Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to in-service noise exposure. The Board finds that a VA examination is necessary to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions as accrued benefits were granted. The conditions include a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, kidney disorder, respiratory disorder (including lung disorder and shortness of breath), gastrointestinal disorder other than adenocarcinoma of the stomach, headache disorder, skin disorder, and urinary bladder disorder.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to service, but his left ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus are causally linked to military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board grants service connection for HIV.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, granting entitlement to service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the current conditions are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his service, including exposure to noise during active duty. The Board grants the claims for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues and will be handled by a Veterans Law Judge at the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and finds service connection for this condition. For hearing loss, the Board notes inconsistencies in the evidence regarding whether the Veteran meets the criteria for impaired hearing under VA regulations.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military noise exposure. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for residuals of acute otitis media of the right ear with tinnitus and granted service connection based on a finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his in-service otitis media.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a nervous disorder or diabetes mellitus, type II. The claims for service connection for chronic low back strain, right eye disorder, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee disorder were denied as there is no evidence of in-service disease or injury that caused these conditions. The Board found that the current diagnoses are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for clarification of his noise exposure history and an audiometric evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, including exposure to hazardous noise during active duty. The claim is therefore granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were granted, with the effective date set at April 18, 2006.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss. The decision found that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to current right ear hearing loss, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss or tinnitus disability that is related to service, and denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is dismissed. The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran experienced ringing in his ears during service and has continued to experience it since then.