Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical strain (claimed as neck condition), and left varicocele.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted, with a 10% rating for tinnitus and no compensable rating for hearing loss. The decision is based on the merits of the claims without any presumption or secondary linkage.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, blurred vision, dizziness, and headaches were not aggravated by VA treatment in February 2000. The surgery performed did not result in worsening of pre-existing conditions.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus and cervical strain are currently rated at the maximum allowed under VA regulations, so no higher rating can be granted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, to include as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, is being remanded due to the need for proper notification regarding the applicable regulation (38 C.F.R. § 3.310).

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that is causally related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity in service or a showing of continuity of symptoms after discharge. The Board concluded that the veteran's current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including tinnitus, knee and back arthritis, tinea pedis, and tinea cruris. The Board also found that his hyperlipidemia was not related to his military service, hepatitis C was not incurred in service, and PTSD was not shown to be linked to active duty.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for COPD. The new evidence received since the final decisions supports reopening of the hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and opinions regarding the veteran's tinnitus, lipomas, diabetes mellitus, nephropathy, and scars. The effective date claim is deferred until the other claims are fully developed.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ankle disability. The veteran's current hearing loss is not related to noise exposure during service, and his current tinnitus is more likely due to post-service noise exposure and age. The right ankle disability claim requires additional development.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether his current tinnitus is related to military service. The claim for PTSD was denied as there is no diagnosis of PTSD.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

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

The Board found that the veteran's current left arm scars were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service. The claim for tinnitus was remanded due to a need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of tinnitus and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.