Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss are attributable to service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. However, the claims are denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to active military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's currently demonstrated tinnitus is shown to be the result of acoustic trauma during his active service, and the Board finds that the evidence supports the veteran's claim of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The claim for hyperhidrosis was not adjudicated as a new claim, leading to denial with no effective date assigned.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant higher initial ratings, as his audiometric test results did not meet criteria for a compensable rating for hearing loss or a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no persuasive medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's reported symptoms of ringing in his ears since service are consistent with his combat experience. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence meeting VA standards for impaired hearing.

The veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus disability and prostate cancer, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, considering his educational and occupational background.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, an increased rating for hemorrhoids, and a higher initial rating for PTSD have all been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support granting any of these claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence that the conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found that the appellant's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The noncompensable rating assigned since November 2003 remains in effect.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied the reopening of the claim for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for separate 10 percent disability ratings for tinnitus affecting each ear, finding that there is no legal basis to award such ratings given the effective date of the revision in DC 6260.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not substantiated by evidence of a verified in-service stressor or other connection to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's right hand disability of the fourth metacarpophalangeal joint, finding that it was caused by an in-service injury. However, service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right sternoclavicular dislocation with deformity warrants a rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the claim. The other issues were either denied or not addressed due to lack of merit.

The Board finds that the veteran does not currently have an ear disorder, Type II diabetes, a sinus disorder, or tinnitus. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.