Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus. The examiner will assess whether these conditions are related to service noise exposure as a shipfitter.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and right testicular condition are service-connected, with the remaining issues being denied. The Veteran experienced in-service noise exposure which is presumed to have caused his current tinnitus.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of symptoms of his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that TDIU is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disorders are due to service, warranting service connection for each claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied an increased rating for tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to military service, while the maximum schedular rating for tinnitus (10%) is already assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings have been granted. The Veteran is now service-connected for hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of an eye injury, hypertension (as secondary to sleep apnea), facial reconstruction, obstructive sleep apnea, fractures of the right hand, a fracture of the right wrist, and headaches.

The Board finds that the Veteran has tinnitus related to exposure to acoustic trauma during his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as there is sufficient evidence to support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation, with consideration given to continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for either condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) due to diabetes mellitus. Service connection was denied for hypertension, ulcers, heart condition, right eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the hearing loss and tinnitus claims, leading to their dismissal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during service in Vietnam. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board found no evidence of in-service tinnitus or hearing loss, and the Veteran's current conditions are not linked to service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that his current conditions were not attributable to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions of hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities for these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service or for many years after separation. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition.