Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before a decision can be made regarding the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, but denied his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left foot disorder, and skin disorders (claimed as dermatophytosis).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, bilateral tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD) render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative bone and disc disease of the lumbar spine to his active service. The appeal was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral vascular disease as secondary to diabetes mellitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes. The claim for tinnitus was denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus was denied as he does not have the condition. The claim of service connection for hearing loss is pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and sleep disorder were not related to his military service or any service-connected condition. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral tinnitus is related to his military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, while bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service, and the Board finds that his hearing loss does not meet VA rating criteria for compensation purposes.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a supplemental opinion from an audiological examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus have not presented such an exceptional or unusual disability picture affecting employment so as to warrant consideration of unemployability on an extraschedular basis. For the entire rating period, the service-connected disabilities have not precluded substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and residuals of a back injury, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral defective hearing and chronic tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted. The claim for PTSD reduction from 50% to 30% was also denied.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is denied as there is no competent evidence of a current disability. Claims for right ankle, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to insufficient information regarding his employability and the impact of his service-connected hearing disabilities on his ability to work.