 10 percent rating.

The Board has restored the Veteran's original 80 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and denied entitlement to increased ratings or TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and does not meet the criteria for secondary service connection due to diabetes mellitus. The decision is vacated as a result of an August 2017 Informal Hearing Presentation (IHP) being omitted from the claims file.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new VA audiological examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, but further examination is needed to determine if it originated during service or within one year post-service. For PTSD, a VA examination is required to assess whether any currently diagnosed psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is etiologically related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has determined that reopening of the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is warranted, and that granting of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is in order.

The Veteran's appeal is denied for the issues of higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for dental disorder for VA compensation purposes, bilateral eye disability (including cataracts and normal tension glaucoma), kidney disability (including kidney stones), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The appeals are all denied as not supported by evidence.

The Veteran's hearing loss and Parkinson's disease are found to be related to his active service, with the latter being presumed due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicides during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims for service connection will be adjudicated again after obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise during combat in Vietnam. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and anxiety disorder, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss, but not for bilateral knee arthritis.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the evaluation for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss from 20 percent to noncompensable effective March 1, 2013 was improper and restored the previously assigned 20 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with all doubts resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service. Service connection was also granted for larynx cancer, but an initial compensable rating remains denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, a pulmonary disorder (chronic bronchitis), renal disorder (renal artery stenosis with renal insufficiency), and psychiatric disorder. The decision found that these conditions were not related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and an SOC for the issue of service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The issue of an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss will be remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.