Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the left ear hearing loss being aggravated by service. The Veteran was exposed to noise in the boiler room during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his active duty service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. However, the Veteran's current diagnoses do not establish a link between his military noise exposure and his current disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the appellant's appeals on all issues except for the issue of an earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus. The claim was denied as there is no evidence showing that the Veteran raised a claim within one year of his discharge from service, and the RO did not have notice of any pertinent evidence prior to July 10, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service and is related to noise exposure. However, there is no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear for VA purposes.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that it is less likely than not that the current hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service. The effective date is not specified as it was determined based on the date of receipt of the claim.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not due to any incident or event in active military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support these conditions as being related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that April 7, 2006 is the earliest date on which claims were filed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptoms since separation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and sinus disorder, finding that the conditions are related to military service exposure. The effective date is pending further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service due to noise exposure, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his active military service, and therefore grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of hypertension remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are related to in-service noise exposure. As such, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of bilateral pterygium removal due to aggravation during active military service.

The Veteran's recurrent tinnitus is found to be related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The VA examiners concluded that the current disabilities are less likely related to service due to significant noise exposure post-service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, including gunfire while serving as an Armor Crewman. Service connection is granted for both conditions.