Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2003

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are service-connected, as they were incurred during his active duty.

The VA has granted service connection for residuals of frostbite, but denied the veteran's claims for tinnitus and lumbar disc disease with spinal arachnoiditis. The RO is instructed to attempt to obtain medical records from various healthcare providers and schedule a VA examination.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including VA examinations for hearing loss and tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorder, chronic headaches, and visual disorder. The appeal is currently pending due to procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of tinnitus was not addressed in detail as it pertained to noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a psychiatric examination. The claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus (to include as due to exposure to herbicides) are also pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, but granted his claim to reopen a previously denied left elbow disorder. The reduction in the rating from 40% to 20% was found proper, and he is seeking an increased rating for his left elbow disorder.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, assigning a 10 percent rating for tinnitus prior to June 10, 1999. The claim for a higher rating for multiple noncompensable disabilities was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for serous otitis, tinnitus, left Achilles tendonitis, and hepatitis B. The RO found no evidence of current disability related to these conditions during or after military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to exposure to acoustic trauma in service. The veteran's PTSD is currently rated at the highest schedular rating available, which is 70 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned an initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD with secondary dysthymic disorder.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the veteran's claimed conditions are related to VA treatment or service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure in service and granted service connection for this condition. The decision on migraine remains pending as there was no opinion provided regarding its relation to service.

The Board has granted a compensable rating for tinnitus of the left ear prior to June 10, 1999. The other issues remain unresolved.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear defective hearing and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the last denial in February 1990.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's tinnitus, finding that only a single 10 percent disability rating is authorized regardless of whether it is perceived as unilateral or bilateral.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims of service connection for various conditions and a claim for an increased evaluation for the service-connected appendectomy scar.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for the veteran's tinnitus of the right ear effective December 20, 1991 to June 9, 1999.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the veteran's military service. The claims for anterior metatarsalgia, right knee disability, and left knee disability remain pending.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and gastroesophageal reflux disease, both of which were incurred during the veteran's active duty service.