Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The VA determined that there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's laryngeal cancer, chronic skin disorder (irritant dermatitis), and chronic eye disorder (recurring corneal erosion) are all found to be related to service. Bilateral defective hearing is not considered a service-connected condition, while tinnitus was not established as being incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending as there is no evidence of current disability or a link between the conditions and service. Service connection for frostbite of the feet was also denied due to lack of continuity of symptoms since discharge.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and found that new evidence supports a finding of service connection for tinnitus. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss, which is already service-connected, likely caused his current tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, but there is no evidence of hearing loss for VA purposes within one year of discharge. Therefore, service connection is granted for tinnitus but denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability and obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and the claims for service connection are granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the Veteran's failure to appear at a scheduled hearing. The case will be rescheduled for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that there is no competent evidence of a medical relationship between any disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hematuria was granted. His claim for tinnitus was denied, and his claim for new and material evidence to reopen a hearing loss claim was reopened.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a bilateral knee disability, a bilateral hip disability, and a low back disability have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a stomach condition, and peripheral sensory neuropathy of both upper extremities due to lack of current evidence supporting these conditions.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that was caused or aggravated by his service. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service records are unavailable and remands the case for a new VA examination to determine if his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus may be related to noise exposure in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not related to his military service. The appeal continues with the issue of an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated at 50 percent, effective September 1, 2004. His tinnitus remains at a 10 percent rating.