Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any claimed conditions and therefore denied service connection for all issues. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral shoulder impingement, chondromalacia patella, and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were caused by or incurred during active duty.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss disability, lower back condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, spleen condition, and thyroid condition due to lack of evidence linking the disabilities to service.

Your claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been granted, and the appeal is dismissed as there are no remaining issues to be decided.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding service treatment records from his time in the Alabama Army National Guard.

The Board denied the claims of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in the March 2008 decisions denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The RO considered the Veteran's lay statements but did not find them to be new and material evidence, leading to denial of reopening the claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and radiculopathy of the lower extremities due to inadequate examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which are related to his military occupational specialty as a heavy equipment operator.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service connected, but his right ear hearing loss disability is denied.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be secondary to her service-connected PTSD.,PTSD does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hearing loss and an increased rating for status post fractured radius of the left wrist have been dismissed.,Service connection for emphysema (lung injury) has been denied, as there is no evidence linking it to asbestos exposure or service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient information in the current record, particularly regarding the cause of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran is presumed exposed to noise during service but the exact nature and cause of his hearing loss and tinnitus are unclear.

Your hearing loss has worsened since your last VA examination in September 2013. You need to provide updated medical records from the VA Medical Center in Asheville, including a September 2014 audiogram.

Service connection for glaucoma and bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The claim for service connection for a skin condition of the face and back, to include pseudofolliculitis barbae/acne folliculitis barbae or chloracne or PCT was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, to include PTSD and MDD is granted as it has been reopened.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his claims, including service connection for various conditions and their secondary effects.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension, secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions, has been reopened and remanded.,The Veteran's claim for seizure disorder remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.,Left ear hearing loss is rated at 0 percent effective May 20, 2014. The issue of an earlier effective date is remanded.,Diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent and the Veteran's request for a higher rating remains denied.,PTSD, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, coronary artery disease, hypertension (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions), acid reflux (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus) are all remanded.,The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is not rated higher than noncompensable due to audiometric testing results that do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has increased in severity since his last VA examination, and there may be outstanding relevant VA treatment records. The case is being remanded to schedule a VA examination for the issue of increase in severity.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss began during service and has persisted since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board finds that his current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

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

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the listed conditions have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in January 2017.