Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, back disorder, and bilateral hearing loss are related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inconsistencies in audiometric results and potential need for a medical examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to verify his periods of active military service, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The VA will schedule him for an audio examination to determine if his current hearing loss and/or tinnitus is related to any period of active service or a verified period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for arthritis of the spine and muscle and joint deterioration have been withdrawn. The Board has also remanded his claims for increased rating for lumbar laminectomy and discectomy, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for a heart condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by a VA examination report which found no link between current hearing loss and tinnitus and noise exposure during service. The claim is therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records related to the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and/or left ear condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no probative evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated appropriately at noncompensable level and denied an increased rating.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, gastrointestinal disorder, and the aggravation of a pre-existing fibroid tumor of the right chest. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to show they existed prior to service. The VA examination did not find any noise exposure during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service, specifically his exposure to acoustic trauma during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss was more likely due to presbycusis (hearing loss related to aging).

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current level of disability does not warrant a compensable or higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since December 13, 2006. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not related to a disease or injury of service origin.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no verified stressor and a current diagnosis of PTSD. The other issues were not addressed due to the lack of a diagnosed condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service occupational noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a headache disorder. The VA examiner will need to consider the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and any other relevant evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, scheduling the Veteran for an updated VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and attempting to obtain puretone audiometric testing results from previous VA outpatient visits.