Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by significant post-service noise exposure. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a valid claim prior to August 17, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records.

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

The Board found no evidence of a service-connected bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, concluding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran seeks payment or reimbursement for unauthorized medical expenses incurred at the Eye Center in Denver, Colorado on January 17, 2007. The NAPC has approved payment to Swedish Hospital for emergency treatment related to a fall injury and referral to the Eye Center. However, without records from Swedish Medical Center regarding the Veteran's return visit, the Board cannot determine if the Eye Center treatment was part of the approved emergency care.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between current disabilities and active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, or a respiratory disability manifested by spots in the lungs to include sarcoidosis that is attributable to her military service. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis was found to be related to treatment for otitis externa during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of right foot surgery, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The issues were not about service connection at all.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is remanded due to incomplete reasoning and need for further development.

The Veteran died from senile dementia, Alzheimer's type. The cause of death is not service-connected and the claim for DIC benefits under section 1318 was remanded due to incomplete records and need for a medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his period of service.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and providing him with appropriate VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service treatment records. The Board requires a VA examination to determine if he currently has these conditions, their etiology, and whether they are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are associated with in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted. However, there is no current right ear hearing loss disability to support a claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure, which is conceded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes, and thus service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the exception of the claim for left shoulder and arm pain. The other conditions have been found to be directly related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for tinnitus and hypertension due to incomplete development of his service connection claims, including a need to obtain STRs and provide new VA examinations.