Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus, right knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected. The veteran is granted increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and to reopen his claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between current disabilities and military service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for tinnitus and a calcaneal spur with plantar fasciitis of the left heel were denied as there was no evidence to support ratings higher than the current 10 percent evaluations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and herpes simplex due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the effective date for service connection of tinnitus should be January 20, 1961, as this is the day following the veteran's separation from active military service. The veteran had previously filed a claim in 1961 but it was not adjudicated due to his lack of familiarity with the term 'tinnitus'.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus, finding that the effective date should be August 27, 1996. The veteran was granted a 10% rating at this time.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred as a result of service, attributing them to natural aging rather than noise exposure or infections in service.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have PTSD related to his military service, but he has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus which are related to his military service. The appellant's left thumb disability is not related to his military service.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for labyrinthitis with tinnitus and a separate 10 percent rating for tinnitus. The veteran's PTSD was rated as 30 percent disabling from June 25, 1998.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals concerning service connection for tinnitus, residuals of arthroplasty of the right and left fifth toes, hypertension, a scar of the abdomen, as his response to the statement of the case did not allege any error in fact or law.

The Board determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is causally linked to his exposure to excessive noise during service, but does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus was granted, while service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, and did not reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's allergic dermatitis was rated at 10 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for undiagnosed illness and increased rating for left ankle disability were denied. The evidence did not show objective indications of chronic disability resulting from an illness or combination of illnesses manifested by the claimed conditions.

The Board granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to the veteran's internment as a prisoner of war. The conditions are presumed based on localized edema experienced during captivity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a digestive disorder, and tinnitus. The issues were framed as such by the Board.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for otitis media of the left ear with tympanoplasty and mastoiditis, effective from the date of the decision. The veteran's hearing loss in the left ear is rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 6100, and tinnitus is rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. Right ear hearing loss is found to be incurred in service, while the evidence does not support a finding of left ear hearing loss or tinnitus being related to service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a left hip disability and granted an initial rating of 20 percent from September 1, 1997. Service connection was also established for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, granting service connection for both conditions.