Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is currently rated at the maximum allowable under the applicable rating criteria, and no higher as it does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture that would render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, and sinusitis. The Veteran's symptoms were continuous since service and are related to his military service.

The Veteran is granted service connection for hemorrhoids and tinnitus, with a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's headaches are rated as 30 percent disabling effective September 16, 2011. The epidermal cyst has been assigned a zero percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his period of active military service, including exposure to loud noise during service. As such, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus and his service, as well as any relevant National Guard service. The RO must also obtain treatment records from the private physicians who provided opinions on these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice and development for service connection on a secondary basis for tinnitus. The Veteran's representative needs to provide copies of the materials from the Merck Manual and Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine.

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

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's history of tinnitus since service is credible and consistent with the nature of his service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's account of exposure to extremely cold temperatures during his service in Korea is credible. However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran currently suffers from cold injury residuals causally or etiologically related to his period of active military service.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions based on in-service exposure to noise and physical trauma. The Veteran's current symptoms are consistent with his reported history of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in the December 2011 VA examination report, specifically regarding whether tinnitus was aggravated by service-connected hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is now pending and will be readjudicated after an addendum opinion is provided.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient detail in the previous medical opinion and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is competent and credible in his report of exposure to acoustic trauma during service, experiencing bilateral constant tinnitus since service discharge, and has provided testimony regarding current hearing difficulties. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted. However, there is no evidence of a current disability for VA compensation purposes related to bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to attend a scheduled Travel Board hearing. He will be given another opportunity for such a hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, low back condition, and left ankle disability were denied as there was no evidence of a chronic disability related to service or post-service treatment. The Board found the Veteran's contentions regarding continuity of symptomatology since service to be not credible.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are found to be related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be reviewed to determine if there is evidence of noise exposure during service, or other potential causes.