Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or any significant threshold shifts during service. The medical opinions provided do not support a connection between current hearing loss and tinnitus and service.

The Board found that there is no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear during service and that current right ear hearing loss may not be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to acoustic trauma. The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss was attributed to natural aging process rather than service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of continuous symptoms since active duty. The VA examinations did not support a direct relationship between his military noise exposure and current hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since October 31, 2002. The VA examiner found the Veteran had level I hearing in both ears at his December 2012 examination, which corresponds to a noncompensable evaluation under Table VII of the rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was found to be at Level II, which corresponds to a noncompensable evaluation under the VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was found to be at the Level I impairment, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating. The claim for an initial compensable rating is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the medical evidence did not support a link between current hearing problems and military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, as it was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable evaluation for any period of time during the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, Bell's palsy, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service but his hearing levels were normal at the time of separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The right foot and left foot disabilities are remanded for additional examination.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including consideration of in-service noise exposure and treatment for ear disorders. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Board finds that service connection is granted for tinnitus, but not for left ear hearing loss or renal cancer of the left kidney.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is likely due to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure during combat operations, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss remains unchanged as his symptoms have not met the criteria for a higher rating.