Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for a VA examination by an ENT specialist to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board finds that an effective date of February 7, 1985 is warranted for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.,The veteran's claim for a higher rating for hearing loss was not factually ascertainable to have occurred within one year prior to March 12, 2004.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by service and is not related to his service-connected hearing loss.

The VA is instructed to obtain the veteran's treatment records from 1998 to 2004 and refer them for an opinion on whether his current hearing loss and tinnitus had their onset in service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right knee condition, left knee condition, tinnitus, COPD/asthma, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the legs and arms, and loss of use of a creative organ. The denial is based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or other presumptive exposure.

The appellant's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for TDIU due to these disabilities is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and tongue squamous cell carcinoma (claimed as throat cancer) are denied. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury resulting in these conditions.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current tinnitus and any incident of service, including exposure to excessive noise. The Board found that the only competent opinion addressing this question weighed against such a relationship.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current hearing disability is causally related to his military acoustic trauma. Service connection was denied for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for migraine headaches was granted. However, service connection for residuals of an ear infection (perforated tympanic membranes), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a psychiatric disorder were all denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for anxiety reaction with tinnitus aurium in June 29, 1960. The decision is final and the veteran cannot revise it on grounds of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

All claims for increased ratings and service connection are denied. The effective date of the 10 percent rating for lumbosacral strain is set at June 26, 2002. Tinnitus is already rated at its maximum under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Board found no evidence of tinnitus during service and insufficient medical opinion to establish a nexus between current tinnitus and service. The claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining or retaining gainful employment. The case will also be reconsidered on the merits of the TDIU claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ulcers, and tinnitus. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for cystic acne was also denied.