Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including right knee arthritis, left knee disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, residuals of a head injury, hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and a dental condition for compensation purposes.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, a left knee disability, PTSD, a low back disability, a cardiovascular disability, a kidney disability, and erectile dysfunction were denied as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased (compensable) rating for the service-connected residuals of multiple shrapnel fragment wounds of the right upper extremity, and the claims for earlier effective dates were denied as no earlier claim was filed.

The veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and he does not have left ear hearing loss as defined by VA. The claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there was no competent medical evidence showing that these conditions were related to his active service.

The veteran is not entitled to an effective date earlier than March 11, 2003, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional evidence and review by a VA examiner.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a 10 percent rating for bilateral otitis externa.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted an earlier effective date of January 8, 1981, for tinnitus.

The veteran's tinnitus is service-connected as it was caused by in-service noise exposure.

The appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's left ankle strain does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran was denied a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, but the effective date of service connection for tinnitus was set to March 21, 2003.

The veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, drug and alcohol abuse, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus (including as due to Agent Orange exposure), glaucoma, and a sinus disability were denied.

The Board denied service connection for psychiatric disability, residuals of shell fragment wounds to the face and right elbow, interstitial cystitis, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied, as was his claim for a higher initial rating for coronary artery disease. The Board also denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded for additional development.

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

The Board remands the matter for additional medical opinion regarding whether tinnitus is causally related to or aggravated by service-connected bilateral hearing loss.