Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims were previously denied in March 2005, and no new or material evidence has been presented since then.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no competent evidence establishing a nexus between his current tinnitus and active service.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the right knee, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as these conditions were not shown to be related to active service.

The veteran's bilateral tinnitus was incurred during his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and reviewing the veteran's claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his claim for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities remains denied as there is no current diagnosis. The veteran's hypertension was not found to be aggravated by diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no medical evidence establishing a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for a VA audiology examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of any diagnosed hearing loss and/or tinnitus. The veteran's claims will be readjudicated after this.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to exposure to gunfire during service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by military service, as they preexisted service and there is no medical evidence linking them to military noise exposure. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for further medical examinations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic fatigue, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and headaches. The evidence submitted since the July 1991 denial did not provide new or material evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus is currently rated as 10 percent disabling and the appeal for an increased rating has been denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral tinnitus is not related to his military service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus, finding no evidence of such disabilities during or proximate to active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions. The VA examiner found it less likely as not that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by acoustic trauma during service.

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

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for tinnitus, and the Board is dismissing this issue.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the conditions listed, including low back disability, left ankle sprain, eye disorder (other than conjunctivitis), bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, chronic lung disorder (PPD positive), gastrointestinal disorder (indigestion or gastritis), prostatitis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, bronchopneumonia, peptic ulcer disease, ischemic heart disease and hypertensive cardiovascular disease with angina, diabetes mellitus, acute pyelonephritis, liver condition, Bell's palsy with facial numbness, dengue hemorrhagic fever, and erectile dysfunction.