Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2009

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not etiologically related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus in his right ear is incurred during active military service and grants service connection for this condition. The Veteran's claim for tinnitus in his left ear is denied as there is no evidence of such.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus and a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of entitlement to these benefits prior to October 13, 2005.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's sinusitis is currently rated at 30 percent, the highest available rating under the General Rating Formula for Sinusitis. The Board found that he satisfied the criteria for a 30 percent evaluation based on more than six non-incapacitating episodes of sinusitis per year characterized by headaches, pain, and purulent discharge or crusting.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus did not start during his active duty service and is not related to any in-service noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically linked to his service or any incident therein, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for gastritis to include H. pylori due to withdrawal by the Veteran. Service connection is granted for low back disability, and a 10 percent rating is assigned for acid reflux disease from October 1, 2004.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA compensation criteria for hearing loss in either ear. The left ear hearing loss was not shown to be aggravated by service, and the right ear hearing loss did not meet the threshold for a recognized disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. Tinnitus was also not shown to have been incurred during service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a back disability.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection is also established for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, as well as to clarify the onset of tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the Veteran did not have a current disability during or within one year after service. The earliest documented hearing impairment was in 2002, approximately five decades post-service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are causally connected to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims developed due to acoustic trauma during his active duty. The Board has decided that a VA examination should be conducted and the issue remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus of the left ear and initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no evidence linking current left ear tinnitus to service, and there was no competent opinion supporting a nexus between current bilateral hearing loss and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.