Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated in active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss at separation and no competent medical opinion linking current conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen these claims. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was based on a preexisting condition that worsened during service, but no such evidence has been provided since the last final denial in 2002. For tinnitus, the Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete notice under the VCAA, need for additional VA treatment records from the VA CBOC in Mt. Vernon, Missouri, and other relevant medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches have been granted. The initial rating for migraine headaches remains at noncompensable (0 percent).

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for erectile dysfunction, service connection for hypoglycemia, and service connection for costochondritis. As such, these issues are dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus was denied as there is no schedular basis for assigning more than a single, 10 percent rating for tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but his ear disease (claimed as ear infections) is not supported by evidence of a chronic condition. The low back disorder was also not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in service and is not related to a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection for tinnitus has been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including noise exposure. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's combined evaluation for his service-connected disabilities is currently at 90 percent, and he is not entitled to a higher combined evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active military service, and thus granted entitlement to service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and anxiety disorder are not related to his service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for these conditions.

The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, but the case has been remanded for additional medical examination to determine if these conditions alone are sufficient to prevent him from pursuing substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear, tinnitus, and hemorrhoids. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.