Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for acid reflux, back and neck bone spurs, hearing loss, tinnitus, ear infections, a prostate disorder, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, or neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The Veteran's conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to gather additional evidence and conduct further examinations, as the active duty service records are unavailable. The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory disability will be evaluated based on the available information.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and tuberculosis claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical clarification regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus must be remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records, particularly those from his period of active service. The VA examiner will provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, for accrued benefits purposes. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disorder and hearing loss/vertigo are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for award of a schedular TDIU, but the weight of medical opinion and other evidence indicates that these disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that service-connected PTSD did not cause or contribute substantially to the Veteran's death due to gunshot wounds. The examiner could not conclude without undue speculation that PTSD caused the death or materially contributed to it.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by a VA audiologist's opinion concluding that any hearing loss is more consistent with age-related changes rather than noise exposure. The Veteran's tinnitus also did not have onset in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claims, including obtaining medical records and verifying periods of active duty.

The Veteran's right ear drum was noted to have scarring at separation from service, which is considered a current disability for VA purposes. The Board finds that this condition is related to his military service.,There is no evidence of a pre-existing deviated nasal septum or aggravation thereof during service. The surgery performed in-service ameliorated the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board finds that there is no competent medical evidence showing the Veteran currently has a bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus. Therefore, service connection cannot be granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his service treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptomatology post-service. The VA examinations indicated that both disabilities were more likely due to post-service occupational and recreational noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an increased rating for the left ankle disability are granted. The Board finds that the Veteran is likely as not to have injured his left thumb in service, leading to current post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

The Board found that the Veteran's current tinnitus did not result from his military service and denied his claim for service connection.