Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2003

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current condition began during active duty and is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the hearing loss claim and concluding that there is insufficient evidence linking the current tinnitus to military service.

The veteran's claimed conditions were not found to be related to service, and thus his claims for service connection were denied.

The VA has granted the appellant's service-connected tinnitus disability a maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, which is the highest level allowed under current regulations. The appellant’s tinnitus is currently manifested by complaints of constant ringing in both ears that interferes with his ability to concentrate and focus on tasks.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of timely filing of a substantive appeal. The RO previously denied claims of service connection for epididymitis, rhinitis, osteoarthritis of the cervical, dorsal, and lumbar spine, and sinus condition on final basis. New evidence received since previous denials is not sufficient to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for skin moles, hair loss, bleeding gums, and tinnitus due to undiagnosed illness. The veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is warranted, as there is competent medical evidence linking these conditions to service. For the right leg venous circulatory impairment, a rating of 20 percent was granted effective from June 13, 1994.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to acoustic trauma incurred during service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating, as his hearing acuity is currently at level I in one ear and level VI in the other. The benefit of increasing his disability rating for this condition was denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, decreased visual acuity, and a right knee disorder. The claim for increased rating of asbestosis was also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his original claim of bilateral hearing loss and concluding that there was insufficient evidence linking tinnitus to military service.

The Board has granted an initial 50 percent evaluation for service-connected migraine and chronic tension-type headaches since the effective date of December 16, 1996. The veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10 percent from November 17, 2000. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not established.

The veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, and he was granted a 70% rating for anxiety disorder with TDIU effective June 29, 2000.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for conjunctivitis, a left knee disorder, swollen joints, bronchitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to care for most of his daily needs so as to require the assistance of another. He is not bedridden nor he is a patient in a nursing home.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board determined that the veteran's chronic tinnitus was incurred in or aggravated by active service, and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, skin disorder, genitourinary disorder, bilateral knee disability, and tinnitus. The claim of reopening a seizure disorder was also denied.