Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his active service, including noise exposure during military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran is entitled to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, with the latter being related to military noise exposure. The increase in severity of his hearing loss during active duty was found to be due to aggravation rather than natural progression.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for depression and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking his current conditions to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no medical evidence showing these conditions during his active duty. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability and denied higher initial ratings for right ear disability, tinea versicolor, and anxiety state. The veteran's left eye condition was not granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of a right hand crush injury, or low back disorder for which service connection can be granted. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and active military service. The claim for PTSD was not addressed due to insufficient information.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting the claims for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are unrelated to service, including his in-service ear infection. The evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptoms or establish a medical nexus between active duty service and these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying stressor events.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to his active service.

The Board has determined that a new examination and clinical opinion are needed to determine the etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, as the current opinions are based on inaccurate factual premises.

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

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims for squamous cell carcinoma and frostbite residuals of both feet are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during his active duty service. The claim for tinnitus remains pending and will require further medical evaluation.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus and finds that new evidence received since the last denial, including a medical opinion linking the condition to noise exposure in service, raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. However, VA medical opinions from November 2005 and January 2007 found no nexus between the veteran's tinnitus and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for further examination, including interpretation of an audiogram from active duty service. The veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed.

The Board finds that the veteran's tinnitus is related to service exposure, and grants service connection for this condition. Bilateral hearing loss is not connected to service.