Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations regarding his service-connected conditions, particularly those related to sleep apnea.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate disorder, urinary incontinence, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and 'nerves') due to service. The issues are related to exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion addressing whether any preexisting hearing loss was aggravated by service, considering the shift in the Veteran’s hearing from the entrance to the separation examination.

The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is granted.,The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, has been reopened. However, the claim remains denied as there is no confirmed in-service stressor.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not found to be related to his military service.,Service connection for both conditions was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain VA treatment records from October 2014 to April 2017, as well as any audiological examinations or tests. A new VA examination is also required to determine the current nature of his hearing loss and tinnitus disorders, including whether dizziness is a symptom of either condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of tonsillectomy, and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions and outstanding records.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to the Veteran's military service.,There is insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran’s current conditions to his period of active duty.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasons for denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and further development is needed including obtaining employment audiometry records from 1969.

The Board has remanded the cases of tinnitus and hearing loss for further development as an incomplete review of service records was conducted during a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as incomplete information regarding asbestos exposure. Additional opinions are needed on whether his right ear hearing loss disability is related to service, if CAD was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected varicose veins, and if his stroke and skin cancer are related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board finds that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's whole-body pain is attributed to skeletal arthritis, which has no direct connection to service.,Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not shown as current disabilities for VA purposes.,Tinnitus began more than a year after separation from active duty service and is unrelated to any aspect of service.,The Veteran's diagnosed sleep apnea is not related to service, with no evidence suggesting an in-service onset or connection.,There is no objective evidence showing hair loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between his current condition and in-service noise exposure. The Board also remanded the issue of non-service-connected disability pension, as further development is needed including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration records, and scheduling a pension examination.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for his bilateral hearing loss disability and occipital nerve injury are being remanded due to the unduly remote nature of the VA examinations conducted in June 2014. The Veteran needs to undergo updated VA examinations and provide any private treatment records.

The Board has restored service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the original grant was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to aggravation of a pre-existing condition during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable (0 percent) due to the severity of his hearing impairment, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.