Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2010

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for verification of his periods of National Guard and Reserve service, as well as additional medical records. A VA examination is also needed to address the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be secondary to his service-connected hearing loss and exposure to high intensity sound. The Board grants service connection for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including noise exposure during his time as an air freight specialist on the flight line.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn for the issue of increased evaluation for service-connected otitis media with bilateral hearing loss. The claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability is dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a 100% schedular evaluation for rheumatic heart disease, status post aortic valve replacement. Service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating by reason of individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence regarding her employment status and functional impairment caused by her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction associated with prostate cancer, are sufficient to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, do not render him unemployable due to his ability to control symptoms in order to maintain employment. The VA examiner found the Veteran's presentation of symptoms exaggerated.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for hearing loss or tinnitus, and that there was no direct service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a clarifying medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have begun in service and has been continuous since then, granting service connection for this condition. The hearing loss issue is pending as the records needed for a VA examination are still outstanding.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus disability, as there is no evidence of such conditions during active service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's assertions of continuity of symptoms since service are found to be less credible given his prior denials of these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is etiologically related to service. The initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vision disorder. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus, which he claims developed as a result of noise exposure in service and/or his service-connected prostate cancer. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus, left knee disability, and right knee disability due to incomplete development of evidence.