Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, as there is no competent medical evidence of any hearing loss, shoulder disability, spine disability, pronator syndrome, hypertension, stroke, or heart condition during service or within one year thereafter. The VA examinations and private records do not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cataracts, periodontal disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, ischemic pancreatitis, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The appeals were based on direct service connection or secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and the residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right thigh were denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of fragment wounds of the back and buttocks was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing impairment for VA compensation purposes and that any such hearing loss is not related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred during his active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have Meniere's syndrome or left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected due to noise exposure during military service. Service connection is also granted for bleeding esophageal varices, but not related to the service-connected gastrointestinal reaction. The low back and cervical spine disabilities are not service-connected.

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for multiple noncompensable service-connected disabilities, including hearing loss and asbestosis. The veteran's chest pain and shortness of breath are found to be caused by his asbestosis, which is considered to interfere with normal employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back strain and duodenal ulcer with hiatal hernia warrant increased evaluations, but his hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's initial and increased evaluations for service-connected bilateral hearing loss are denied as the evidence does not support a compensable or higher evaluation during the period in question.

The Board granted service connection for Parkinson's disease, PTSD, diabetic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, hypertension, and IBS. The initial evaluations were assigned based on the severity of each condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not connected to his service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected, but his bilateral tinnitus is denied.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and his bilateral high frequency hearing loss is rated at 30 percent. The effective date for the total evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities has been set as September 6, 2002.,PTSD was granted with a 70 percent initial evaluation, while hearing loss received a 30 percent initial evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to exposure to jet engine noise during military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred during service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of service, warranting entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's schedule of ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not warrant reopening of his claims.